Ferrari doesn't hand out its Handling Speciale treatment lightly, usually reserving it for models that sit some way short of the sharpest end of its line-up rather than something already razor-focused like the F80. The Purosangue, the brand's heaviest model ever and its only four-door, might seem an unlikely candidate on paper, but the timing of this new pack is deliberate. Early demand for the SUV was so strong that Ferrari deliberately capped sales, wary of the Purosangue becoming seen as the defining Ferrari of this era. Now three-quarters through its production run, the Handling Speciale pack is designed to keep buyer interest alive.

For £16,480 on top of the £313,360 base price, owners get a louder, more dramatic note from the 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, faster shifts from the eight-speed transaxle, and a retune of the Multimatic active dampers said to reduce roll, pitch and squat by roughly 10%. Suspension geometry, ride height, tyres and the 715bhp output all remain untouched, so this isn't a transformation into a sportier Purosangue so much as a sharpening of what was already the most dynamically capable SUV on sale.

Testing at Ferrari's Balocco Proving Ground rather than on real roads makes exact comparisons tricky, but the car's engineering still impresses. In Comfort, with the softest damper setting, the Purosangue remains composed even over rough access roads, and Ferrari has wisely left everyday ride quality untouched — only sharp surface imperfections send a slight fizz through the new diamond-cut wheels specific to this pack.

Push harder in Sport, though, and the changes become clear. Braking resistance to pitch and the precision of turn-in are notably improved, while in Hard damper mode and Sport manettino setting, the car reveals deep reserves of stability alongside its gruffer-sounding V12. Gearshifts land with extra urgency above 5000rpm, especially in Race mode. On track, the Purosangue even flirts with playful oversteer and balanced slides when provoked, evoking a heavier, four-wheel-drive take on the 12Cilindri — aside from steering that lacks quite the same transparency.

Given its relatively modest cost against options like paint finishes, and with no downside to daily comfort, the Handling Speciale pack is an easy recommendation, even if the satin script, blacked-out badge and tips, and darker wheels add a styling flourish you may or may not fancy.

Source: Autocar

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