The team at Classic Car have taken to the Swiss Alps to with the classic Jensen FF from the late 60s and put it up against the modern incarnation of the front-engine, four-wheel drive sports car, the Ferrari FF.
While both cars carry a fundamentally similar approach, ‘FF’ stands for something quite different in each instance. In the case of the Jensen, it is a reference to the Fergus Formula all-wheel-drive system — in fact, it was the the first non-all terrain production car to be equipped with such a system. The Ferrari, which actually adopts a clever part-time all-wheel-drive system, derives its ‘FF’ moniker from ‘Ferrari Four,’ a reference to its four seats and four-wheel drive set up.
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The Jensen FF is powered by a now 40-something year-old American-sourced 6.2 liter V8 and had a total production run of just 320 units between 1966 and 1971. While it was highly innovative for its time, the high-cost of producing its all-wheel drive system meant that its price put it well into the territory of other more prestigious marques. The Jensen FF was similar to the Jensen Interceptor — as Left Lane readers may be aware, the Jensen Interceptor is due to be reborn in 2014 and may be more of a match for the Ferrari though it won’t carry all-wheel-drive.
Set against the Jensen FF, the Ferrari FF is bristling with contemporary technology and the company is having no problem shipping units since it was unveiled in Geneva last year. However, while Jensen was experimenting with all-wheel drive platforms back in the 60s, the Ferrari FF is the first time Ferrari has built a sports car with such a system. It is powered by a 6.3 liter V12 that delivers 651 prancing horses with 504 lb-ft of torque in a package weighing in a 4,000 lbs.
As the Classic Car team show though, whether it is blasting a sports cars of yesteryear or of the present, the thrills produced by either offer their own distinct pleasures.
