New Ferrari importer Ital Auto Malaysia has officially introduced the Ferrari Purosangue, with the model making its local debut just over a year after its global reveal. The car opens up a new segment for the Prancing Horse, being its first-ever four-door, four-seater series production model.
Measuring in at 4,973 mm long, 2,028 mm wide and 1,589 mm tall, with a 3,018 mm-long wheelbase, the Purosangue (pronounced as purr-oh-saahn-gway) has plenty of presence. While it bears more than a passing resemblance to the GTC4Lusso from certain angles, the scaled up proportions means there is more visual volume, and its shape sets it apart from the rest of the automaker’s model range.
Design novelties include the omission of a front grille, with the car instead utilising a dihedral suspended on the lower section, in which the front camera and parking sensors are neatly integrated into. Located at each side of the bonnet are the daytime running lights, which are set between two pairs of air intakes which meld into the upper part of the flanks.
The upper air intake is used to channel air into the complex blown system which vents underneath the front aerobridge, while the lower intake is used to channel air to the brake cooling system. Meanwhile, the headlights sit below the DRLs, housed inside the top edges of the bumper assembly. The floating wheelarches, which help provide contrast and reduce visual bulk, are finished in black as standard, but is also available in carbon-fibre.
The Purosangue sits on an all-new chassis that the company says offers uncompromising rigidity. The lower part of the structure is made entirely from high-strength aluminium alloy, while the bodyshell is made from materials ranging from aluminium to carbon-fibre, with high-strength steel utilised in important areas.
The automaker says that the spaceframe chassis, comprised of closed-section extrusions connected by castings into which load-bearing aluminium sheet metal elements are integrated, is stiffer (+30% torsional rigidity and +25% beam stiffness) and lighter than its previous four-seaters’, despite the car being larger.
The Purosangue comes with a choice of two roofs, the first being a single-shell carbon-fibre roof with integrated soundproofing. Completely new, the unit delivers rigidity levels on par with a glass roof, while weighing 20% less than an aluminium roof with soundproofing. The other option is a full-length electrochromic glass roof.
As for wheels, the Purosangue gets its own specifically-designed forged wheels, based on the same aero concept as those on the SF90 Stradale, in which radial elements on the outer channel facilitate hot air extraction from the wheelarch. As standard, the car rides on 22-inch front (with 255/35 tyres) and 23-inch rear (315/30) wheels, which are highlighted with an elegant diamond-cut finish.
Moving into the cabin, the first novelty is presented by the car’s Purosangue’s rear doors, which are rear-hinged and opens rearwards to create a visually wide aperture when both doors are out. The electrically-operated unit – which can be accessed independent of the front – features a 79° opening, while the front door has a 63° opening, which is five degrees wider than on other Ferrari models.
As to why there is a B-pillar, the company said that while going without it was explored, the quest for performance and structural stiffness meant that it had to be retained. Despite the pillar, ingress to the rear of the cabin is accomplished without fuss, as noted on the display vehicle during the global preview of it last year.
Meanwhile, access to the boot is via a powered aluminium rear hatch, with two electric Stabilus tailgate lifters allowing the unit to be opened to 73° for easy access to the boot and provide easy loading and unloading of luggage. At 473 litres, the boot is the largest ever seen on a Ferrari, and if more space is needed, the rear seats can be folded to increase luggage space.
Still on the inside, the driver’s cockpit is inspired by the SF90 Stradale and is almost exactly mirrored on the passenger side, where a 10.2-inch display provides all the information required to help the front occupant participate in the driving experience.
Meanwhile, the driver gets the fully digital interface as seen on the rest of the automaker’s current model range. Comfort-related controls are located on a hideaway rotary interface in the central section of the dash, and the rear passengers have access to the same functions via a second rotary interface.
Standard equipment includes front seats with massage function, a Burmester 3D high-end surround sound audio system as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, with the latter substituting the traditional built-in navigation system.
Optional material choices include a brand new Alcantara formulation, which is made of 68% of post-consumer recycled polyester. Also, those looking to explore beyond traditional carpeting or leather for floor mats can opt for a bullet-proof, ballistic fabric as used in military applications.
The Purosangue arrives on the scene with only one engine choice, and that’s a naturally-aspirated petrol 6.5 litre V12. The F140IA maintains the architecture seen in the company’s recent 12-cylinder units, including a 65° angle between its cylinder banks, dry sump and high-pressure direct injection. While the cylinder heads are derived from the 812 Competizione, the intake, timing and exhaust systems have been completely redesigned.
Developing 725 PS (or 715 hp) at 7,750 rpm and 716 Nm of peak torque at 6,250 rpm, the mid-front-mounted mill is paired with an eight-speed oil-bath F1 DCT dual-clutch transmission housed at the rear to create a transaxle layout and helping to present the car with a 49:51% weight distribution.
The eight-speeder is a familiar unit, and its ratios are the same as on the SF90 Stradale and 296 GTB. Together, the combination is good enough to propel the 2,033 kg vehicle from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and to 200 km in 10.6 seconds, on the way to a top speed of over 310 km/h.
The 4RM-S system developed for the GTC4Lusso has been reworked for the application on the Purosangue, and now inherits the innovations made to the control logic developed for the SF90 Stradale’s 4WD system, coupled with the new independent 4WS seen on the 812 Competizione.
The SUV also gets the latest iterations of the vehicle dynamic control systems seen on the company’s sports cars, including Side Slip Control, now in 8.0 form, F1-Trac and ABS ‘evo’ with the six-way Chassis Dynamic Sensor (6w-CDS). Making its world debut on the Purosangue is the new Ferrari active suspension system.
Utilising Canadian component manufacturer Multimatic’s True Active Spool Valve (TASV) System, the new suspension architecture combines 48-volt electric motor actuation with a high-precision spool valve hydraulic damper into a fully integrated system.
The company says that the electric motor ensures that body and wheels can be controlled actively with more force authority and at higher frequencies than traditional adaptive or semi-active systems.
The active suspension system uses accelerometers and position sensors on each suspension corner and interfaces with SSC 8.0 and the 6w-CDS sensor.
Driver assistance kit includes adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic emergency braking (AEB), auto high beam (HBA/HBAM), lane departure warning (LDW), lane keeping assist (LKA), blind spot detection (BSD), rear cross traffic alert (RCTA), traffic sign recognition (TSR) and driver drowsiness and attention monitoring (DDA). Meanwhile, hill descent control (HDC) makes its debut on a Ferrari.
Finally, pricing, and that for the Ferrari Purosangue starts from RM5,000,000, inclusive of duties and taxes. The quoted price includes a level of customisation options, although further personalisation will add to that. According to Ital Auto, the first deliveries for Malaysia are expected sometime in the second quarter of next year.Also making its official Malaysian debut today alongside the Purosangue is the Roma Spider.
The post Ferrari Purosangue debuts in Malaysia – 725 PS/716 Nm four-door, four-seater, fr. RM5 mil with duties/taxes appeared first on Paul Tan’s Automotive News.
