Perfect, masterful, remarkable, powerful, elegant, beautiful, aerodynamic, tempting, rigorous, meticulous and… Italian. We are, of course, talking about the fastest Ferrari ever, the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.
Forget the 458 Italia, the Enzo, or even the 599 GTO, as there is no other Ferrari in the world that can match this agile and fast rampant horse. At least, for now... Despite having a reign of respect, it will be, perhaps, an inglorious reign, because the new Ferrari Enzo is almost here and, as you can imagine, the maximum of the maximums is demanded in the future top of the range of the Italian brand.
But what difference does it make if it's the fastest or second fastest Ferrari ever? It could even be the 20th fastest which, for sure, would continue to be our best dream ever. The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta comes with Scaglietti's signature and a touch of magic from Pininfarina Studios – “small” details that make it even more desirable. And since we're talking about desire, it's important for you to know that Ferrari has already sold out the entire 2013 annual production, so it's no use running to the nearest Ferrari importer because they won't be able to get this toy from there.
The most “grumbling” persist in criticizing Ferrari for the use of mid-front engines in their supercars, but this only proves that human beings have enormous difficulties in dealing with change, even if it is made for the better… Those who think that the mid-front engine will imply a higher front weight than the rear are sadly mistaken, Ferrari announced with a wide "smile on the face" that the weight distribution of this F12 Berlinetta is 46% at the front and 54% at the rear, which is not very common for this type of approach. For this reason (and for many others) please don't renege on what we all want: fun behind the wheel – and believe me, this F12 has fun to “give and sell” to whoever sits inside it.
Equipped with the same engine as the Ferrari FF, this F12 Berlinetta only shares the simple fact of having a 6.3 liter V12 . Everything else is different… This aspirated V12 is currently the flagship of the Italian brand, and in this specific case, it comes ready to deliver 740 hp of power and 690 Nm of maximum torque.
To further increase engine responsiveness, Ferrari authorized the V12 to use around 80% of the torque from 2,500 rpm. In other words, the moment we step on the accelerator, we will get 80% of full throttle, which means, that the F12 accelerates to 2,500 rpm with the same brutality that it accelerates to 8,000 rpm. It's a case of saying out loud: “Wow! What biolence!!!"
If you are already feeling a “butterflies in your stomach”, then get ready because the best is to come. Thanks to the abundant use of aluminium, the F12 manages to register an impressive 1,630 kg of weight, which makes a race of the 0-100 km/h in a sudden 3.1 seconds.
Italian engineers placed the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission strategically at the rear, after the rear axle. For many, this is the most beautiful work of art present in the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta – even more so than the engine itself. This gearbox was recaptured from Formula 1 and developed specifically for this model, and it turns out that it is also the Italian brand's most accurate gearbox ever.
There's nothing about this Ferrari that doesn't leave us in disbelief. For example, carbo-ceramic discs allow us to look at curves with a certain air of disrespect – here there is no room for failure, everything works as the automotive engineering bible dictates: fast and well! Engineers claim the F12 is capable of cornering around 20% faster than the 599 GTO. And better… we don't need to turn the wheel so much to get the same result.
There's no one who can't drive this Italian beast, it's all so perfect that even a person who's just finished getting his card in flour amparo has the aptitude to take a walk around the block without sending the F12 straight to scrap metal. I'm obviously being nice. Of course, taking 740 hp for a ride doesn't equate to a ride with just 75 hp, but everyone who has tried it has come to the same conclusion: there isn't another supercar in the world that lets itself be dominated as well as this F12 Berlinetta.
If there is a Ferrari that deserves all my appreciation, it's this one – this and the F40, the 458 Italia, the 250 GTO… in short, all that are worthy of displaying the mythical Ferrari emblem. It's not easy to criticize a brand that we've always glorified, and this one, like any other Ferrari, leaves anyone's heart racing – this is the most beautiful charm that Ferrari conveys to all the inhabitants of this “small” planet, called Earth.
Text: Tiago Luís