The world's most famous Italian sports car company is getting into the suburban roadster game with a sassy, super-lusso (luxury) crossover designed for — ahem — only the most discerning soccer moms and dads.
The Ferrari brand has become synonymous with Italian style, sexiness and speed. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1898, the Modena-based auto house is making a splash with its new Purosangue (that's “Thoroughbred"), introduced in Maranello, Italy on September 13.
The four-door, four-seater sport utility vehicle comes fully loaded with flashy bespoke features and a nearly €400,000 price tag to match. (Company bigwigs opted to call it an “FUV” or “Ferrari Utility Vehicle” to avoid sounding too pedestrian.)
Ferrari has never much concerned itself with producing cars for the masses, preferring to focus on an elite, international clientele with money to burn. Its 1964 250 GTO, for instance, is one of the world's most expensive cars, valued at a whopping $70 million.
But with oil prices skyrocketing and climate change on everyone’s minds, Ferrari's critics wonder if unleashing a monster gas-guzzler onto the world’s motorways right now is advisable — particularly when electric-powered vehicle innovation has been advancing by leaps and bounds.
When speaking to Reuters, Ferrari Chief Executive Officer Benedetto Vigna explained why the company's holding tight to its horsepower-centered ways. On debuting the 12-cylinder Purosangue, Vigna says, “We've tested several options; it was clear that the V12, for the performance and driving experience it could provide, was the right option for the market.” (In what is, perhaps, a further reflection of the target customer's top concerns, Ferrari reportedly plans to produce only 11,000 of the vehicles in an effort to maintain exclusivity.)
As other high-end auto manufacturers like BMW, Porsche, Jaguar and EV industry leader Tesla step on the sustainability accelerator, investing in battery-powered, no-emission technology, Ferrari seems to be pumping the brakes on developing more sustainable options — at least for now.
Having released its second plug-in V6 hybrid in 2021, Ferrari has promised a fully electric car will be road-ready by 2025.
