Item: Ferrari FF 2011-2016
Rating: 4

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The FF of 2011 to 2016 represented a revolution for the Prancing Horse, being the first Ferrari to accommodate four full-sized adults and their luggage and the first to feature a four-wheel drive system.

Hence the badge: ‘Ferrari Four’.

A replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, the eccentric FF was unusual in its positioning.

We had seen flamboyant four-seat Ferraris before in the 400i and Mondial, but back in the early 2010s every car that came out of Maranello was developed and released with deft product planning in a bid to score a hit with the rich and famous, with scant concern for such trivialities as boot space and all-weather utility.

Compared with the likes of the 458 Italia and 599 GTB, this stunning Pininfarina-penned hatchback was much easier to imagine as a daily driver – and even though prices for clean examples are still holding strong at north of £100k, you could still use it as such today.

But why take a beautiful FF over a same-aged Bentley Continental at half the price? Let’s start with the powertrain.

Under the FF’s long, sculpted bonnet is a thunderous, naturally aspirated, 6.3-litre V12 evolved from that used by the Enzo hypercar.

With 651bhp, this atmo artwork was the most powerful engine fitted to a Ferrari at the time and it still feels mighty today, as its 0-62mph time of 3.7sec attests. It can sprint from 0-124mph as quickly as the ballistic 599 GTB too.

If you’re worried about the FF being too lairy, fear not, for it’s a true GT at heart. Power is delivered in a smooth and linear fashion and it never feels intimidating.

That sense of assurance comes partly from the four-wheel drive system, which is unlike any other.

Most of the time, the FF is rear-driven, with power fed through the rear-mounted seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but there’s a secondary two-speed ’box ahead of the engine that can take power from the crankshaft and drive the front wheels when required.

But in order for the front and rear ratios to match, Ferrari fitted two electronic slipping clutches to ensure the wheel speeds aligned.

The clutches effectively take on the role of the front differential, but also manage the traction and torque vectoring for improved handling – and it certainly shows on a twisty B-road.

With the front axle dormant most of the time, the FF feels like a rear-driven GT through fast corners.

Only when you point it at low- and medium-speed bends, when the car is about to lean into oversteer, does the front axle intervene.

Inside, the FF is sumptuous, with rich leather furnishings, plush metals and a well-configured dash, although it does feel a little dated next to a modern Ferrari.

At least the steering wheel isn’t cluttered with too many functions. There’s plenty of room in the back for adults, too, and it has the same boot capacity as a Cupra Formentor.

Naturally, that complex and highly bespoke drivetrain will concern prospective buyers today and ultimately there’s no such thing as a ‘cheap V12 supercar’, irrespective of list price.

Plus, potential buyers will find the DCT ’box a little dim-witted at low speeds, and on UK roads it is a firm-riding car.

But these are small prices to pay, surely, for an achingly cool GT that can top 200mph on the autobahn and then whisk you effortlessly up an icy Alpine pass to the door of your chalet.

With the kids in the back. And the dog in the boot.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Ferrari FF 2011-2016 review

Stunning V12 shooting brake is fast, agile and genuinely practical

Good

Clever all-wheel drive system

Impressive boot space

Remarkably tractable

Bad

Different Ferrari vibe

Raw for a GT car

Gearbox hesistance at low speed

RELIABILITY

Is the Ferrari FF reliable?

While the FF is a luxury car that has been skillfully developed and engineered, it is not totally devoid of issues.

Ferraris command a big premium over rivals, so if you do commit to a used FF then be prepare to fork out substantial funds to get it repaired.

Make sure you follow the right service intervals and take out a warranty with a main dealer to prevent huge bills.

Drivetrain: The power transfer unit, which controls the FF’s complex four-wheel drive system, is prone to failure due to fluid ingress, typically caused by a faulty crankcase seal.

It costs around £30k (ouch!) to replace, but many specialists will repair and upgrade it for about £10,000. The radiator’s plastic tank is prone to leaking after around 100,000 miles and the oil pan can drip too.

Gearbox: Make sure the dual-clutch auto shifts smoothly up through the gears. The gearbox can leak and suffer from sensor issues, which often means it will need to be rebuilt, or worse, replaced.

Battery: Be wary of cars that have stood idle: if the battery has died, it can sometimes flag some obscure error codes.

Lithium-based batteries are expensive to replace, so always keep them on a trickle charger.

