Previously known as the F16X, the Ferrari utility vehicle was confirmed at the Capital Markets Day 2018. Presently called Purosangue, which is the Italian word for thoroughbred, the jacked-up grand tourer with five doors including the hatchback trunk lid features a next-generation platform.
The Prancing Horse dubs it “Front Mid Engine Architecture,” and Ferrari has also confirmed a transaxle located out back instead of a conventional transmission. Developed for two- and four-seat applications, the platform promises optimized weight distribution and a low center of gravity. The Purosangue is expected to be the first application of this platform, whereas the Roma features an extensive update of the Portofino’s underpinnings.
Rumored to feature hidden rear door handles inspired by the Alfa Romeo 147, the Purosangue will probably get multiple powertrain options. As the headline implies, the Maserati Levante-bodied prototype in the featured video is hiding a twin-turbo V6 under the hood. The sound is uncannily similar to the V6-engined supercar in the second video, a prototype of the 296 GTB that introduced the world to Ferrari’s incredible six-cylinder engine.
Codenamed F163, the 3.0-liter powerplant is a 120-degree V6 with a compression ratio of 9.4:1 and mono-scroll turbochargers produced by IHI. Even though it shares the 88-millimeter bore and 82-millimeter stroke with the Maserati Nettuno, these mills are completely unrelated. On its own, the Ferrari-exclusive design cranks out a whopping 663 PS (654 horsepower) at 8,000 revolutions per minute. That’s 218 ponies for every liter of displacement, a figure that’s only exceeded by a few hypercars.
An electric motor delivers an extra 167 PS (165 horsepower) for a grand total of 830 PS (819 horsepower) on full song. Pretty impressive for a V6, not gonna lie, even more so thanks to the intoxicating exhaust note.
If the base option will be a plug-in hybrid V6 like the powertrain in the pictured test mule, then one can only wonder if the Pursoangue will be offered with a twin-turbo V8, a V12, or both in conjunction with some kind of electric assistance. In the case of the twelve-cylinder mill, fret not because Ferrari will keep it naturally aspirated even though electrification is a must as Europe prepares for the very harsh Euro 7 emission standard in 2025.
And by the way, have you seen an SUV that corners as flat as this one?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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