NEW 789BHP FERRARI 812 SUPERFAST IS PRETTY BADASS!
812 Superfast. You can always count on a manufacturer like Ferrari to be both over the top and somehow practical when naming its cars: the Berlinetta paid tribute to the 250 GTO, just as the GTC4Lusso did when it arrived three years later, throwing a ‘4’ into the mix to confirm that this particular Ferrari has four ‘comfortable’ seats. Maranello’s replacement to the F12berlinetta doesn’t disappoint either.
More significant though is that the 812 Superfast – set to make its global debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show – boasts the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 in the company’s history, the 6.5-litre unit producing 789bhp, some 20bhp more than the F12berlinetta and on par with the halo LaFerrari without the latter’s hybrid assistance. Maximum power is chucked out at 8500rpm, while peak torque – all 718Nm (530lb ft) of it – is sent to the rear wheels from only 7000rpm. Performance-wise, the F12berlinetta lags only a tenth of a second behind the newboy at 2.9 seconds, with top speed touted at ‘above 340kph’.
Perhaps the most significant change though is the arrival of Ferrari’s new electronic power steering (expect purists to be up in arms about that, given the F12berlinetta’s hydraulic setup). Also of note is a developed version of Ferrari’s four-wheel steer system – known as Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 – that should, in theory, make the 812 Superfast even more nimble through the corners. Weight meanwhile remains largely unchanged at 1525kg versus 1630kg for the Berlinetta. Bear in mind this is ‘without fluids’ and with the lightweight optional extras selected.
The new looks are a clear evolution of the Berlinetta, complete with elongated LED headlights and a more aggressively sculpted bonnet, albeit with a 1969 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’-inspired rear end (most notably those round taillights). Four exhausts and a painted rear diffuser beneath complete the revised arse, while deep grooves down the flanks aim to improve airflow yet further. Inside the look is revised rather than overhauled, with new sport seats and a revised ‘floating centre console.