A 4X4 Ferrari?

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Philly

Philly

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Ferrari is now the next automaker to design an all-wheel-drive system, called "insertable 4x4." Under normal conditions, the car runs using only the rear wheels. As grip is lost, some of the power is sent to the front tires. The system will first be offered on the 612. Ferrari hopes to adapt it all across the lineup.

1279h1-ferrari-612-hi-int.jpg


It is shown being developed on the 612 here. The car is equipped with sensors to detect slippage. With these, Ferrari is perfecting the system, makings sure the fronts do not recieve too much power.

Read more: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/15/spy-shots-4x4-ferrari-612/

AWD has never caught my attention on supercars. With these cars, it does mean extra weight, which is something supercars try to avoid. They will also lose RWD character. Maybe the 612 is a car where AWD is acceptable, being more of a tourer. Lets hope it remains an option; I would much rather have a RWD Ferrari.
 
So long as they only leave it on the Scaglietti. As much as I loathe the 599, I realise that pretty much all of its admittedly superb driving dynamics would be compromised with a swith to AWD. And on the F430? Please. The Gallardo proved that didn't work already.
 
All-Wheel-Drive Ferrari?

Lancia-Stratos-HF-Group-4-%27.jpg


They're building the Stratos again?

---

Meh, whatever. I don't care much for the idea of Ferrari going AWD (I think Lamborghini should be a good case to prove NOT to), but knowing how good they generally are at working things out, I suppose they must deem it as worthwhile.
 
Oops, guess I messed up there. Still a cool car though. Easily one of my favorite Ferraris that technically wasn't a Ferrari...
 
Next step on Ferrari selling out is an SUV with this AWD technology. You watch, it will happen. Ask someone 20 years ago if Porsche would of made an SUV--everyone would of laughed.
 
Not the first time the Commendatore dabble with AWD. In the late 80's they had a prototype called the 408 but never went to production.
 
Toronado
Define SUV.
Click to expand...

You missed the "U" part. That has no utility.

Lamborghini build an SUV, why not Ferrari. It would be cool if they build the next Hummer of Hummers. (Real, of course.)

EDIT: "A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capability of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a sedan."
-Wikipedia
 
philly cheese
Under normal conditions, the car runs using only the rear wheels. As grip is lost, some of the power is sent to the front tires. The system will first be offered on the 612. Ferrari hopes to adapt it all across the lineup.
Click to expand...

*coughcoughATTESA-ETS-ripoffcoughcough*
 
Wow, the world's first 19 inch steelie! Sweet!

If Ferrari does consider AWD, then it better be confined to their "luxury" cars. A 430 with AWD is just a bad 430. The thing's heavy enough as it is.
 
philly cheese
You missed the "U" part. That has no utility.

Lamborghini build an SUV, why not Ferrari. It would be cool if they build the next Hummer of Hummers. (Real, of course.)

EDIT: "A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capability of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a sedan."
-Wikipedia
Click to expand...

You mean built, and it didn't sell very well in the U.S. at all.
 
philly cheese
You missed the "U" part. That has no utility.
Click to expand...
Which most SUV's these days don't have anyways.
philly cheese
EDIT: "A sport utility vehicle, or SUV, is a passenger vehicle which combines the towing capability of a pickup truck with the passenger-carrying space of a sedan."
-Wikipedia
Click to expand...
Which is an overly generalised definition which ignores things like this:
250px-Hyundai-SantaFe.jpg

and focuses exclusively on things like this:
250px-1991_Jeep_Grand_Wagoneer.JPG

*McLaren*
You mean built, and it didn't sell very well in the U.S. at all.
Click to expand...
They were more popular than sand in the middle east, though.
 
Can't argue with you about the utility part. You probably know what I'm trying to get at, though.

I'll make my own definition: A vehicle that is supposed to have sport, but usually doen't, supposed to have utility, but usually doesn't, is is supposed to go off-road, but can't, is truck-like, but has a car chassis, is tall and much bigger than it needs to be, usually with a wagon-type body.
 
I don't think Ferrari should be retro-fitting AWD to existing cars. I can't imagine that the current lineup was designed with driven front wheels in mind, and the end result can't be better than the original. A new model might work, though, and definitely only for their GTs. An AWD 430-successor is definitely wrong, though.

All-wheel-drive has worked in a few high-end sports cars. Porche's 911 Turbo & 959, Jaguar XJ220 (oh, wait, that version was canned), Bugatti Veyron (well, more like a TT with a rocket booster), Lamborghini Murcielago & Gallardo (er...I think the jury's still out on that one).


Okay, it worked on two supercars.


I think. :odd:



Enzo is still spinning in his grave, though.
 
Ferrari has been a keep-it-real kind of car company. They've done well with a variety of sports cars as well as some sleek coupes and sedans. I will agree with you in terms of AWD or 4WD on supercars. You can just ask the Bugatti EB110 and the Veyron about AWD or 4WD on super cars and high-end autos. I think such cars have these drivetrains to provide better control of the car. Either that, or the car is so crazy fast that a 4WD or AWD drivetrain is more than sufficient to try to provide better control of the car. Yes, this drivetrain offers better overall control, but at the expense of added weight. Do I like this by Ferrari? Only as long as they aren't trying to make a 21st Century Lamborghini LM001, I'm cool.
 
harrytuttle
I don't think Ferrari should be retro-fitting AWD to existing cars. I can't imagine that the current lineup was designed with driven front wheels in mind, and the end result can't be better than the original. A new model might work, though, and definitely only for their GTs. An AWD 430-successor is definitely wrong, though.

All-wheel-drive has worked in a few high-end sports cars. Porche's 911 Turbo & 959, Jaguar XJ220 (oh, wait, that version was canned), Bugatti Veyron (well, more like a TT with a rocket booster), Lamborghini Murcielago & Gallardo (er...I think the jury's still out on that one).


Okay, it worked on two supercars.


I think. :odd:



Enzo is still spinning in his grave, though.
Click to expand...

Wait, so it worked on the Gallardo and the Murcielago LP640, but not the Diablo VT? Ok....
 
Toronado
*coughcoughPorsche-PSK-ripoffcoughcough*
Unless ATTESA-ETS came out in 1985. Which it didn't.
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See this:
http://erntheburn.tripod.com/autos/959/9597.htm
This means that theoretically it is possible to go from an exclusively rear-wheel drive situation (0/100 distribution) to a perfectly symmetrical one (50/50). In practice a certain amount of movement is always transmitted to the front wheels, the group is never completely disengaged and the distribution limit is 20/80.
Click to expand...
So actually this system is more of an ATTESA copy than a PSK copy as it isn't permanent four-wheel drive like the PSK. Just my opinion.

- R -
 
Greycap
So actually this system is more of an ATTESA copy than a PSK copy as it isn't permanent four-wheel drive like the PSK. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Quite. This also means that - for the same reason - ATTESA is not a 'ripoff' of PSK, but a different system altogether.

DE
 
Basketball players want their Ferraris to take them to practice in the snow.
 
I wonder if the AWD will ever kick in in the dry. Because, if it doesn't, then the system will just be carrying extra weight in the car's natural environment. If it does activate in the dry, the car will lose a lot of character. The only application I see is the snow, somewhere a Ferrari shoudln't be.

Oh yeah, sports players often have a Hummer H1 in addition to their Ferrari. Snow should be no problem.
 

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