Electrics: Manettino switch failure and tyre pressure sensor errors are common. Test the battery before getting stuck into fault codes.

Brakes: Carbon-ceramics came as standard and are expensive to replace. The traction control system can make the rears wear faster than the fronts.

Interior: The plastic coating on the buttons and switches in the centre console can become sticky and unpleasant to use so check them all.

An owner’s view

Greg Durrans :“I bought my FF last year and since then it has travelled 5000 memorable miles to weddings and to France for a family holiday.

I’m aware that the gearbox and power transfer unit are the main points of concern and have set aside funds to deal with them if they fail, but so far I’ve only had to replace a tyre.

I keep my FF on a trickle charge to look after the battery too. It’s a proper thoroughbred V12 and it has loads of space and a really engaging drive. It’s definitely a keeper.”

Also worth knowing

Optional LCD passenger-side display – showing the gear selected, RPM and speed – was available from new. Some cars were also specced with TV screens in the front headrests.

Ferrari sold 2291 examples of the FF before it was replaced by the equally attractive GTC4 Lusso, which could be had with either a V8 or V12 engine.

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Lightweight all-wheel drive system

Stunning shoot-brake silhouette

Cons

Almost as long as an SUV

Only a three-door

The arrival of the Ferrari FF marked the return of the shooting brake, a configuration that was largely forgotten but had regained popularity among premium manufacturers.

The colossal, naturally aspirated engine under the bonnet was a direct-injection descendant of the V12 that featured in the Enzo, but Ferrari’s first production all-wheel drive system was an altogether more novel solution.

When required by the front wheels, power was fed directly from the crank into a second, smaller gearbox located beneath the engine.

Unlike a conventional all-wheel drive transmission, there was no centre differential in the FF. Instead, for the majority of the time, the FF was effectively a regular rear-wheel-drive Ferrari, with the power directed to the back wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Only when drive was required at the front axle would power be taken directly from the engine into a second gearbox.

The fascinating aspect was that neither of the two front ratios were a match for those in the rear gearbox. The wheel speed mismatch was thefore managed by slipping two clutches in the forward gearbox.

The clutches also filled the role of the front differential, not only to manage traction but also to provide torque vectoring for improved handling.

According to Ferrari, the slipping clutches couldn't overheat, because in practice drive was delivered to the front axle only for short periods.

The main benefit of the system was that it offered all-wheel-drive traction (you’ll doubtless have seen video footage of the FF ploughing through snow) without the normal weight penalty.

Ferrari claimed it added just 45kg and, with no front differential, steering feel corruption was reputedly minimised.

INTERIOR

Pros

Upmarket interior is brimming with high-quality materials

Space in the back for adults

Cons

Buttons in centre console can wear over time

Too many switches on the steering wheel

The cabin was laishly appointed, with extensive use of Frau aniline leathers. Ferrari’s steering wheel included regular driving functions such as the indicators and headlights as well as a start button and the Manettino set-up switch.

The black sliver above the glovebox could be specced as an optional LCD display, which showed the current gear, a linear rev-counter and the speed.

An optional rear infotainment set-up also featured, with a pair of headrest screens and a 1280w surround sound system.

As well as four perfectly chiseled sports seats the FF provides 450 litres of boot space – enough to put some family hatchbacks to shame.

The deep seats in the rear could be folded independently to increase the boot space to 800 litres.

The central section of the rear seat could also be folded down to accommodate particularly bulky items such as a large golf bag or two pairs of skis.

The FF's cabin also included 20 litres of smaller storage compartments for the kinds of odds and ends occupants might like to keep close at hand.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Clever AWD system makes it feel like a rear driven GT car

Supercar-like power delivered in unintimidating, effortless fashion

Cons

You'll struggle to deploy all that power on UK roads

The FF didn't feel as insanely ballistic as a 599 GTB in the lower gears, but in third and above it was mighty, and since 80 per cent of the engine’s 504lb ft of torque was available from 1750rpm, it felt every bit as effortless as a serious GT should.

Consequently the 0-62mph sprint was dispatched in just 3.7sec, and the FF could power on to a top speed of 208mph.

More impressively, against the clock the FF could accelerate from 0-124mph in 11.0sec, exactly matching Ferrari’s claims for the 599 GTB – despite that car’s superior power-to-weight ratio.

In part, this can be explained by the FF’s seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, but also its superior traction.

