Well, what is there to say, it’s a Ferrari, its superfast and its super expensive. There, the article finished moving on. I’m just kidding; there’s a lot more to talk about than just that first sentence. Ferrari’s flagship V12 monsters have been around for what feels like millennia, and the previous V12 behemoth, the F12 Berlinetta, was an absolute maniac. Super sharp and aggressive handling, insane acceleration and ridiculous power. At the time of its release, the F12 produced 730bhp which was more than the Formula 1 cars used at the time. Even the legendary Jeremy Clarkson admitted that it was too fast, too powerful and too much to handle.
I’m guessing when Ferrari heard the news it was either opposite day for them or the English to Italian translations were a bit off, as the new 812 Superfast is bellowing out an astonishing 800bhp and 718-newton metres of torque from its 6.5 litre V12; with all this power being sent to the rear wheels. The famous quote from Dirty Harry – “Do you feel lucky punk, well, do ya”? – sure comes to mind every time someone wishes to get behind the wheel. Acceleration from 0-62 mph is achieved in under 2.9 seconds and, if you’re brave enough, go onto a top speed of 211 mph. What’s even more impressive is the fact the 812 is even quicker around Ferrari’s racetrack, Fiorano, than the track-focused and limited edition F12 TDF.
The design and layout of the 812 take its inspiration from its father, the F12, though with more updated features such as full LED headlamps, air vents on the bonnet and quad circular tail lights which look fantastic. Along with the design, aerodynamic characteristics were not that easy to implement, given the fact that the 812 follows a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout. Nevertheless, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive V12 Ferrari’s are the brand’s heritage, much like Lamborghini with their V12 hypercars. As such, Ferrari has added both passive and active aerodynamic features to improve drag coefficients over the previous F12, to which they succeeded after a lot of effort, redesigning and reengineering.
The interior of the 812 Superfast draws resemblance with both the F12 and the hybrid hypercar the LaFerrari, most noticeable similarities are found within the air vents and contours of the dashboard. The interior of the 812 follows a simplistic yet practical approach, a no-fuss no-mess job with every button, switch and display perfectly coordinated like a well-rehearsed orchestra.
To sum up the 812 Superfast, it is a no-nonsense, track-focused and a serious piece of engineering. The power output, performance and handling require someone experienced behind the wheel who can manage and tame the beast. Unlike its rival at Lamborghini with the Aventador SVJ, the 812 follows a more conservative design approach than flamboyant. Yet very far from boring if anything precision and accuracy are what compliment the 812 Superfast.
Bleeding Edge Digital 