Ferrari's four‑seater gets the turbo treatment

Meet the Ferrari GTC4Lusso T, the new prancing horse to have its premiere at the Paris Motor Show on 29 September.

The T is the important bit here. Without it, the four-seat “Breadvan” GTC4Lusso is 6,262cc of normally-aspirated V12 with a satisfying 690hp fed to all four wheels. Add a T and the engine shrinks to a 3.9-litre V8 and the drive goes to the rear wheels only. Hey presto, instant entry model! But only a Ferrari “base” car could still have 610hp…

The T stands for turbo of course. The engine is the 3,855cc unit from the similarly front-engined California T. Six ten horsepower is more than that car offers, though, if not quite as much as the blown V8 offers when installed in the mid-engined 488 GTB.

As befits an entry-level model, the T is slower than the GTC4 with V12 aboard. But not by much. One tenth of a second in fact separates them between 0-62mph, with the T credited with a brisk 3.5 seconds. Top speed is down too. The T tops out at 199mph, the V12 sails on to 208mph.

That’s a surprise given the aerodynamics are the same, there’s 50kg less weight to cart around without that four-wheel-drive hardware, and the T actually has more torque: 560 lb ft versus the V12’s 516. Although rear-drive only, the T version  does keep the GTC4Lusso’s four-wheel steering.

Ferrari’s contention is that the V8 is more of a “day to day” proposition for city driving than the V12. In one “day to day” respect the T is certainly superior: no prizes for guessing its thirst is not as great as the V12’s: 24.3mpg plays 18.8mg, with a proportionate improvement in C0₂ emissions as well.

So, to T or not to T in your GTC4 Lusso? Classic front-engined V12 or hi-tech turbo V8? If it matters, which it probably doesn’t, the T will come in at less than the GTC4Lusso’s £230,000 asking price; Ferrari isn’t talking prices at the moment.

No, we suspect it will be more the differences in character that separate these cars, with the V12 retaining the louder, more theatrical feel. With either engine, the four-seat Ferrari looks the same – which is to say pretty darned stunning, and so much sharper and more ”fastback” than the FF it replaced only as recently as the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

One model, two engines – when was the last time we could say that about a Ferrari? Well, actually, never. The best we have come up with are the various 2.0-litre turbo 308/328 GTB models introduced as tax-break specials for the Italian market. But at least they were still V8s.

Two completely different engine configurations available in a single model is surely new territory for Ferrari. Will it catch on with other models? Perhaps, but don’t expect an entry-level four-cylinder 488 GTB anytime soon!