Ferrari Purosangue V12 Review: A Jacked-Up Rally Car - Not An SUV

We took the Ferrari Purosangue on a thrilling tour through Somerset and Bath for our review, staying at the delightful Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath for an unforgettable sejour.

The Ferrari Purosangue is an 80s rally car with four doors and four seats, featuring the latest racing suspension plus a V12 monster of an engine and high ground clearance. 

It is not an SUV, but a high-riding rally car, more akin to a Ferrari jacked up for the Paris Dakar. Or some equally insane sand safari or off-road adventure. So completely different from all other SUVs. The intent here has been to create a supercar with ample rear seats and a boot capacity of 473 litres to be a daily drive with room for the family and/or sports equipment. And the rear seats fold down, so hey, you can move furniture in your Ferrari. Ferrari gardening service, anyone?

So, what do you get in the Purosangue? I’m glad you asked. It features a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine with 715 bhp at 7,750 rpm. It can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds and 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) in 10.6 seconds, with a top speed of 192 mph (310 km/h). At two metres wide, three metres high and just under five metres long, it commands a substantial presence on the road.

Exterior

First off, the exterior lines look far better in person than in photographs. It is a triumph in design terms. The rear doors are fabulous, opening backwards to provide more space as you enter. These are not suicide doors but coach doors—completely different. A gentle tap on the small black strip at the top causes the doors to open slightly, with an electrical assist, and a longer pull opens them fully. The doors will stop if they encounter any obstruction, ensuring safety. There is also a button inside to close the doors, adding a touch of luxury to the sporty experience.

What I noticed the most were the new floating carbon fibre wheel arches. These layered ridges are separate from the body and serve to guide the flow of air over the wheels, creating a barrier of air that minimises any turbulence for better efficiency and handling. Not to mention they add a gorgeous and visually interesting new aesthetic.

Unlike other SUVs (not an SUV), the Purosangue appears sleek and low, partly because it is lower than its rivals and partly due to its clever styling. 

Carbon fibre sills line the bottom edges of the car, adding even more flow to the already sinuous silhouette. The bonnet whilst long has been kept shorter by placing the front mid-engine as far back as possible, pushing right back into the cabin. The entire engine weight is behind the front axle so the balance is flawless with the eight-speed double-clutch gearbox at the rear in a transaxle layout for perfect weight distribution, with 49% over the front and 51% at the rear.

The Ferrari Purosangue represents a massive technological leap forward, signalling Ferrari's commitment to leading not only in horsepower but also in cutting-edge technology.

There is no front grille, only front vents that take in air and direct it past the wheel arches. This reduces overpressure in the wheel arches and removes excess pressure in the engine compartment, resulting in more efficient cooling. Chief test driver Raffaele de Simone aimed to make this feature unique and quintessentially Ferrari for their first four-door car from Maranello.

Conceptually, this began with the Berlinetta. Ferrari's chief designer, Flavio Manzoni, set out to define the architecture that would inspire the car's design and shape, aiming to create a sports car with a spacious interior. Balancing these opposites was akin to solving a mathematical formula. During the design process, Manzoni often quotes the sculptor Constantin Brancusi, who famously said:

"What is simplicity? Simplicity is complexity resolved."

Another design feature I loved is that the rear screen is cleaned entirely by directed airflow, making windscreen wipers unnecessary. This pure design approach not only eliminates the need for wipers but also enhances the car's aerodynamics.

Additionally, the car boasts enormous wheels: 22 inches at the front and 23 inches at the back. It seems this vehicle owes more to a drag racer than a rally car. Imagine a Purosangue decked out as a drag racer—that would be something! Surely, someone in the States will make this happen!

Interior

Getting into the Purosanue is a divine new experience for a Ferrari. No more dropping down into your seat, simply step into the plush cabin stamped with sporting Ferrari DNA. The seats, dash and doors are lined in stunning carbon fibre and a new type of Alcantara made from 68% recycled plastic waste, combining durability with luxury. The interior is expansive, offering more than just an enlarged SF90; each passenger benefits from their own individually focused cabin. 

Remember the Ferrari gated manual gearbox? Well, it's back—if only in design form—as the drive modes on the centre console emulate this much-beloved historic shifter. Science fiction fans may also notice the influence of the spaceship from ‘Flight of the Navigator’ in the triangular driver and passenger consoles. Whatever the source, they are gorgeous, undulating across the windscreen, like waves of leather and glossy carbon fibre. 

And the seats are perhaps the biggest nod to the SUV style—super comfy armchairs that adjust in all directions, including elongating beneath the knees like La-Z-Boys, and even featuring massage functions. Oh Ferrari, what have you become?

The sound system is phenomenal—the bass could restart your heart if it stops due to the acceleration. The Burmester audio system boasts 21 speakers plus a subwoofer, delivering 1,420 watts, with 400 watts dedicated to the subwoofer and four-way speakers for surround sound. The ribbon tweeters use a super-thin metal foil instead of a diaphragm, preventing distortion and providing incredibly high response speed. In other words, the sound reproduction is exceptional at all levels.