And in real-world use, on anything but completely dry roads, the FF was likely to be the significantly quicker car.

The engine delivered 80 per cent of its torque from as low as 1750rpm, making it remarkably tractable.

While from a refinement perspective the four-wheel drive engaged imperceptibly (a tell-tale dash graphic displays when the front axle was being called upon), the effect on the cornering behaviour could be felt.

Through fast corners the FF retained the sense of being rear driven, but in slow to medium-speed bends – just at the point where it was about to transition into oversteer – the front drive intervened and you could feel the car being pulled as well as pushed.

The result was that, for a 651bhp car, it cmes with remarkably little intimidation, just the ability to dispense its performance potential extremely effectively.

For a GT car that makes sense, as does the fact that the 4WD system means the FF needn’t be sidelined during the winter.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Feels compact from behind the wheel

instinctive steering with little body roll

Cons

DCT gearbox can frustrate at low speeds

Firm ride might put some people off

From an emotive point of view, the addition of all-wheel drive had eroded some of the interaction often expected with a Ferrari.

Sure, the FF looked and sounded sensational, but sometimes it would have been nice to have been more involved in managing and exploiting its rear-biased chassis.

For such a large car, the FF concealed its size and weight impressively well.

It would take a while to tune in to the FF’s surprisingly quick steering ratio, but over time steering became almost instinctive – at which point the FF changed direction with very little body roll, beyond the first initial weight transfer (particularly when adjustable dampers were in their firmer setting, achieved by moving the Manettino to Sport).

There were only a few minor issues with the FF. Its normally superb dual-clutch gearbox would occasionally be hesitant at low speed, for one thing.

In auto mode, under light throttle openings in traffic, the F1-DCT transmission would intermittently shuffle back and forth between first and second as it tried to balance the engine's output with the necessity to trundle along among slow-moving cars.

Some potential buyers may also frown at its ride quality which, away from the smooth roads of the continent, was merely respectable.

Even with the FF’s adaptive Manettino dial pointed towards 'Comfort', the FF didn't quite deal with the roughness of some British roads as well as you might hope.

It was smooth enough, but there was no mistaking the potholes or divots underneath the FF's wheels.

Regardless, the finished product wasn't uncomfortable or jarring

But those after a more luxury GT might be better off in something softer and more pliant.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Like the 612 Scaglietti that went before it, the FF was the sort of car in which you’d happily drive serious distances.

It was quiet when you wanted it to be, it had a large, 91-litre fuel tank and was claimed to average 18.3mpg.

The addition of direct injection and stop-start helped bring a 25 percent improvement in emissions over the 612, too, resulting in a CO2 figure of 360g/km.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Used Ferrari FF 2011-2016 review

Stunning V12 shooting brake is fast, agile and genuinely practical

Good

Clever all-wheel drive system

Impressive boot space

Remarkably tractable

Bad

Different Ferrari vibe

Raw for a GT car

Gearbox hesistance at low speed

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the FF was the absence of a direct rival.

Its closest competitor was the Bentley Continental GT, but in truth they were very different cars.

The Bentley was heavier, more obviously four-wheel drive, and not as agile or fun to drive.

Then there was the fact that the Ferrari was remarkably well packaged, with plenty of interior space, a decent load bay, and a refined and comfortable cabin.

Given all this, it is impossible not to be impressed by the FF.

For some, it might be too big, too heavy, and with its four-wheel-drive safety catch, even too conservative to offer a proper Ferrari fix.

Others may find it too noisy and punishingly raw for high-end grand touring.

But for those in-between, those willing to compromise slightly at either end and also not yield to inclement weather, the FF could be the compelling purchase of a lifetime.

Matt Prior

Title: Editor-at-large

Matt is Autocar’s lead features writer and presenter, is the main face of Autocar’s YouTube channel, presents the My Week In Cars podcast and has written his weekly column, Tester’s Notes, since 2013.

Matt is an automotive engineer who has been writing and talking about cars since 1997. He joined Autocar in 2005 as deputy road test editor, prior to which he was road test editor and world rally editor for Channel 4’s automotive website, 4Car.

Into all things engineering and automotive from any era, Matt is as comfortable regularly contributing to sibling titles Move Electric and Classic & Sports Car as he is writing for Autocar. He has a racing licence, and some malfunctioning classic cars and motorbikes.