Either way you choose, you’ll be ending up in a car blessed with ample amounts of pace, and one that changes direction just as speedily. The hyperactive steering is a delight in fast switching bends, but also has the effect of keeping you on the edge when the going turns calm, sensations feeding back to your palms the message in no uncertain terms that if you try to be funny, the car will happily point you at the direction of the nearest ravine. At truly sedate speeds, however, it is also exceedingly easy to live with. Ride is firm without being harsh whilst controls are easy to modulate.

If you must, the natural-breathing V12 offers a far more enriching soundtrack versus the V8, and the appeal of snob factor in elite circles is not an insignificant consideration. Yet, the V8’s practical preposition simply cannot be ignored – a fraction of the running costs, fast enough in the hands of a competent driver to neutralize the V12’s performance advantage, and doesn’t even have much in the way of turbo lag.

Most famous model lines are the mid-engined V8 berlinettas from which the likes of the 360, F430, 458, and 488 descend. Above them are the front-engined 12-cylinder grand tourers in either two- or two-plus-two-seater configurations. Mid-engined 12-cylinder sports cars like the F40, F50, Enzo, and LaFerrari come between lengthy hiatuses in limited numbers.

The names are disparate, but the demarcations between the bloodlines are clear – they don’t make Grand Tourers with less than twelve pistons, at least they didn’t until 2017, when the GTC4Lusso T arrived at the scene a full year after the V12-powered GTC4Lusso. The last time a Ferrari model was offered with two engine choices concurrently, well, we couldn’t find it on Wikipedia.

Contrary to common brand-building practices, Ferrari does not practice continuity with its model nomenclature. Every new Ferrari carries a new designation, forging its own identity, carving its own niche in the brand’s rich historical narrative.

Names as disparate as 348, F355, 360, 458, 512, 599, and so on may appear to be just a mess of numbers to casual observers, but they follow a strict line of succession distinguished largely by driveline configuration.

This, as we would discover on the road, aided greatly in ensuring that the GTC4Lusso’s turn-in is sharper and more immediate than its ridiculously long hood would suggest. Of course, the four-wheel steering system, present in both the V8 and V12, also helped tremendously in giving the front end with almost excitable levels of eagerness.

All this while, buying a brand new Ferrari offers endless possibilities of personalisation, but the powerplant is always fixed. It’s a bit like degustation at fine dining restaurants, the chef decides what you eat. The GTC4Lusso is the first Ferrari to hand you a menu for the engine.

It’s just an extra alphabet at the end of the name, but the GTC4Lusso T makes history in becoming Ferrari’s first front-engined V8 Grand Tourer. Amazing indeed that the derivative variant ended up breaking more ground than the original model, for the V12 GTC4Lusso carries on from the preceding Ferrari FF, inheriting its shooting brake profile, engine, transmission, and Ferrari’s own unique take on an AWD system, whilst adding four-wheel steering into the equation.

Just like it was with the FF, your first look at the GTC4Lusso’s breadvan profile is likely to leave jarring impressions. Its silhouette does not exhibit typical Ferrari proportions, and the effectiveness of its design is indeed open to debate. One thing’s not in question, however, is that there’s nothing out there that looks quite like this.

This is the closest thing Ferrari has to a family car, and yet the cabin is practically situated in a different postcode from the front axle – all passenger space crammed into the rear half of the vehicle’s overall length, thus giving room for the engine, be it V8 or V12, to sit entirely behind the front wheels. It is entirely in keeping with Ferrari’s ethos, however, as all aspects of the car’s engineering and design are subservient to performance and dynamic considerations.

How do you choose between which engine to take with the GTC4Lusso? It’s too easy to be carried away with clichés and yell V12, but for the most part, the V8 does just fine and is plenty fast enough. Differences in the purchase price is surprisingly small, considering the V8 also deletes Ferrari’s patented 4RM Evo AWD system but you do have to stand ready an additional RM10k a year for road tax, in exchange for shaving 0.1 seconds off your century sprint time.

Indeed, the merits of the GTC4Lusso’s steering is well worthy of debate. Its lightning quick reactions mean that this car points where you without hesitation or delay. It also calls for little effort, which means steering this imposing car in tight spaces is not as intimidating as one might expect. The flip side is that it can feel over-eager when all you want is to cruise steadily on the highway. You also need to take care to be extremely measured in your steering inputs to maintain smooth progress.

Being the first V8 in a segment previously reserved for V12s, the GTC4Lusso T is one of those cars that supposed purists are quick to diss on the simple account of its reduced cylinder count. But truth is, we can’t argue against Ferrari’s execution of the concept. In fact, the V8 does the job so well that we now struggle to raise any solid arguments in favour of the V12.

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTES

Shooting the GTC4Lusso T pictured in this page was challenging because the constantly changing lighting - cloudy, sunny, and high contrast sunlight - which required continued adjustment of the camera setting to suit. While shooting, follow the exposure guide to get your desired output which would save you much time during post processing. - TJ

QUICK FACTS

GTC4Lusso T

GTC4Lusso

Engine

3.9-litre V8 twin turbo

6.3-litre V12 NA

Power

602hp @ 7,500rpm

681hp @ 8,000rpm

Torque

760Nm @ 3,000 – 5,250rpm

700Nm @ 5,750rpm

Top Speed

>320km/h

335km/h

0 – 100km/h

3.5 seconds

3.4 seconds

Fuel Consumption

Honestly, do you care?

CO2