Hong Kong car enthusiasts might watch for two Ferraris that stole the Paris motor show this week. The marque insists its 6.2-litre, 800-horsepower hybrid LaFerrari Aperta is sold out, but the limited-run convertible can be expected in Asia’s “Capital of Cars” soon, especially as Ferrari turns 70 next year. Ferrari also launched the 610hp GTC4Lusso T, its first V8 full four-seater, and then revealed a bigger surprise for Hongkongers when local dealer Auto Italia said last week that it would unveil the tourer’s bigger brother, the V12 GTC4Lusso “in mid-October, after the Paris Motor Show”.
The 6.2-litre, 690hp V12, launched this year in Geneva, tonnes in 3.5 seconds and tops at 335km/h. Its main features include the new Ferrari-patented 4RM-S handling and stability system, improved aerodynamics, a more efficient climate-control system, softer armrests and larger storage compartments. The V12 and new V8 have the same exterior and their prices will be announced soon, Auto Italia said this week.
The smaller GTC4Lusso T, with its 3.9-litre engine, is also rear-wheel-drive with four-wheel steering, and reaches 100km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of about 320km/h. The GTC4Lusso cars are packed with the marque’s latest combustion efficiency, torque delivery and infotainment
electronics, Ferrari says, but they are also more front-passenger friendly, with more communal controls on the central console. Ferrari calls this devolution of driver-centricity “Dual Cockpit architecture” and says it is designed to “enhance the shared driving experience for both driver and passenger”. This arrangement might also save arguments on the road - allowing the passenger to focus on her map-reading, and the driver to just do as he’s told.
The new Land Rover Discovery impressed Parisians and could be in Hong Kong by the end of March, according to local dealer British Motors. Fitted with “class-leading all-terrain capability”, should you need it in Shouson Hill, the fifth-generation Discovery is designed to “establish new standards for the Discovery family”. Its seven seats are all adult sized - unlike other SUVs’ “5+2” format - and can be configured on a smartphone. The 4.97-metre Discovery has 2,406 litres of luggage space with “clever storage for 21st-century family essentials”, including a secret spot for four iPads, the marque says. Its Millennial-friendly connectivity ranges from a Spotify app and six 12-volt charging points, to nine USB ports and “an in-car 3G WiFi hotspot for up to eight devices”, Land Rover adds. Such fittings could leave passengers to their own devices, but some Hong Kong parents might soon wish their teenagers talked to them more often on trips.