Ferrari's making their own SUV?

[falnfenix]

Now Ferrari plans an SUV!

Plans for a rough-road Ferrari are uncovered.
Text: Chris Thorp / Photos: Gianni Siccardi

07th January 2008

Newcomer would rival Cayenne and be the most exclusive SUV in the world
Your eyes are not deceiving you – this SUV has a prancing horse on the bonnet. In a move set to cause a stir across the world, Ferrari is considering putting its famous name to a rival for the Porsche Cayenne.

Called project F151, the prospect of a Ferrari SUV will cause uproar with car enthusiasts across the globe. However, the firm’s bosses have watched the success of Porsche’s 4x4 with interest, and want to increase profits.

With a practical interior, estate car luggage capacity and rough-road ability, the model would open the Ferrari range up to a huge new customer base. Still in its early stages, the project is yet to be given the green light by bosses nervous of tarnishing Ferrari’s legendary brand image. Our shots shows what the classy off-roader could look like in showroom-ready trim. At around five metres long and two metres wide, the jacked-up Ferrari would offer luxurious transport for five passengers to travel in style.

While designers face the challenge of making the Ferrari beautiful, engineers have to make it live up to the firm’s dynamic reputation. Powerplants are yet to be finalised, but it’s thought that the Ferrari will be offered with a choice of V8 and V12 engines from the firm’s existing stable.

The four-wheel-drive transmission will be a more difficult challenge. With no system of its own available, Ferrari is expected to develop existing technology borrowed from another car maker, with Mercedes the hot favourite.

A cheaper alternative would be to use Ferrari’s own rear-drive 612 Scaglietti platform. Coupled to a hi-tech traction control system, the running gear could be set up to cope with off-road conditions, but it’s most likely the maker would focus on class-leading handling.

While an SUV from sister firm Maserati was planned, bosses have shelved that idea in favour of a Ferrari 4x4 with a higher price tag. Buyers will be asked to pay well in excess of £100,000. If the F151 gets the go-ahead, the Ferrari will be revealed in concept form in 2010 before going on sale a year later.

[MrSo0h0o]

Originally Posted by falnfenix

any resemblance??

[falnfenix]

it looks like a Cayenne 2

[100$ GUY]

Yeah dont like it, very copying an already existing SUV.
What are those designers doing?

[RningOnFumes]

OH NOOsss.

Looks somewheres between a murano and a cayenne.

It says it's competitor would be cayenne... cayenne prices are so much lower than regualr ferrari prices. How are they going to do that? Cayenne has a VW cousin to help off set cost as well.

Oh my...oh my... this will bet interesting in that morbid way.

Just read an entry comment from autoblog..suposedly, lambo had one back in the day...before suvs were popular.

[xpeed]

Then again, Ferrari is owned by Fiat which owns Maserati so basically, they favor the more high-brand for the SUV market. Then again, at least it doesn't look like baby's poop like the Spyker SUV. That SUV is fugly.

[bgrieger]

Ignoring the lousy graphic artist's attempt to turn a Scaglietti into an SUV : If you are on the road and see a real Ferrari SUV coming at you on the highway, know it is one of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse...You are instructed to immediately head to your nearest Ferrari dealer, toss a brick through the window and get the to a church cause the world's truly ending! Don't worry about getting charged, the world is ending...the only time you might be doing for it is some purgatory.

[Qslim]

Those same pics were floating around when the 599 GTB came out a couple of years ago, and the idea was squashed then. It'll be interesting though, seeing as Ferrari is one of the last bastions of all out performance with a no-compromise undiluted lineup (except maybe the Scaglietti..)

[Venom_5]

it wont do better than the Cayenne

but thats obviously what theyre going for - its about time