The Ferrari Purosangue doesn’t officially exist yet, but it’s still the most controversial Ferrari of our time. And it’s hard to say if any other SUV raises as many questions among prospective owners, but also among die-hard fans who will never buy one anyway.
Only two things are certain – this is the first official teaser photo and the Purosangue will debut later this year. Both have been confirmed by Ferrari. It posted the image on its social media and added: “Wait for the real change. You’ll know everything later this year.” And then right in the main caption for the photo, it says that the automaker is happy to confirm that (some of) the rumors are true.
Purosangue to be a completely new model built on a new chassis platform
Unofficial, but what is also certain is that it will not just be a redesigned Maserati Levante, as you may have read somewhere, it will actually be a completely new model built on a new chassis platform. It’s true that the test mules had camouflage in the form of body panels from the Levante, and that the engineers had taken the trouble, but on closer inspection it was clear that the overall proportions didn’t add up. Just look at the spy photos closely.
But now new photos are available online, where they are no longer test mules, but thoroughly camouflaged prototypes. And it’s just a question of whether Ferrari will take the camouflage off them one at a time, or save it for the grand finale.
We now know for sure that the Purosangue will have a front-mid-engine layout and that it will be powered by both a forked 12-cylinder and a hybrid version with a six-cylinder, which has already been introduced in the 296 GTB. We remind you that we’re talking about 830bhp and 740Nm figures, and it’s not hard to have heretical thoughts about whether this interesting engine might not be more suitable for an SUV, as the electric motor and massive torque could do a lot of useful work.
It’s also worth remembering that Maranello has repeatedly claimed that this will be a Ferrari with everything, and that judging by the photos that (may) have leaked from the factory and the test mules, it won’t be a megalomaniacal SUV as many feared, but rather a larger Ferrari FF-style car. After all, even the name Purosangue, or “Thoroughbred”, sounds promising, doesn’t it?
“An SUV from Ferrari? You’d have to shoot me first!”
Both Porsche and Lamborghini have shown that their Cayennes and Uruses work (not just on the road, but especially commercially), so why shouldn’t Ferrari. What does it matter that the late FCA boss Sergio Marchionne once said: “An SUV from Ferrari? You’d have to shoot me first!”