Every time I think of Ferrari as a car company, I think of Apple inc. One similarity shared between the two companies is the attention they garner every time they launch a new product but also how each time they do so they seem to raise the bar even higher. There is also the desirability of their products but more importantly there is the brilliance that drives the marketing team to pitch just the right products to the right people.

Ferrari recently launched the GTC 4 Lusso which is set to replace the Ferrari FF which has been on sale since 2011. When the FF was launched it was meant to cover a base that most high performance cars skimp over: practicality. It had four seats, four wheel drive and plenty of luggage space.  And because it had its engine mounted in the front of the car the cabin wasn’t compromised in terms of occupant space. The GTC 4 Lusso carries on that heritage. However, the four wheel drive system with the added practicality and the heft of the v12 engine upfront translates to additional weight.

At this year’s Paris Motor Show Ferrari launched the GTC 4 Lusso T. The T stands for turbo. This is supposed to be the lighter more nimbler version of the GTC 4 Lusso. This is the first Ferrari four seater to be endowed with a v8 engine. All of its forebears had v12 engines. It is also meant to be the more fuel efficient version with a range that Ferrari claims is 30% better than the v12 variant.

The GTC 4 Lusso T comes equiped with Ferrari’s now familiar  3.9 litre turbo charged v8 which produces 448kw(610 hp)of power at 7500 rpm and 760 nm of torque between 3000-5250 rpm. The GTC 4 Lusso T is also rear wheel drive only albeit inheriting four wheel steering from the v12 version.

The engine has also benefited from Ferrari’s variable boost management software that limits the amount of torque on offer for the first two gears. All 760 nm of torque are available however through the rest of the gears. The gear box is Ferrari’s standard F1 dual clutch 7 speed gear box. The brake discs upfront are 398 mm in diameter while the rear discs are 360 mm.

In terms of styling the exterior design can best be described as controversial. The GTC 4 Lusso has lost the subtle beauty of the FF. The rear lights don’t work as well as they did on the FF and the flat hump right at the back ruins the look somewhat. But as ever beauty is in the eye of the beholder and perhaps the look will age well.

The GTC 4 Lusso T has a claimed top speed of 320 kph, a 0-100kph(0-62mph)time of 3.5s. and a claimed combined fuel consumption of 11.6l/100km.

NB! Featured image is the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso. Images of the GTC 4 Lusso T will be uploaded as they are made available to the motoring press.