2024 Ferrari Purosangue: Italian Bodybuilding

Ferrari doesn’t want to call the new Purosangue (thoroughbred) an SUV. Of course, the vehicle doesn’t look anything like a Range Rover, but it does offer increased ground clearance, four-wheel drive and a rear hatch. Comparisons can be made with the Porsche Macan, although the longer nose gives it more muscle. Oh, and there’s a big fat V12 nestled under the clamshell hood for good measure.

Essentially, the Purosangue is a successor to the late GT4C Lusso, an all-wheel-drive, four-seat sports car that Ferrari discontinued in 2020. That model generated mixed reviews, and it more or less embodied the Italian automaker’s anti-SUV sentiment. But the inevitable had to happen someday, as the SUV market is too lucrative to pass up, so in September 2022 the Purosangue officially made its global debut.

• Also: Ferrari Purosangue: Five Things to Know
• Also: No Ordinary SUV: Ferrari Purosangue Lands With 715-Hp V12

The unit we had the privilege to test initially landed on our shores in July and belongs to well-known Quebec entrepreneur and car collector Luc Poirier. We can’t thank him enough for agreeing to share his newest acquisition with us.

The Whole Shebang

The Purosangue you see here has approximately $120,000 worth of options including $83,000 just for the carbon fibre package—the equivalent of a nicely equipped BMW M2. You see, whereas the Urus is Lamborghini’s most affordable product, it’s the complete opposite with this Ferrari, which starts at nearly half a million dollars. 

Finished in iconic Rosso Corsa, our tester was quite a looker and unsurprisingly turned many heads everywhere we drove. Granted, the unusual silhouette and proportions also had something to do with that. Suicide rear doors facilitate access to the rear seats, which are more accommodating than the ones in the aforementioned GT4C Lusso, but nowhere near as spacious as those in the Aston Martin DBX, a close competitor of the Purosangue.

Mr. Poirier had to go back to the dealer for some door adjustment issues and a problem with the driver’s seat, but that shouldn’t take away from the lavishly appointed cabin. Ultra-premium materials are applied throughout and cutting-edge technology is wonderfully integrated into the cockpit. The seats, meanwhile, are impressively sculpted to support every part of the body.

We’re far less pleased with the infotainment system in front of the steering wheel, which has all the features you want but is a nightmare to use. On top of that, the graphics aren’t the sharpest we’ve seen in luxury automobiles.

As for interior space, this isn’t a particularly family-friendly vehicle, as you can imagine. While the Purosangue boasts four proper seats, the cargo area (473 litres) is smaller than that of a Mitsubishi Mirage.

715 Horsepower

The piece de resistance is obviously the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 producing 715 horsepower. It’s a slightly de-tuned version of the engine that powered the 812 Superfast (now replaced by the all-new 12Cilindri). But other than the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, you won’t find any competitor with 12 cylinders. Simply firing up the engine is quite an event, although the violence of the sound doesn’t match the brand’s top sports cars.

The Purosangue is a heavy steed, one that tips the scales at more than two tons. Engineers in Maranello did their best to mask the weight, but if you were hoping for this SUV to handle like a 488 Pista, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Once it gets going, the V12 delivers effortless acceleration and makes for a unique experience. However, it doesn’t feel any more explosive than the twin-turbocharged V8 bolted to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, which is nearly 100 horsepower shy of the Purosangue.

As a matter of fact, sprints from 0-100 km/h are identical at 3.3 seconds. Ferrari’s fighter is faster from 0-200 km/h, mind you, posting a time of 10.6 seconds while its German rival needs a full extra second. Top speed is 311 km/h and 305 km/h, respectively. Considering the Purosangue costs roughly twice as much, that’s rather hard to swallow, but there’s a price to pay for such an exclusive vehicle.

Mated to an impeccable dual-clutch transmission, the V12 lets out a distinctive sound, except maybe not distinctive enough to match the exotic nature of the Purosangue. Rest assured that power is never a concern, and manually operating the transmission with the quick-shifting paddle shifters is a joy. In addition, there are several drive modes to play with, Comfort being ideally suited for most conditions. Drivers can customize the various settings as they wish once they’ve managed to tame the beast. 

While acceleration is impressive, the ride arguably deserves even more praise. Continuous, wheel-selective damping completely eliminates body roll despite the lack of stabilizer bars. Special modules electronically adjust compression in each damper to keep the body level at all times. And that’s in addition to the ability to calibrate the stiffness of the suspension through the drive modes we talked about earlier. The highly advanced technology improves high-speed stability and makes the torque-vectoring AWD system’s job easier.

The result is fantastic, especially in Sport mode. At times when you anticipate the body to lean into the corner, the Purosangue stays perfectly flat. Considering the heavier weight and higher centre of mass, this Ferrari really is a marvel of engineering. On the flip side, the massive 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels are far from ideal from a ride quality standpoint. Winter tires won’t be of any help for owners who plan to use their Purosangue all year long.

Beware of Depreciation

While many Ferraris are good investments, that won’t be the case with the Purosangue, soon to be the brand’s most popular model. Granted, production will not match the Lamborghini Urus’ as Ferrari wants to maintain a high degree of prestige and exclusiveness. However, customers who’ve paid a markup will inevitably lose money. The Purosangue, by the way, starts at an all-inclusive price of $496,650. That’s without any options. Ours—well, Mr. Poirier’s—is worth $624,654, plus a federal luxury tax of $62,465, bringing the total to $687,119.

You can’t rationalize a purchase like this one. And Ferrari can hardly justify selling the Purosangue for at least double the price of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, or 35 percent more than a Lamborghini Urus. Therefore, we expect the model to depreciate faster than your typical Ferrari. Serious buyers won’t wind, but those hoping to flip it into a profit are probably going to get a cold reality check.

Ultimately, the Ferrari Purosangue is simply bellissima, both in terms of styling and technology. The V12 is a wonderful engine, except when it comes to fuel consumption and emissions. It might not stick around for long. Bentley this year chose to replace its own V12 with a hybrid V8, so Ferrari might have to follow suit sooner rather than later.