Dropping AWD but gaining two turbos
A lighter, nimbler GTC4Lusso is making its debut in Paris.
When the Ferrari FF launched it caused a fair bit of consternation amongst the brand's loyal tifosi. An all-wheel-drive Ferrari, and a hatchback at that? Not everyone loved it, but it proved to be a respectable choice, recently rechristened as the GTC4Lusso. Now, at the 2016 Paris Auto Show, Ferrari's showing off a new edition that makes some significant tweaks.
The GTC4Lusso T looks like a standard GTC4Lusso -- that is to say it's still a luscious five-door augmented with enough vents and gills to assuage any doubt about its sporting pretenses. However, under the skin it's been thoroughly revised. The biggest change is under the hood, where the company's 3.9-liter V-8 has been inserted. This twin-turbocharged motor is at the heart of the impeccable 488 GTB, and with 601 horsepower on tap, it'll provide plenty of power here, too.
How it delivers that power, however, is vastly different from the other GTC4Lusso. The T is rear-wheel-drive only, ditching the complex dual-transmission drivetrain setup for a more traditional RWD setup. This slows the 0 - 60 time from 3.4 seconds to 3.5, despite the car being about 100 pounds lighter.
Handling should be very, very good thanks to a four-wheel-steering system and Ferrari's latest electronic differential, traction control and stability control systems. All that conspired to make the 488 a rocket ship you could safely exploit without getting burnt, and it's safe to assume the GTC4Lusso T will be similarly engaging.
It's also sporting Ferrari's most high-tech interior yet, thanks to a 10.25-inch capacitive touchscreen that dominates the dashboard. A secondary display sits ahead of your passenger's seat, offering them details on speed, performance and navigation -- and a nasty case of carsickness should they spend too much time looking at it.
Ferrari hasn't given any indication of price or immediate availability of the GTC4Lusso T, but don't expect to get into one for much less than $300,000.