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At the Geneva motor show, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo announced more details on an upcoming model than his PR department might have been expecting.

It’s not the entry level Ferrari some were expecting to be the spiritual successor to the Dino but rather a V8 powered front engine rear drive coupe. Apparently many people balk at the mid engined F430 and the V12 599 and 612.

The car will make its official debut at the Paris show in October…

While it will be priced above the F430 it will share a version of that car’s V8, with Direct Injection and a dual clutch sequential gearbox likely.

the ride – agitated, noisy and totally unable to deal with short, sharp bumps. Body control is good when you do decide to work the chassis hard, but you only discover its excellent neutral balance after ignoring all the signals that are screaming at you to slow down – at seven-tenths the 6 feels ragged and ill-sorted. The Sport package adds 19in wheels – and in combination with 35-profile run-flat tyres they really hobble the big coupe. It’s a confused and confusing car, reluctant to be driven like a sports car and without the sophistication of ride to be a true GT. – evo

A bigger, more mature experience than Aston’s V8 Vantage, yet sharper and more engaging than a DB9 or Bentley Conti GT, it manages to combine the edge and infectious enthusiasm of a sports car with the long-legged, refined and sophisticated demeanour of a great GT… disappointing is the steering’s lack of tactility and the Skyhook suspension’s fidgety damping, both of which could and should be better… as it stands there’s room for improvement. It’s a good car rather than a great one… – evo