The Ferrari FF isn’t easy to evaluate, it seems. Not quite a Ferrari, and yet still in keeping with some elements of the character of a Ferrari. Combining the world’s most famous sports car with a grand tourer can’t have been easy and we wonder whether Ferrari, with its new four-wheel drive shooting brake, ever intended the FF to have the driving feel of a ‘normal’ Ferrari or whether they wanted to go completely radical.

If you’re a purist the FF would still have to feel like a Ferrari, but then you probably wouldn’t buy one of these. But could the FF appeal both to traditionalists and to first-time Ferrari purchasers who never had an offering in the grand tourer segment by the Italian supercar manufacturer? And if so, would they still be looking for the same driving characteristics as someone already familiar with what a Ferrari feels like?

The four-wheel drive FF system is nothing short of impressive, with a selective distribution of power to the front axle when required. What actually happens is that we get excellent power and speed across a range of revs with the traction control not really interrupting power output at all. The other to bear in mind with the FF is that it has kept a fast, sports steering which is not quite in character with the grand tourer idea.

Apart from that, in the end the Ferrari FF needs to be evaluated not just as a Ferrari but whether it meets this ‘GT’ label. It has roomy rear seats and sufficient space in the boot, and Autocar concludes that it’s a “credible grand tourer”. Despite its 651 hp, it’s relatively easy to drive without being intimidating. Not quite a Ferrari in terms of its excitement to drive, Autocar says the FF doesn’t have a direct competitor, (although we think Maserati could have produced something), and that could give it the edge required, if not the novelty of it.

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