Forza Horizon 4: Four-wheel drive Ferrari reloaded

We begin with the Ferrari FF, which is known to be the first-ever Ferrari that comes with four-wheel drive, and although being marked as an all-weather Ferrari that you can take it on a ski holiday, it still behaves like what a Ferrari should be thanks to its bespoke four-wheel drive system made by Ferrari themselves.



The FF was proven to be quite a success for Ferrari when it was first launched in 2011 and as times change, the four-wheel drive Ferrari underwent its metamorphosis, evolving into something that can surpass the FF's character by all means.



This is the new Ferrari GTC4Lusso, the four-wheel drive Ferrari, reloaded, and I'm playing Forza Horizon 4 to see what's like to be in the improved version of Ferrari's first-ever four-wheel drive four-seater shooting brake.



There are some differences between the old FF and the new GTC4Lusso despite the same bodystyle carried over from its predecessor. While the GTC4Lusso looks different than the FF it replaces, the performance and dynamics are improved compared to its predecessor. First, there's the 6.3 L F140 V12 engine that produces 690PS of power 697Nm of torque, resulting to its 3.4 seconds of 0-100kph time and 345kph of top speed. Apart from the engine upgrade, the 4RM system from FF has been revised, promising better handling even on low-grip surfaces and superb stability and responsiveness in all conditions.



I have been a sucker for the FF ever since I wanted to experience this four-wheel drive Ferrari a few years ago but the GTC4Lusso pushes the four-wheel drive even further and while its enough to outrun the likes Lamborghinis or even the Ferrari 488, the GTC4Lusso's all-weather capability really does all of the things no supercar has crossed before but despite being an all-wheel drive Ferrari, it takes considerate amount of time to get to know about the car better and the more time you spent driving with it, the better the impression is.



Speaking of impression, it's time to take the GTC4Lusso for a real challenge in a middle of extreme icy temperatures and with the winter season going to hibernation mode in a few clicks, what better way to spend last hours of winter than taking the GTC4Lusso to its primal habitat.



That snowy dirt course is a bit of a challenge but the GTC4Lusso really clawed it like a boss.



Although the Ferrari GTC4Lusso isn't a perfect all-wheel drive sportscar, it sure knows how to handle almost every condition like a proper all-wheel drive while retaining its Ferrari nature just like its FF predecessor. Although winter has reached its end, there's still more work to do with the GTC4Lusso as the journey continues.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso

About five years ago, Ferrari rattled the supercar world with the FF, featuring Ferrari's very own four-wheel drive system which the power is distributed between the left and right sides of the rear and front axle for superior grip unlike other 4WD sports cars. In terms, it's not like the Nissan GT-R you're familiar with. Now, Ferrari's first 4WD sportscar has been given a fresh new look and a new name. Meet the new GTC4Lusso.

2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso

This new Ferrari GTC4Lusso looks almost nearly identical to the old FFit replaces but there's one major difference you should know about. Like the LaFerrari, the 488 GTB, and the F12tdf, the new GTC4 Lusso joins to the new batch of Ferraris that are no longer Pininfarina-designed and they are designed in-house by the Ferrari Styling Centre, thus resulting to a new front face and the new taillight design that really differentiates it from the old FF, which is Pininfarina-designed.

The biggest change ever happened on the GTC4Lusso is that it now comes with two different variants types for the first time. First, there's the one with the 6.3 L F140 V12 engine that produces 690PS of power 697Nm of torque, resulting to its 3.4 seconds of 0-100kph time and 345kph of top speed. Apart from the engine upgrade, Ferrari's four-wheel drive system has been revised, promising better handling even on low-grip surfaces and superb stability and responsiveness in all conditions, making it a multirole full stop. The second one, and this is the obvious bunch, there's now a rear-wheel drive GTC4 Lusso with the same 3.9 L F154 V8 twin turbo as the 488 GTB, producing 610PS of power and 760Nm of torque, that's more torque than its V12 equivalent but it's close because of its 3.5 seconds of 0-100kph time and 320kph of top speed.

So, a choice of either a four-wheel drive V12 model or a new rear-wheel drive turbocharged model sounds more of a hunch by some but if anyone can drive both of these variants, it's easy to feel the difference between the two. On the one with the four-wheel drive system and V12, you can see that all that added power from its V12 engine and its brand new 4RM-S really shows that it has gained a lot after five years but better get yourself focused because while this new four-wheel drive system keeps the car within reach on any road surfaces, your numbness while driving is not relevant because it takes guts to wrestle this kind of machine on the snow and on the beach. On the one with the rear-wheel drive and V8 turbo engine on it, the multirole has became a fighter because while it lost its ability to get through slippery road conditions, its weight loss results for some added challenge for the driver who demands more. Best to stay focus while driving this one though because if things get rough, start praying because on the scale of easy to extreme, this is way higher than extreme because being rear-wheel drive, wheelspin starts and oversteering is very likely and you need to have a decent strategy to master this new kind of GTC4Lusso.

Well, if you got three hundred grand in your bank account, now's the perfect time to get yourself interested with the GTC4Lusso, regardless of which variant you'll choose. If you want some all-weather driving, go for the one with the 4WD and V12 on it, but if you are a driver who demands more, try the lesser one with the V8 and rear-wheel drive. Yes, the one with the V8 and rear-wheel drive can be considered the lesser one but to those who experienced it and braved through its torture, they believe that the one with the V8 engine and rear-wheel drive is more enjoyable and yes, you can turn it into a smoke grenade for the fun of it as long as you don't live in the Oceania where turning cars into smoke grenades is against the law.

Photo: Ferrari