2022 Ferrari SUV (Purosangue), Sony’s EV Car and Snow Tires? [Ask Nathan]

In this week’s Ask Nathan:

  • Is the 2022 Ferrari SUV “Purosangue” for real?  
  • Will Sony’s EV car be sold?
  • Should I get snow tires?

[Sketch: Marcin Czajkowski]

The first question comes from a Ferrari fan who wants to know if the 2022 Ferrari SUV “Purosangue” is truly being built. 

Q: (Via NathanAdlen@Twitter) Am I the only one that hates the idea of a Ferrari SUV? 

We’re sliding down the SUV slope in to hell!!! No more! Is this Ferrari SUV truly going to happen? 

Fumo AN9ME

A: Howdy! 

I’m afraid it’s true. The 2022 Ferrari Purosangue SUV has already been announced and its production is imminent. 

The good news is that it will not be based on an already-built Maserati or Alfa Romeo SUV platform. The Ferrari Roma platform will underpin the Purosangue SUV. That means the SUV could have a V8 or a V12 engine. It could also have a hybrid power plant similar to the La Ferrari. It’s hard to say for sure. 

I am resistant to these sports car companies building SUVs too. It’s no big deal for me to see Bentley, Rolls-Royce and other luxury brands to build SUVs. I am still on the fence about sports car automaker’s SUVs. When Lamborghini announced an SUV a few years back – I was inconsolable. 

Now, I pretty much accept it. 

The bottom line for these sports car builders selling SUVs is this: it makes them a lot of money. As long as they can sell a lot of them, they can still build sports cars. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. 

N


The next email comes from a fan who wants to know if the Sony EV that debuted at 2020 CES will make production.  

Q: Sony EV!?!?!? Hell yes!!!!

I had a Sony Walkman that lasted from 1995 to 2015. This is because I dropped it on a family vacation in Arizona on a rock. I have a Sony DVD player which is abused every day and it is 10 years old! My wife’s car stereo is a Sony. She spilled coffee on it several times and is often misused. Still works fine after 5 years. 

If they build a Sony EV and sell it you bet I’ll buy it!!!! 

Tex the Warrior 

A: Hello Tex! 

The vehicle you’re referring to is the Sony Vision-S concept. It was unveiled at the 2020 CES and is more about the tech inside than the car as a whole. Sony wanted a platform to show off their advance audio, visual and safety tech in something eye-catching. 

They succeeded. 

From our earlier reporting: “This prototype embodies our contribution to the future of mobility,” CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said of Sony’s car. It’s built on a “newly-designed EV” platform, which could supposedly be expanded to SUVs.

It looks production ready, doesn’t it? According to Sony, there are no plans to produce this vehicle. With that being said, if there is enough public interest — you never know. 

I hope this helps! 

N


The last question comes from a fan who wants to haul a horse in his truck. His midsize truck… 

Q: (Via NathanAdlen@Twitter): Are snow tires a good investment for a Subaru in Oregon? 

I have a 2015 Subaru Outback and I have to deal with snow in the Pacific Northwest. Friends tell me that despite all-wheel drive, I need snow tires. Is that true? 

Plotz62

A: Absolutely yes; snow tires are a real safety bonus for any driver in the snow. 

Yes, AWD helps a lot and having good all-season tires are a good thing, but you go up to a new level using snow tires. They not only help you maintain control, mitigate getting stuck and whatnot, you’re able to stop much better. Lots of people forget that stopping has nothing to do with all-wheel drive… and they should. 

Snow tires are unique. When the rubber compound in a snow tire is used in 40-degree (Fahrenheit) temperatures and under, they become far grippier than regular tires. Regular rubber becomes harder, less adherent and has a hard time self-cleaning by comparison. 

On top of the compound, tread design, sipes and footprint, these tires will extend the life of your regular tires. Use snow tires during your cold months and you will get a lot more life out of your all-season tires. 

It’s a winning proposition all-around. 

N

 

From day one, The Fast Lane Car has made it our policy to answer as many questions and comments as we can. We get thousands of emails and comments and feel that, as part of a tight-knit automotive community, having an open dialogue with you keeps things fresh and exciting.Got a question for Nathan? Drop him a line at: asknathan@tflcar.com.