PARIS MOTOR SHOW: V8 for Ferrari GTC4Lusso T

Ferrari has announced it will produce its first ever four-seater powered by a front-mounted V8 engine -- the new GTC4Lusso T – ahead of its world debut at next week's Paris motor show.

Due to make its first appearance in Australia in November, the new rear-drive turbocharged V8 will be a second, cheaper version of the four-seat, four-wheel drive GTC4Lusso shooting brake coupe, which now becomes the first Ferrari ever to be available in more than one variant.

The GTC4Lusso made its world debut at the Geneva show in February and its Australian debut in June, when Ferrari announced local pricing of $578,888 plus on-road costs -- $46,000 less than the FF it replaces.

Now, instead of its 507kW/697Nm 6.3-litre V12 driving all four wheels, the GTC4Lusso T downsizes with a version of Ferrari's award-winning twin-turbo 3.9-litre V8 from the 488 GTB and California T.

In this case the biturbo V8 will output 449kW and 760Nm, matching the 488 GTB for torque but not power, which sits between the 492kW 488 and the 412kW California – enough to accelerate the three-door GT to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of about 320km/h.

As with the four-wheel drive GTC4Lusso, the new rear-drive car will be paired with 4WS rear-wheel steering – as well as the latest SCM-E suspension, ESP 9.0 and third-generation Side Slip Control – but Ferrari says the V8 will be significantly lighter overall, offering improved efficiency and increased weight bias towards the rear (46:54).

While pricing has not been confirmed for Australia, it will be below the $580K V12, but well above its main competitors -- the Bentley GT and Porsche Panamera – as well as Ferrari's entry-level $410K California.

The new GTC4Lusso T will be shown to prospective buyers in Australia in late November this year.

Speaking at the local launch of the Ferrari 488 Spider in Melbourne today, Ferrari Australasia CEO Herbert Appleroth said he expected the new model to give Ferrari a significant sales boost in Australia.

“I think this will surprise the market. Nobody expected it to happen.”

Ferrari Australia already has a full year’s order book for the V12 variant, which goes into production next year. With V8s in the GT segment currently outselling V12s four-to-one, the new GTC4Lusso T is expected to generate significant interest and could become Ferrari’s next volume-seller.

“What the V8 will bring to us is something we’ve never had before, which is a V8 four-seater competitor. We’ll see a completely different customer, usually younger with a younger family,” said Appleroth.

“The majority of these buyers will be non-Ferrari buyers. Their expected age is 30 to 45 whereas V12 buyers are aged between 48 and 65. So this, for us, is the California of the four-seater market.”