Ferrari FF Has DCT and First-ever All Wheel Drive
Exotic sports car producer Ferrari has maintained its reputation as a transmission innovator with its new FF. Not only does the FF follow recent Ferraris in employing a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, but it also adds all wheel drive – the first Ferrari ever to take power to its front wheels. The FF — for Ferrari, Four − marks a style first, too, seating four occupants under a roofline profile extended rearward in the manner of a sports wagon.
A new front/mid-mounted V12 engine of 6.3 liters
gives 660 hp at 8,000 rpm, feeding the power to the rear transaxle unit comprising
the dual clutch transmission and power take-off to take the drive back to the front
axle. Ferrari has not yet provided full details of the gearbox – likely to be the
Getrag 7DCL750 – or the four wheel drive system, the first it has ever developed.
However, the company claims that its 4WD technology, dubbed 4RM, weighs 50 percent
less than a conventional four wheel drive set-up and maintains "perfect weight distribution,"
with 53 percent of the vehicle’s 1790 kg mass over the rear axle.
Ferrari also claims that, by fully integrating the management of its four wheel drive within the car’s electronic dynamic control system, the 4RM technology is able to deliver what the company describes as record levels of performance on all terrains and in all conditions via continuous and intelligent predictive torque distribution to all four wheels.
In numerical terms, this means a weight-to-power ratio of 2.7 kg per hp, allowing a maximum speed of 335 km/h and 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.7 seconds. Fuel consumption is pegged at 15.4 l/100 km, equating to CO2 emissions of 360 g/km. Carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo promise stopping power commensurate with the FF's extreme performance, and the latest SCM3 iteration of Ferrari’s magneto-rheological damper system ensures the kind of supple body control expected by top-level customers.
Prices, availability and production plans are expected to be revealed during the FF's formal international debut at the Geneva show in March.
| Ferrari FF – Initial Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Engine | 6.3 liter V12, front mounted |
| Maximum Power | 660 hp at 8,000 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 7-speed dual clutch transaxle at rear; drive to all four wheels |
| Length | 4907 mm |
| Width | 1953 mm |
| Seating Capacity | 4 |
| Trunk Capacity | 450-800 Liters |
| Dry Weight | 1790 kg |
| 0-100 km/h Acceleration | 3.7 sec |
| Maximum Speed | 335 km/h (208 mph) |
| Fuel Consumption | 15.4 l/100 km (14.7 U.S. mpg) |
| CO2 Emissions | 360 g/km |
| Price | Not Revealed |
Story Filed: 3/15/2011
By Tony Lewin, managing editor DCTfacts.com