Who is Ferrari gunning for With its first SUV?
Ohh, those teases in Maranello. For the first Ferrari SUV, the competition will be fierce.
We have exactly one image of the first Ferrari SUV to go off after Thursday’s tease. But this is Ferrari, and the company is likely putting the same engineering behind its new Purosangue SUV as it does its sports cars to make it one of the best in the world. However, the competition in the ultra-fast, and ultra-expensive, SUV world is steep. Here’s what the new Ferrari SUV will have to beat:
The choice of celebrities, the Lamborghini Urus: better than Ferrari’s first SUV?
Lamborghini calls the Urus a “Super Sport Utility Vehicle,” and it’s likely the bogey for the Ferrari Purosangue. That’s not just because it’s expensive, Italian and fast, but so stylish it won the “Best Luxury SUV” at the GQ Car Awards in 2019. The Lambo is powered by a 4.0 liter V8 with 650 horsepower and 626 lb-ft of torque, enough to put one of Lamborghini’s original tractors to shame. The Urus has an eight-speed automatic with an old-school (but up-to-date) torque converter. The Ferrari will likely have the newest version of the company’s super-quick dual-clutch automatic. But the Lambo Urus isn’t resting on its celebrity status, reportedly the company is planning to debut a 2023 Urus Evo at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this August.
2022 Lamborghini Urus Specs:
- Price: about $230,000
- Power: 650 horsepwer
- 0-62 mph: 2.6 seconds
- Top speed: 187 mph
Can the new Ferrari SUV beat the fastest SUV, the Aston Martin DBX707?
Aston Martin is of course James Bond cool. But, the company is known for making some of the most beautiful grand touring cars on the planet like the DBS and Vantage, as well as some of the fastest like the bonkers new rb001, which is based on the 2021 Red Bull Formula 1 car. But the company has launched two premium SUVs. The Ferrari Purosangue will likely benchmark the DBX707, which is the company’s highest-trim SUV. Unlike the Ferrari, though, the Aston at least looks like it can handle some light-duty off-road roads, like the one to your chalet in the Alps or to scramble up the steep driveway at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort.
Many Aston’s have the DB moniker in their name from the company owner David Brown who purchased the company in 1947 from a newspaper ad he saw in 1946. It’s generally been reserved for the most exclusive AMs, and the DBX707 is no different.
2022 Aston Martin DBX707 Specs
A Dodge? In a Ferrari Comparison? Absolutely. When designing the first Ferrari SUV, you better bet they looked at the Dodge Durango Hellcat. It may not have the European pedigree, but it’s got the power and car-nerd cache to keep up with Lambos, Astons, and, probably, Ferrari SUVs. And, it seats seven: try that, Ferrari. It out-guns the others here in seating, with three rows, with horsepower, at 710, and towing, at 8,7000 pounds. It’s so quick that in a Car & Driver test, it tied a 797-hp Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye to 60 mph. Granted, it may look out of place in the valet line, but one stab of the starter button and the bark of the 6.2 liter V8 will make patio diners spill their Chablis.
2022 Dodge Durango Hellcat Specs:
- Price: $85,000
- Power: 710 hp
- 0-60 mph: 3.5 seconds
- Top Speed: 180 mph
- Towing capacity: 8,700 pounds
Is the Bentley Bentayga Speed speedy enough for the new Ferrari SUV?
The Bentley Bentayga Speed was the fastest SUV on the planet until the Aston trumped it by three miles per hour. But that does not mean the Speed, which is the high-performance version of the Bentayga, is slow by any means. The Bentayga uses a W12 engine, which is like two V6 engines stuck together in the middle to make a W shape, just like the Bugatti Chiron hypercar. As if 12 cylinders wasn’t enough, this beast has two twin-scroll turbochargers to make even more power. The Bentley also has a trick suspension that adds electric motors on the front and rear axles that “provide instant, variable resistance as and when required,” the company says, which means SUV can handle like a sports car when you want it to, and a luxury SUV when you’re taking the family to dinner. The Bentayga was designed to be the most luxurious SUV on the planet first, but then the company decided to build a lower-spec Bentayga V8, a Hybrid, and the Speed. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether the Purosangue will beat this SUV’s impressive numbers or range of models.
2022 Bentley Bentayga Specs:
- Price: $245,000
- Power: 626 hp
- 0-60 mph: 3.8 seconds
- Top Speed: 190 mph\
The first Ferrari SUV Purosangue will have some steep competition when it comes to market in 2023. We don’t know much at bout the new Ferrari Purosangue, but we do know the super-fast competition will be quick to try and catch it.