The motor industry seems to have lost its way slightly when it comes to true sporting luxury, but one brand continues to set the pace and to be the first among equals

With major names giving into the temptation of SUVs, including Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini, ­Ferrari will soon be the world’s only mass ­production car brand that doesn’t have an SUV or crossover in its catalogue. This decision, made by Luca di Montezemolo and supported by current CEO Sérgio Marchionne, will ensure that the exclusiveness of the Cavallino Rampante becomes even more pronounced and its cars all the more different from the rest.

In truth, Ferrari doesn’t need a SUV to be able to attract all manner of client. To its ­rivals striving to increase their turnovers by selling a piece of their souls, Ferrari hits back with the new GTC4Lusso, a veritable family car for everyday use, which keeps the flame of sporting luxury of yesteryear burning. With room for four adults, a 450-litre boot and all-wheel drive, the new GTC4Lusso ­follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the FF, offering more alluring Italian design, performances worthy of a Maranello thoroughbred and watertight versatility.

The new Ferrari is also the first in history to be offered with two different engines. The first is a 6262cc 65º V12 producing 690 cv at 8,000rpm. This means that, at almost five metres in length and weighing in at 1790 kg, it can reach 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 335 km/h in perfect safety. The other is a powerful V8 Turbo 3.0-litre 610 horsepower, which only uses rear-wheel drive.

The name GTC4Lusso conjures up past glories, such as the 330 GT or the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, but everything else points rather to the future than to reliving the past. This is clear to see in the many innovations it contains, the most impressive of which is the new 4RM-S system, which controls  the car’s four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, enabling exceptional dynamics and road-holding that leaves its rivals trailing light years’ behind.

The interior raises the brand’s bar of ­excellence to never-before-seen levels, with obsessive attention to detail and a perfect combination of materials and forms that ­create a new paradigm in sporting luxury. The new Dual Cockpit layout allows passengers – and not just the driver – to become ­immersed in the driving experience, with a display featuring a range of controls available in front of the front passenger’s seat.

The GTC4Lusso is a unique motor ­vehicle, which only Ferrari could have ­produced; a technological glimpse at the ­future and a reflection of the most advanced automotive engineering. By nature it is the anti-SUV and the most beautiful and fastest family car in the world.

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