Prancing horse brand reaffirms CEO’s revelation with new teaser and confirmation its first SUV will get V12 power
A V12 engine has been confirmed for the upcoming 2023 Ferrari Purosangue, making it clear the Italian supercar brand will go for the jugular of models like the Lamborghini Urus with its first SUV.
The revelation was made this week by Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, who told Reuters a screaming 12-cylinder engine was the right fit for such an exclusive and high-end vehicle – even at a time when Ferrari is downsizing from V12s to V8s and even V6s for some of its supercars.
“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,” he said.
Vigna’s comments were backed up overnight as Ferrari HQ released a fresh teaser clip and short release stating the brand’s latest model “will be powered by a V12 engine”.
A new #Ferrari is coming. Born without compromises, unmistakably Ferrari at heart. Powered by our iconic V12 engine. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/ycMcTrVtgE
— Ferrari (@Ferrari) May 4, 2022
“The V12 has always been an intrinsic part of Ferrari DNA. It is a celebration of our heritage, and a symbol of our relentless quest for new heights of performance and pure driving emotion,” said Ferrari in a statement.
“Stay tuned for more details about this game-changing new model from the Prancing Horse, which will be launched later this year.”
While the Purosangue will be the Ferrari’s first SUV, it will be more of a crossover wagon – but with a higher ride height, two extra doors and chunkier styling than the long-discontinued Ferrari FF two-door wagon, which emerged as the Prancing Horse’s first all-wheel drive model in 2011.
Replacing the 612 Scaglietti grand tourer, the Ferrari FF was billed as the world’s fastest four-seat car at the time, before it was replaced by the recently retired Ferrari GTC4Lusso. Both models were powered by Ferrari’s flagship 6.3-litre V12 powerplant of the time.
In the FF’s case, the bent-12 churned out 485kW/683Nm, which was later upped to 507kW/697Nm for the GTC4Lusso, although the latter was also available with a smaller and cleaner twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8 – the same one currently powering the Ferrari F8, Roma and Portofino.
Rumours have been swirling for months now that the Purosangue would be offered with a derivative of either the Ferrari 296 GTB’s plug-in hybrid V6 powertrain or the aforementioned force-fed V8, as well as the current 6.5-litre V12 that would be reserved for flagship versions.
While a V12 will headline the Purosangue, there’s still every chance one of those smaller powertrains will make its way under the bonnet in future years. Ferrari employed a similar strategy with the GTC4Lusso, offering the V12 from launch while the V8 came 12 months later.
Ferrari’s latest 6.5-litre V12 can currently be found under the bonnet of the Ferrari 812 Superfast where it produces 588kW/718Nm.
Ferrari 6.5-litre V12
For reference, the upcoming Aston Martin DBX707 currently holds the record as the world’s most powerful SUV with its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 producing 520kW/900Nm.
The Lamborghini Urus’ force-fed 4.0-litre meanwhile develops 478kW/850Nm, but an overhauled Evo version is soon expected to bring more power and torque before an even more powerful plug-in hybrid version arrives in 2024.
Given Ferrari will no doubt claim the Purosangue is the world’s quickest and fastest SUV, it will need to out-pace not only the Urus (currently 3.6sec 0-100km/h, 305km/h top speed) but the DBX707 (3.3sec, 310km/h) and the 471kW/850Nm Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT (3.3sec, 300km/h).
And then there’s the long-awaited Tesla Model X Plaid, which is claimed to be “the highest performing SUV ever built” with claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in just 2.6sec (but a top speed of only around 260km/h).
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Keyword: V12 locked in for Ferrari Purosangue SUV