There are a handful of certainties in life. One of them is: You will always look cool driving a Ferrari. Even in a rainstorm in Los Angeles. Even in traffic. Especially when it's the 602-hp GTC4Lusso T shooting brake, which deviates slightly from the classic Ferrari shape and adds a dash of versatility to the package. Whatever you do, don't call the GTC4Lusso T a station wagon (however tempting it may be). Its styling evolves the retired FF, which was the first modern Ferrari to fill the gap in fast, four-seat transport. Designers and classicists would place it alongside the Lamborghini Espada and Porsche 928 coupes, with more familial resemblance to the 488 Italia in front and the 812 Superfast in back. From some angles, it’s possible to misread the new model as a sexy station wagon—but the GTC4Lusso T is unmistakably a Ferrari.
In the eyes of this writer, the four-seater GTC4Lusso T is among the most gorgeous Ferraris for sale today. It checks all of the usual Ferrari boxes: It's provocative, the proportions are just right, and it triggers envy from other motorists. Outside, it evokes the iconic Jaguar E-type in a futuristic homage that not even contemporary Jaguar stylists can pull off. Inside, buttery-smooth leather covers so many surfaces that you start to believe you’re sitting inside a Ferragamo bag.
The "T" denotes the 3.9-liter turbocharged V-8 under the hood, which uses fuel more efficiently than the naturally aspirated V-12 that remains available on the all-wheel-drive GTC4Lusso. In the real world, the roughly 75-horsepower difference is negligible. It takes some cajoling to convince a Ferrari loyalist to try a turbo V-8, but the GTC4Lusso T makes it easy.
What makes the longroof, rear-wheel-drive GTC4Lusso T stand out from other Ferraris is its nod to practicality. Fold down the rear seats, and there's over 28 cubic feet of space for whatever your heart desires. (That's more space than the Lexus RX sport-utility vehicle.) With the seats up, there's room for four people and their luggage for a quick getaway.
There's also enough room to slide in a surfboard or two. Los Angeles was facing a months-long dry spell, so I headed to the beach in Malibu to try my luck. Fate scheduled a deluge for the exact 48 hours I had reserved the GTC4Lusso T. It never rains in L.A., everyone says. Except when I have something important to accomplish. But nothing can rain on a Ferrari parade.
I’m a native East Coaster with a knack for maneuvering supercars in the rain. The GTC4Lusso T is fortunate to wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that deliver power to the rear wheels only. On a warm day with dry tarmac, you’ll bless these tires’ grip. On a rainy winter day when both the road surfaces and the rubber refuse to cooperate and heat up, things are less rosy. A flick of the manettino drive mode controller to “Wet” softened the GTC4Lusso T’s reflexes and muffled the snarl of its turbocharged V-8, making it theoretically easier to manage on slick roads. (Not that this Ferrari is a handful: It steers precisely with light inputs, and it stops briskly thanks to carbon-ceramic brakes.)
The clouds parted for a moment as I ascended Las Flores Canyon Road to put the Ferrari through its paces. The magic was there. Lest a wrong move send this $352,680 vehicle tumbling down the canyon, I gingerly tested its reflexes through the corners—thinking that someday, on a drier day, maybe I'd have the chance to bring it closer to its top speed of 199 m.p.h. On a dry section of tarmac, I flipped the switch to "Comfort," and briefly to "Sport," to experience its muscles sharpen and feel more of the power come on quickly. You've never experienced steering like this before.
The clouds reared their head and the rain persisted—and no one else was at the shore. There's no greater feeling than having the beach to yourself, and no cooler way to arrive with boards than the GTC4Lusso T. As they say: When it rains, it pours.
2017 FERRARI GTC4LUSSO T
Engine: 3.9-liter turbocharged V-8
Output: 602 horsepower / 561 pound-feet
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
Top Speed: 199 m.p.h. (manufacturer estimate)
Weight: 4,150 lbs.
Seating capacity: 4
EPA fuel economy: 15 city/21 highway
As tested: $352,680 (including taxes and fees)
