Purosangue is weeks from reveal. the away its big Is it ultimate sacrilege, a necessary evil or a solid gold success?

WORDS OLLIE KEW RENDERS ANDREI AVARVARI

1 IT COULD BE HANDSOME (FOR AN SUV...)

It’s not a given that Ferraris are gorgeous. Maranello went through a design wobble in the mid-Noughties with the F430 and 612, but got back on track with the gorgeous 458 Italia and innovative FF. The current range, overseen by design boss Flavio Manzoni, boasts some real gems: the Roma is a gorgeously executed classic GT and the 296 cleverly melds nods to the 250LM with modern dimensions and downforce needs for a properly pretty supercar. Manzoni and co’s best work is done when they’re sketching a new car from the ground up, rather than reworking timeworn offal – that’s why the 488-facelift F8 Tributo was too fussy and the 812 Superfast isn’t quite as handsome as the older F12 to which it’s related. So, with the Purosangue being a newbie, you’d have to be confident it’ll be more Range Rover/Aston DBX than Bentayga/Cullinan in the looks dept. Well, that and the fact that the leaked factory spy shots revealed a neatly detailed and taut exterior, while the overall dimensions will be no more bloated than an Alfa Romeo Stelvio