Rumor had it that there was an F12 Berlinetta available to be driven at the Ferrari World Finals event in Spain, so upon my arrival at the track I made sure I was on the list. To my delight, a beautiful Grigio Silverstone car was indeed ready and waiting, and I happily headed off for a 20-minute taste.
The car looks and feels smaller than the 599 GTB, until you get in it, that is. The cabin is spacious and the ergonomics make sense. And the F12 is also very nice to drive, with steady power throughout the rev range and steering that may be, dare I say it, the best I have ever felt in a Ferrari GT.
To get down to specifics for the gearheads, the F12 Berlinetta’s 200-bar, direct-injection 6262 cc 65° V12 has a maximum power output of 740 CV at 8250 rpm, while its specific power output is 118 CV/l, a record for this kind of engine. Responsiveness and strong pick-up are assured by maximum torque of 690 Nm, 80 per cent of which is already on tap at 2500 rpm. All this, yet fuel consumption and emissions have been cut by a significant 30%.
Weight distribution is 54% at the rear while the center of gravity is lower and has been moved rearwards in the chassis. And the chassis and bodyshell are both new. In fact, they incorporate no less than 12 different aluminium alloys, some of which have never been used before in the automotive industry.
Anyone who has driven a Ferrari with the new dual clutch gearbox swears it’s the best they have ever experienced. True to form, the 2013 F12 Berlinetta comes with the latest version of this gearbox, so the entire package of mind-numbing power, deft handling, and ease of use make the F12 a car all Ferraristi should be salivating over.
Written by Will Campbell
General Manager of Ferrari Maserati of Atlanta
Contact Will or visit the website
