Reviewers drove the high-rise supercar on snowy roads in northern Italy but can’t seem to agree on how good it sounds
by Chris Chilton
March 8, 2023 at 11:35
by Chris Chilton
Former Ferrari CEO, Amedeo Felisa, once told me that he didn’t really care what the press thought of his cars and considered it almost pointless to let us have a go when the entire production run was sold out before we’d even been handed the keys.
The two-year order bank for the company’s new Purosangue crossover was achieved before anyone had published a single driving impression but plenty of us do care whether Ferrari’s first production four-door car is any good, despite probably never being able to afford to buy one. And even Felisa admitted that owners liked the validation of their purchase decision that came from seeing positive reviews for a car published after the fact. So today is a big day. Today the first independent media reviews dropped to help us answer that burning question: is the Purosangue any good?
To briefly recap, the Purosangue (which Ferrari doggedly refuses to refer to as an SUV) is lower and sleeker than its boxy rivals, and instead of the twin-turbo V8 and auto ’box configuration most of them use, is powered by a naturally aspirated, non-hybrid 6.5-liter V12 mated to a rear-mounted dual-clutch transmission. It also has electrically opening, rear-hinged rear doors and costs over $400,000 including destination charges and the gas guzzler tax – and that’s before you’ve even considered the options list.
There’s plenty of praise for the 715 hp (725 PS) V12, which has been tuned to deliver 80 percent of its 528 lb-ft (716 Nm) peak torque at 2,100 rpm, making it suitable for hauling around a circa 4,800-lb (2,180 kg) with-fluids-and-driver machine. But not everyone seems to agree on how good it sounds.
Related: New Ferrari Purosangue Starts At $398,350, Nearly Twice The Price Of A Lambo Urus
Motor Trend says “the purr evolves into an outright shriek, a tsunami of trebly howls,” as the V12 piles on revs, but Car & Driver reckons the noise, while pretty, is mostly kept “to a dull roar,” and thinks that aftermarket exhaust suppliers will do a brisk trade in uncorking more music.
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There’s some griping about the number of buttons on both the front and backside of the steering wheel and the “fiddly” infotainment system, the small-ish trunk, and poor visibility resulting from thick C-pillars. But the ride comfort, body control, steering (less frenetic than in Ferrari’s sports cars), and rear passenger accommodation, all get a thumbs up.
Summing up, Top Gear says the Purosangue is the only SUV that deserves the Sport-Utility tag, which Porsche Cayenne GT owners might take issue with, and TG, Autocar, and Motor Trend say it still feels like a Ferrari, despite the additional doors, weight, and ride height. C&D goes even further, saying that while every Purosangue buyer will likely also be able to afford a 296 as a companion, if you could only get one Ferrari, the SUV should be it. That should keep the magazine’s letters page busy for a while…