Driving a sportscar that puts out 610hp through its rear wheels is usually quite a daunting experience, though not in the case of a Ferrari GTC4Lusso T. Yes, the name is quite a mouthful, so let’s break it down a bit. The ‘GT’ part says it’s a grand tourer, C4 for it being a four-seat coupe, ‘Lusso’ because that’s Italian for luxury, which brings us to the ‘T’. That stands for the new turbocharged V8 engine that this version of the GTC4 is powered by.
Name out of the way, let’s slip into the driver’s seat. You’re greeted by a square-bottom steering wheel that can be adjusted according to your preference, there’s a slick 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system; there's even a display for the rear passengers so that they can monitor the speed and revs.
The driving position is relaxed, but attentive, there’s plenty of legroom, and the massive glass area means all-round visibility is quite impressive. However, this is a 4.9m-long car with a nearly 3.0m-long wheelbase, and you can feel that size on narrow, two-lane roads.
That length, however, comes in handy, as it allows for quite a commodious rear seat. It’s a strict four-seater, but the rear seats have good amount of knee-room, and the airy cabin adds to the sense of space inside. The seats themselves are snug, and, thanks to the massive doors, it’s pretty easy to get into the back.
Under the hood
Plush and comfy it may be, but a Ferrari is more about that motor sitting behind than the creature comforts it packs. Now, in olden times, ‘four-seater’ and ‘fast’ were seldom used in the same sentence. But, the 3.9-litre, twin-turbocharged motor belting 760Nm of pulling power makes gathering pace absolutely effortless in the Lusso T. Even when you’re using as little as an inch and a half of throttle, the GTC4Lusso T is lunging ahead like a rocket. That responsiveness is a result of technology like direct injection and twin-scroll turbochargers (they give the effect of four turbos via two). Also, there’s barely any turbo lag. Furthermore, each cylinder uses up to five pulses from the spark plug per power stroke to maximise fuel combustion, which in turn, means more power.
And it’s not that the GTC4Lusso T only drives well when driven fast, the car is just as impressive at everyday speeds; the steering is smooth and light, and the brakes are nicely weighted, making the car easy to drive in slow traffic. The ride, too, is good over regular potholes, thanks to Ferrari’s magnetic suspension, which adjusts at the rate of 100 times per second. The big 20-inch alloy wheels, however, can get damaged if you go over bumps or bad sections.
From behind the wheel
Time to put this prancing pony through its paces. Now, despite the fact that this engine has oodles of grunt, enthusiasts will miss the manic, high-revving, naturally aspirated engines of the old. Power here tops out at 7,500rpm, so there’s none of that mad dash to 9,000rpm that you would get on V12s.
The Lusso T however scores quite high on everything else. Agility levels will catch you by surprise, especially because it feels like a much smaller car than its near-3.0m wheelbase suggests. That can be attributed to the car’s rear-wheel steering. It turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to that of the front wheels at slow speeds (effectively shortening the wheelbase), which allows the car to tuck into corners tidily. Some may complain that the steering isn’t very feelsome, but that aside, this car is an absolute hoot to drive around a winding section of road.
Of course, grip levels aren’t as impressive as the GTC4Lusso, as it ditches the four-wheel-drive system you get with the V12 GTC4. But, the traction on tap is quite confidence-inspiring, and encourages you to drive the car harder and harder.
To the effect that as soon as you get comfortable behind the wheel, you’ll start to drive it like a two-seat sportscar. What also helps is the host of space-age driver aids – traction control tech from Formula 1, Electronic Stability Control, Side Slip control to name a few. These help the car attain a balance so sweet, it's an absolute joy setting up the car for corners and power out with a measured right foot.
It’s really impressive how the car comes together as much more than the sum of its parts. The responsive, rather explosive, engine, the sharp driving manners, the ultra-quick double-clutch gearbox, and the impressive levels of grip, all of it comes together beautifully to make for a cracker of a driving experience. Agreed, it isn’t as quick as its two-seat siblings, but here’s a car that makes you think that you’re a better driver than you actually are.
Should you buy one?
Here’s a car that’s brilliant to drive, can seat four in reasonable comfort, is beautifully built, and even packs in a practical 450-litre boot.
Its unconventional looks may not be to everyone’s taste. However, styling bits like the bulge on the bonnet, the intricately detailed headlights and shark-like gills on the fenders look absolutely spot-on.
Now, it isn’t a full-fledged sportscar, the V8 won’t thrill you as much as a screaming V12, and you will have to shell a lofty ₹4.2 crore to get yourself one of them. But the GTC4Lusso T successfully offers the Ferrari experience along with the practicality of a four-seater. Who would have thought that was possible?
