On a rain soaked afternoon there is no better place to head than to the local Ferrari dealer for some coffee and cars, specifically the new GTC4Lusso.

This model is the replacement to the ground breaking FF which combines a clever all wheel drive system with a V12 like that from the F12.

The GT4Lusso has the front styling from an F12 but seats four as well as having ‘boot storage’ via a hatchback in the rear.

Personally, I really like the internal styling where the passenger gets their own display readout.

The driving position is a comfortable place to be.

The rear is also quite luxurious however probably doesn’t have the leg room of a more ‘traditional’ hatchback. However, there is plenty of room to move the front seats forward and allow two adults to fit in the back.

The wheel is a bit more ‘condensed’ from other models but still contains all the major controls you’ll need to pilot it.

The info-tainment system has had a major upgrade and includes a much larger screen and additional functionality. The styling accommodates it nicely between driver and passenger.

Personally, I really like the interior styling, especially the seats. The cabin is certainly a very nice place to be.

The key element of the GTC4Lusson and the FF before it, is that it can function as a ‘normal’ car allowing luggage to be easily loaded into the back. The aim of this car is to make it more an every day or touring car rather than a freeway barnstormer Although with its V12 it can also easily be that).

You can certainly fit plenty of travelling bags or even luggage for a trip in the rear, which you can’t with most other models.

Up front of course you get the V12 power plant and performance you’d expect from a Ferrari, which no doubt makes driving it something special.

Although the GTC4Lusso is not the most ‘beautiful’ Ferrari, and divides many purists when it comes to looks, it is perhaps the most practical to run as an everyday car or a car for long trips where you need to take more than your wallet. You get the blistering performance of that V12 with all the refinement and practically of an upmarket tourer.

So, if you want a Ferrari you can drive everyday and use as your daily drive, the GTC4Lusso is probably it!

Of course the GTC4Lusso was not the only piece of eye candy that was on offer. A La Ferrari also graced the showroom floor,

The replacement for the current 458 will be the 488. It is due here in Australia in early 2016 but as you can see the exclusive preview is next week. Even better, I have an invite to attend!

This will be my first attendance at an ‘official’ Ferrari launch so I am really looking forward to it.

I have followed the other preview events around the world via YouTube.

The two listed here are my favourites, so I hope you enjoy them also. I’m sure there’ll be a video from the Australian preview as well but I’ll certainly be posting photos and videos from the night so don’t fear.

The interesting thing is that I read that the new 488 will be cheaper than the current 458 which doesn’t make sense. However, the rumour is that because Ferrari is about to list on the stock exchange that is aiming to increase its sales volume. Hopefully, I can find out the RRP of a 488 on the night and report back. However this article earlier in year indicates a price of around $540,000 mark without options.

So let’s have a look at some numbers here. The average price of a second hand 458 is now about AU$440,000 and the 430 it replaced is AU$240,000. The talk is whether the release of the 488 will cause the price of 458s to fall? Interesting to see, because the 458 would seem to be the last of the naturally aspirated mid-engined V8’s from Ferrari (the 488 is turbo charged). However, the 488 has all the knowledge of the 458 and the 458 Speciale plus some extra stuff on top. All the reviews I have seen conclude that the 488 is a noticeable improvement over the 458 (it is also quicker to 100 kmph and has 100+ more BHP!). That leads one to think that many 458 owners may in fact be considering a 488. If they are, then the price of a second hand 458 will indeed fall.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on what transpires and report the numbers back here. Another interesting measure of ‘value’ I have come up with is to divide the average cost of the car by the cars available currently. This means that even if one model is more expensive than another, if there are less actual cars for sale then it ‘should’ be more valuable! Convoluted maths I know and somewhat subjective but I think it works. So, here are the ‘values’ of each recent model:

458 = 27,450

430 = 19,987

360 = 5,206

Somehow I managed to get an invite to the launch of the new Lamborghini Hurcan. Here are some pictures of the event.