Saturday 24th September 2016

Ferrari GTC4 Lusso T for Paris

690hp V12 too much? Try the new entry-level V8 turbo, with 610hp...

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The new Ferrari GTC4 Lusso is a car we're big fans of at PistonHeads, its ability to combine rabid Ferrari V12 performance with exquisite luxury quite some party trick. Now the flagship of the Ferrari range is to receive a new model, the GTC4 Lusso T.

A "rich, powerful soundtrack" is promised

Yes, like the California T, that's a 'T' for turbo. Also like the California, and indeed the 488 GTB, it's the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers this GTC, Ferrari describing it as the "latest evolution" of this unit. So don't, whatever you do, call it a straight swap... Power is rated at 610hp at 7,500rpm, with peak torque of 560lb ft from 3,000-5,250rpm and variable torque curves (also as seen in the California and 488) between third and seventh. The V12 car, for reference, boasts 690hp and 514lb ft.

Moreover, this is not simply a V8 in place of the V12 for a GTC4. Unlike the existing car, the V8 ditches the four-wheel drive and is rear-wheel drive only. Just when you thought Ferrari was going all grown up and sensible. Not only does this save 50kg (now 1,740kg dry with "specific optional extras"), but also tips the weight balance a little more in favour of the rear (now 46:54). Ferrari says this brings "superb occupant comfort and sportiness with... thrilling driving dynamics". Performance remains firmly in the supercar realm: top speed is said to be in excess of 200mph, with 60mph coming up in 3.5 seconds.

Much of the rest of the technology from the GTC4 Lusso is carried over to this T, including four-wheel steer, third generation Slide Slip Control and the Dual Cockpit as well.

The GTC4 Lusso T will receive its first public show at the Paris motor show very soon; there are no further details on price or availability yet, but you would have to assume neither can be far off. Would you have it over the V12?

[samoht]

What better car for a skiing trip? It's hard to think of anything worse to tackle narrow, icy roads in than a front-engined, rear-drive car, worth as much as an average house and nearly as wide and heavy, with fat performance tyres. Oh, and DSG so you've got to second-guess a computer making those crucial initial clutch inputs on snow or ice.

The V12, with its 4WD, would make sense for that, sure, but this RWD one seems quite ill-suited. I like it a lot, sure it would be a great drive in normal circumstances, but not for snow and ice.

Since the V12 car has a clever arrangement where drive to the front wheels comes off the front of the crank via a separate gearbox and clutch, I assume it wasn't felt worth the re-engineering to adapt this arrangement for a totally different engine, which presumably wasn't designed to drive both ends of the crank.

Given the loss of four cylinders and two driven wheels, I'm amazed if it's really only 50kg lighter than the V12 car - surely the V12 is more like two tonnes ?

[samoht]

jayemm89 said:

matsoc said:

The simply idea of a Ferrari model with more than 1 engine options is wrong.

This. V6 488 anyone? I can understand it for the markets like China where a huge cost saving could be had on account of lower taxes, but for other markets I can't imagine it being a big seller. Not that any Ferrari 4-seater ever is.

Ferrari have done it before, though. They produced a variant of the 308 GT4, the 208 GT4, with a small-bore two-litre variant of the former's three-litre V8. This was then transferred to the 208 GTB, which was later turbocharged; when the 328 succeeded the 308, the 2.0 turbo model carried over, now intercooled. Why did Ferrari do this? Yes, to qualify for lower annual tax rates, at that time in the domestic Italian market.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_308_GTB/GTS#...

[samoht]

rodericb said:

Would this be the first Ferrari which has engines of differing cylinder counts? Those 208's were V8's.

I think so, yes. Evo agree - http://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/18306/ferraris-firsts...

evo said:

The GTC4Lusso also becomes one of very few Ferraris (the 365BB and 512BB, and 208 and 308 were others) that has offered two different power units in the same body style - and then, the first to include two configurations (V8 and V12) in the same body.

I have a feeling some racing cars got re-engined between V8, V12 and inline four engines at some point, but unsure if they were really the 'same' chassis.