The engine, however, is not just a one-trick pony. Another benefit of many cylinders is huge power and a wide working range. The motor produces 681bhp and 514lb ft with peak power coming in at 8,000rpm, just 250 revs before limiter. Maximum torque is available at 5,750rpm, but importantly, 80 per cent of it is available from just 1,750rpm which offers the GTC4 immense low-down grunt to complement its galloping top end. Despite its 1,920kg kerbweight, the Lusso is a very fast car. Zero to 62mph happens in just 3.4 seconds, 124mph is seen in 10.5, and it will run on to 208mph. The feeling of speed is also exaggerated by the responsiveness of the engine. Free of turbos and the inertia they produce, a stab of the throttle in the Lusso is met by instant thrust as it sends you down the road.

Unfortunately, just as we were starting to find a rhythm round the twists and turns of the A4061, the mist that once lurked in the distance descended on us without warning. Like a dense, white blanket, it rolled in over the mountain tops and enveloped everything in sight. Play time was over and we were sent back the way we came in search of improved visibility. Just as we escaped from the all-consuming fog, the rain followed in an attempt to hinder our plans further. This is the battle with Wales at altitude. The roads and scenery may be idyllic, but the weather can turn in an instant.

Try as it might, one thing the rain couldn’t put a stop to was fun in the Ferrari. The famous Manettino has five settings – Snow/Ice, Rain, Comfort, Sport, and ESC Off – which makes driving in the wet far less of an issue. Providing you don’t stamp on the throttle, the Lusso offers unyielding traction even in tricky conditions, but then it should, because Ferrari has thrown in their best acronyms and a complicated four-wheel drive system in an attempt to make the performance both usable and engaging. Heard of 4RM-S? What about SSC4, SCM-E, E-Diff, or F1-Trac? And you thought the geeks worked in Woking…

Here's the simple explanation. The Lusso drives all four wheels through two gearboxes. The main ‘box is a rear mounted seven-speed dual clutch transmission and the second is a ‘PTU’ or ‘power transfer unit’ which lives in front of the engine. It’s a two-speed gearbox with two wet clutches and each one drives its own front wheel. The two gears have their own ratios and operate off the main DCT, with gear one operating in first and second, and gear two during third and fourth. Once you’re in fifth gear or higher, the Lusso becomes rear wheel drive only. The reason for this complicated set up is two-fold. The first is that gives the car a rear-wheel bias, the second is that it can efficiently transfer 100 per cent of the power to any one of the front wheels should you need it. Because no one wants to fall off their prancing horse. Four-wheel steering also comes as standard, which helps shrink the wheelbase to aid with low speed manoeuvrability and high speed direction changes. The systems are so well integrated in to the package that you never feel them working away beneath you. Even on a summer tyre, the Lusso’s ability to displace water and get the power down is quattro-esque in its ability which gives you the confidence to push on, even when the weather is hellbent on dampening your parade.