What We Like
It's a Ferrari
That lovely V12 soundtrack
Able to genuinely seat four
Decent 450 litres of boot space
Best of supercar qualities and grand tourer abilities
What We Dislike
You can buy a decent condo with the car's listed price of over a million bucks
It's hard to imagine a Ferrari not being a blood red, low-slung two-seater supercar that's filled with the spirit of screaming loud engines. But we shouldn't forget that the Italian supercar marque has dabbled in more than that because Ferrari has quite a few four-seater Grand Tourers (GT) that are just as capable as any of the rest in its stable.
From the Ferrari Mondial and the Ferrari 456 GT to the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and the Ferrari FF, fans and enthusiasts alike have never shared the kind of love for them as they do for their two-seater counterparts.
But that doesn't mean they're not special. In fact, with their school-run capabilities and rarity on the roads, these four-seater supercars have an undeniable appeal that makes them even more special than the regular, often-sighted Ferraris.
Nuff' with the history and opinions. Is it a driver's car?
The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is every bit a driver's car as it is a comfortable everyday GT. While it seems like an easy thing for this storyteller to say, mind you, we must also realise it's a tough task for the carmaker to accomplish because the Lusso manages to combine the best of both worlds into one complete and desirable package.
On the road, there is nothing subtle about the car, even if the Lusso doesn't seem as loud as the FF. But you get the strong sense of the car's composed and confident disposition as you get up to speed quickly.
Unlike some of the other cars in its lineup, it's much easier to appreciate the fact that this is the Ferrari for grown-ups and not spoilt kids with rich daddies.
Flick the manettino dial on the steering wheel to Sport mode and the exhaust note hardens while the throttle response quickens.
Floor the right pedal and the Lusso will finish the century sprint in just 3.4 seconds, thanks to the full-blown V12 that provides 680 Italian horses and 697Nm of twisting force to the wheels via a super quick and smooth-shifting seven-speed F1 DCT gearbox.
How's this Ferrari a GT then?
It's how comfortable the car is on the inside and the way it drives that makes it one. Sit inside and the first thing you'll realise is the impressively wide and high-definition 10.25-inch screen that takes centre stage and a separate elongated touchscreen that's nicely integrated into the dash for your passenger to meddle with.
More relevantly, you get to enjoy the drive with not just one but three passengers. Seats behind aren't sedan-spacious but it'll fit two full-sized Asians without much fuss, more so if you're seated behind a pint-sized driver like this writer.
On long open roads, where we spent a lot of time on, you'll realise just how this machine is made for long distance speedways rather than short twisty switchbacks. Sure, the Lusso will achieve high marks for hot laps but they're certainly not the car's priority.
Best of both worlds
With the Ferrari GTC4Lusso, you get to enjoy the performance of a thoroughbred supercar without compromising on everyday comfort and style. Of course you can always argue that if you wanted a car that can give you everything (space, performance, practicality), there are other options like the Bentley Bentayga, the Lamborghini Urus or even the Porsche Cayenne.
But such a strategy, while becoming a strong business case for these carmakers, causes their cars to lose their sense of uniqueness over time, since it's only a matter of time before more of them are seen on the roads all over the world.
The Lusso, on the other hand, has a slightly different proposition. Considering it hasn't yet sold out to big boxes on stilts, and has managed to keep a sweet balance between form and function, it will remain to be a desirable machine in many more years to come.