Climate and infotainment displays are separated. The climate controls feature a single large rotary dial that rises from the centre at a touch, regulating temperature and ambience. The driver and front passenger each have their own display, designed to keep information clear and concise at all times. Both displays can be tailored to show only the information you want, avoiding what you don't.

The rear seats are spacious, electrically adjustable and can be reclined, providing genuine comfort and customisation to fit the passenger's body shape. They also feature their own rising rotary dial, which adds a touch of elegance and convenience. Unlike other Ferraris, you can tour as a foursome for weeks.

One aspect I did not like was the reliance on haptic buttons on the steering wheel. I find them annoying because you have to slide your fingers across them rather than pressing down, and there is no tactile feedback. Sliding your fingers across them while driving at high speeds proved to be haphazard at best. 

Performance

Refined, taut, and powerful, the Ferrari Purosangue blends Ferrari excitement with the smoothness of a Rolls-Royce. Essentially, it’s a taller Ferrari with softer suspension—an 80s rally car reincarnated with modern Ferrari flair.

Ferrari’s legendary 6.5-litre V12 engine now produces 715 bhp at 7,750 rpm, with 80% of its torque available at just 2,100 rpm. This ensures impressive power across a broad range, providing ample torque regardless of the driving circumstances. Derived from the 812 Superfast, the air intake manifold has also been entirely redesigned to improve breathing and efficiency.

The Purosangue features independent four-wheel steering, an innovation first introduced on the 812 Competizione, and an advanced ABS EVO system from the 296 GTB, enhancing its handling in icy conditions. While most power is directed to the rear wheels for racing-like agility, some is shifted forward when needed to improve handling and stability. A 4RSM-EVO system enables each wheel to steer independently, meticulously managing forces at all four corners.  This results in cornering that feels almost magical—astonishingly agile for such a large vehicle. It defies expectations of what a car this wide and heavy should be capable of.

Ferrari's new Active Suspension Technology is exceptional, featuring four electric motors, one for each wheel, controlled by robust Multimatic pistons employing ball-screw and worm-gears. This system manages roll, pitch, yaw, rebound, and compression with a reaction speed of 20 Hertz, adjusting the suspension 20 times per second in real-time. It maintains all four wheels independently on the ground, ensuring stability and minimizing the impact of uneven surfaces. 

Essentially the car predicts the roll or pitch and stiffens the corresponding side to compensate, creating incredible stability. All-wheel steering and side slip control make this a truly agile sports car.

You can set the suspension at soft, medium or hard, we kept it in soft, ideal for British roads and the engine modes run from ice, wet, comfort and sport plus to ESC off. You’ll probably only ever use sports mode to show off to your friends, it’s powerful and responsive enough in comfort mode. 

Driving under normal conditions is a smooth, sporty, and enjoyable experience, with a crisp and rapid pedal response. This V12 engine is eager and powerful, capable of swatting anything else on the road. In automatic mode, power delivery is seamless and well-controlled, with quick downshifts to keep you in the optimal power band. Switch to manual mode, though, and you'll quickly feel the exhilaration as the revs climb past 8,000 rpm, the performance is raw, rewarding and intense.

Never fear engine sound is accordingly tremendous—retaining that rich, throaty, mellifluous roar—but with a subtly reduced volume. This means you enjoy the deep tones at higher revs, without disturbing the neighbours or your rear passengers too much during normal driving.

I love how Ferrari has integrated these advanced electronic technologies with such a powerful V12 petrol engine, balancing two seemingly opposing elements into a cohesive whole. If all these technical details seem overwhelming, rest assured that the V12’s extraordinary power is expertly controlled, making it both exhilarating and safe to use in any condition.

Bask in the knowledge that this new suspension setup also makes speed bumps a non-issue, contributing to the Purosangue being one of the most comfortable sports cars ever.

Conclusion

All in all, the Ferrari Purosangue stands as a remarkable achievement, blending luxury and performance. Its interior is a testament to Ferrari’s commitment to both innovation and comfort, offering a spacious and meticulously designed cabin where each passenger enjoys their own tailored experience. With premium materials like the new eco-friendly Alcantara and advanced technology such as the Ferrari Active Suspension system and a sophisticated Burmester audio setup, the Purosangue delivers an extraordinary driving environment. While its size and advanced controls might pose some challenges, they are overshadowed by the car’s exceptional performance and refined features. 

Ferrari has genuinely pulled this off; it's not an SUV but rather a high-flying Berlinetta, fit for Paris-Dakar adventures while staying true to Ferrari's DNA. A technological marvel that offers sporty luxury for the entire family.

Ferrari Purosangue OTR Price from: £313,360

Our model with extras came to £411,619

https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/auto/ferrari-purosangue

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