Ferrari Borusangi deserves our love
When I have the opportunity to take a road trip in a Ferrari across Europe, I will choose the car that makes the dream come true; The car is worthy of childhood stickers. Maybe an SF90 or 296, something with an open roof to catch the sun. Well, at least, those were my choices, but instead, Ferrari handed me the keys to its new four-door offering, the Purosangio. At first I wasn’t convinced, but it won my heart.
This is the car Ferrari said it would never make. In fact, the exact words used by late Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne in 2016 were: “You have to shoot me first.” That was about Ferrari building an SUV. If you ask the Italian automaker today, they’ll insist that the Purosangue is not an SUV.
“Please don’t call it an SUV, because it’s not,” said CEO Benedetto Vigna He said In 2022 per luck. “It’s a Ferrari.”
Yes. certainly. I mean it’s kind of an SUV or crossover. but whatever. You name it.
Officially introduced in September 2022, the Purosangue is a four-wheel-drive, V-12-capable four-seat SUV that starts at around $400,000. On paper and in real life, it’s very much a Ferrari. Its design language represents the rest of the automaker’s lineup, and everywhere it goes, it commands as much attention and curiosity – if not more – as any other car from Maranello. This somewhat shocked me because I thought that from afar, an untrained eye could write it off as another intersection. Still, it commands attention, and thanks to its V-12 engine and high-tech suspension, it’s more than just a pretty face.
I jumped into Purosangue to drive the car from Maranello to Le Mans, in the lead up to the 24 Hour race. Since I and the other journalists touring Europe had only two days to cover the 750-mile distance, and only a few required stops in between, we were told to stick to highways, for the most part. It wasn’t an Alpine sightseeing tour, but the E70 in Italy and the A43 in France—the two main roads leading to the Traforo Stradale del Frejus tunnel under the Alps—certainly beat the views from the New York City-area highways I’m used to. . There is nothing on the Cross Bronx and Staten Island Expressway in the French-Italian Alps valley roads.
On European highways, the Purosangue was quite good. It’s comfortable enough, easy to control, and fun to cruise around on open sections. Although frustrations did arise when I had to navigate her strong shoulders and hips through tight construction zones and tight tunnels. I winced at the thought of ditching its massive, multi-thousand-dollar two-tone wheels and trading paint with Eastern European freight trucks.
Starting from the toll booth – there a lot All over France’s highway system – the 715-horsepower Purosangue V-12 engine made wonderful sounds. With a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds, its acceleration isn’t explosive. But the V-12 likes to be revved to its 7,750-rpm redline, with constant power. Most importantly, the theatrical experience feels authentic to Ferrari.
My best memories with Purosangue came when I deviated from the pre-planned route with my driving partner; Motor Trend Angus Mackenzie. At Mackenzie’s request, we stopped at this place Representative arenaIt is a track known for hosting the French Grand Prix several times in the 1960s and 1970s. We didn’t want to ride the Ferrari on the actual circuit, but four miles of Charade’s original track are now public roads. Very good public roads.
This place looked great.
The Charade circles around an extinct volcano. The roads are dangerous. Hairpins, long straights, and elevation changes; Everything needed for the perfect test bed for a new high-performance car, even without taking it on the still active part of the track. At the Purosangue, it was great, and the only chance I got to really get some sense of the performance capabilities of this $400,000 SUV.
On these roads, Multimatic True active spool-valve dampers mask the Purosangue’s 4,482-pound heft well. Off the brakes, you can feel the weight pushing back, but the Ferrari maintains its composure through the corners (Find a full explanation of the new suspension technology here). Even without the anti-roll bars, the Purosangue is a joy to handle. Just when my mind assumed that it wouldn’t want to control the car anymore, or that I might be asking too much by throwing all my weight, the Ferrari proved me wrong. The Purosangue is the best handling SUV on sale, dare we classify a prancing horse as such.
Once we got to Le Mans, I remembered how attractive this thing is. During my 24-hour race, I couldn’t roll 25 feet without people screaming, staring, or giving me compliments and excitement. When I parked the car inside the track over the weekend, I was surprised by curious onlookers who were desperate to look at the car and learn more about it. This kind of interest continued throughout the city.
People loved this thing.
My time in Purosangue was enjoyable. He has proven to me, and to everyone around him wherever he goes, that he is TRUE Ferrari. He handles like a champ, looks like a thoroughbred, and does his best to look the part wherever he goes. SUV or not, it’s a Ferrari. He’s earned the badge. It’s huge to drive. It may be the best grand tourer to ever come out of Maranello.
Digital manager
A native of New York City with a love for cars, Road & Track’s digital director is always surrounded by old, dilapidated project cars. Brown’s daily driver is a hand-swapped 1991 BMW 325i sedan, but on special occasions he pulls out his E34 M5 of the same vintage. Before R&T, Brown worked at Jalopnik, The Drive, and Business Insider, where he began working in the industry in 2015.
