2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso new car review

There aren't too many family cars or limousines on the entry list for the annual Targa Tasmania road rally.

It is an event that draws an eclectic group of supercars, classic machines and road racers out of top-secret collections and hidden garages each year for a six-day jaunt around the Apple Isle interspersed with 34 sprints through Special Stages where the roads are closed to any other traffic.

In the competitive section of Targa, your choice of car is determined by one factor - its speed - whereas we're participating in the Touring category which is open to regular road cars that don't need roll cages as the stages are non-competitive and with restricted speed limits. Essentially it allows owners of sports cars and supercars - any cars actually - to enjoy driving them briskly on some of the greatest roads in the country. For that reason, the ideal car isn't necessarily always the fastest.

It doesn't hurt though if it has, say, more than 500kW of power from a 6.3-litre V12 engine, can sprint from 0-100km/h in less than three-and-a-half seconds and is fitted with carbon fibre brakes. Considering there's a good chance it rains a bit in Tasmania at this time of year - or even welcomes the first snow of the season - it also helps if it has all-wheel drive traction and plenty of purchase from relatively sticky tyres.

As the majority of time spent behind the wheel during Targa is actually travelling between each of the stages - hours at a time on some occasions - it's nice if it is refined to drive while cruising and has a spacious and sumptuous cabin with comfy seats and all the latest mod cons, including easy-to-use sat nav in case you get off the set route and a pumping stereo system for entertainment in between.

This combination of paradoxically-opposed desires may seem impossible from the outset, but such a car actually exists - it is Ferrari's GTC4 Lusso, which is perhaps among the most unlikely yet perfect cars ever to tackle Targa Tasmania.

The GTC4 Lusso, for a little bit of background, is Ferrari's latest four-seat grand tourer and is an evolution of the shooting brake-style concept first seen in the FF, which it effectively replaces. It is also the Prancing Horse's alternative to the growing league of super-luxury SUVs and its stubborn refusal to follow suit with its own high-riding soft roader, a type of car it believes would spoil its reputation as the world's most famous sports car brand.

It is the first-ever series production Ferrari to be offered with a choice of engines with different drivetrain configurations too; the all-wheel drive V12-powered GTC4 Lusso that has just arrived in Australian showrooms or the upcoming GTC4 Lusso T with its twin-turbo V8 and rear-wheel drive set-up.

It is the former that we tested on the opening days of this week's Targa Tasmania, joining a small group of passionate Ferrari owners that created a cavalcade of some of the most exotic machinery ever to grace Tasmania, including Australia's only LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, one of only a handful of F12 Tdfs in the country and a collection of its iconic mid-engined coupes such as the latest 488GTB, its predecessor the 458 Italia, a 430 Spider and an original, well-kept 308 GTB that has been thoroughly enjoyed by its owners with more than 300,000km on the clock.

As the meat in a $5million sandwich in between the sleek and sinister, black LaFerrari and the wonderfully winged, silver F12Tdf, our white GTC4 Lusso's long-nosed, wagon-back body style looks slightly out of place in this company, but its sleeker style makes the Lusso a prettier car than the FF ever was, particularly from the rear.

Looks aside, in every other regard the GTC4 Lusso, including its $578,000 (plus on-road costs) starting price, is no less a genuine Ferrari.

Nestled under its beakish, but friendly-faced, nose is an updated 6.3-litre V12 that features new internals to reduce friction which results in increased power outputs of 507kW at 8250rpm and 697Nm at 6000rpm. Like the FF, it retains Ferrari's unique twin-gearbox, all-wheel drive set-up with a conventional seven-speed dual-clutch unit sending power to the rear wheels while a twin-speed transmission is mounted on the front of the engine and powers the front wheels under acceleration in the lower gears.

New to the Lusso is a four-wheel steering system that improves its turning circle and low-speed agility while offering increased stability at higher speeds, as well as a revised cabin that features Ferrari's latest infotainment system within a 10-inch colour touchscreen mounted in the centre of the dash and an updated steering wheel with new two-way indicator switches, revised windscreen washer toggle and voice control buttons.

Cruising out of Launceston to the opening stage of the 2017 Targa Tasmania, the GTC4 Lusso immediately impresses as a legitimate luxury car. First of all, the cabin is lavishly lathered in the finest leather, the seats are snug yet comfortable and there's a decent level of small item storage space with cupholders, a centre console and door bins to hide stuff in.

It might not look like it from the outside, but there is also genuinely enough space for four adults to sit comfortably. The two-door configuration makes it less convenient to get in and out of the back seats than a traditional limousine, but once inside there is ample legroom and enough headroom for those up to at least 6ft tall. Under the power-opening hatchback is a two-step boot that is big enough to carry day bags for all four occupants, or least the kids school bags or weekly shopping.

As for how it drives, it is a relaxed and long-legged cruiser when everything is left to its own devices. Even though its maximum torque isn't produced until high up in the rev range, the big capacity V12 has plenty of low-end pulling power to gently lope around town with the tacho needle barely registering above idle and producing a subdued exhaust note. The seven-speed automatic shifts through the gears invisibly too, although it can be a bit cumbersome switching between the button-activated reverse and paddle-shift forward gears while manoeuvring in and out of tight spaces.

Being a sports car first and foremost means it isn't as compliant as a traditional limousine over bumps but the magnetic dampers provide excellent body control and even big hits won't crash through the cabin. With big 20-inch tyres all round, it isn't as whisper quiet as other big grand tourers over rough surfaces either.

But, moments after crossing the start-line for the opening stage of Targa Tassie, it is apparent there is no other luxury four-seater that is more engaging, thrilling and as capable to drive quickly as the GTC4 Lusso.

Unleashing the full brunt of the V12, for starters, is a spine-tingling, eye-opening exercise thanks to its beautifully-linear power delivery that runs all the way to 8500rpm with an exhaust note that rises from a deep-chested intake growl under load to a wailing crescendo as it nears the redline.

And when it hits maximum torque, there's more than enough grunt to overcome all four tyres and invoke a chirp of wheelspin (when the Manettino is set to Sport mode at least) in first, second and third gears. Nice...

Like the engine, the transmission transforms from the sublime to the ridiculous when you're up it for the rent, swapping cogs quickly and with a gentle thud on the upshifts and blipping the throttle perfectly for synchronised downshifts.

As the stages become trickier during the day, it's in the corners where the GTC4 Lusso really stands out as a true Ferrari. The steering is light in its weighting, but sharp and precise with excellent turn-in response and masses of mid-corner grip. It pulls well out of the corners too and generally feels more securely planted, particularly on damp roads, thanks to the additional traction offered by the all-wheel drive system.

A couple of days behind the wheel proves the GTC4 Lusso is an utterly brilliant all-rounder. It is an epic sports car when you want it to be, a long-legged grand tourer when you need it to be a legitimate luxury car every other day of the week. It's a pretty pleasant way to spend a day or two in Targa Tasmania.

2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Price and Specifications

Price: $357,000 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 6.3-litre V12 petrol

Power: 507kW at 8250rpm

Torque: 697Nm at 6000rpm

Transmission: 7-spd dual-clutch transmission: AWD

Fuel use: 15L/100km

- For more information visit our Ferrari showroom