Ferrari’s latest front-engined sports car feels properly powerful, with visual and aural thrills to match.
When it comes to Ferraris, true fans would easily suggest that the model to go for is either the brand’s fabled V8 mid-engined or V12 front-engined sports car.
Topically speaking, we’re referencing the 488 GTB and 812 Superfast respectively that are currently trying to woo customers into showrooms with their sporty pedigree.
Of course, there are other models like the GTC4 Lusso and Portofino to choose from, but both front-engined cars have been designed to attract a slightly different set of clientele.
Whereas the GTC4 Lusso is taking its aim at family people needing four proper seats with some boot space, the Portofino roadster is doing exactly what its direct predecessor, the California T, did: enticing buyers to the most price-affordable and easiest to drive Ferrari.
Structurally speaking, the 812 Superfast bears some semblance with the GTC4 Lusso and Portofino, although it’s distinctive with a cabin tailored for only two people.
Which is why potential buyers of the 812 Superfast would have to be a genuine driving aficionado. After all, the 812 Superfast is the most powerful and most expensive of the brand’s four mainstream models with headline figures of 800hp and 31.5 million baht.
However, the 812 Superfast isn’t an all-new car, in industry speak. Like the transformations of the 488 GTB from the 458 Italia and GTC4 Lusso from the FF, the 812 Superfast is a heavily modified version of the F12berlinetta with the same inner structure but with new sheet metal, redesigned interior and revised V12 engine.
Design-wise, it must be said that the 812 Superfast is a gorgeous-looking car thanks to surfaces that have been penned with both form and function in mind.
Visual aesthetics alone, the 812 Superfast is guaranteed to make head turns, even at Ferrari’s hometown of Maranello, the place where we got to test it.
The cabin of the 812 Superfast is equally admirable and inviting at the same time. There are the brand’s typical design hallmarks inside including turbine-like air-con vents, button-festooned steering wheel and instrument panel dominated by a flashy rev-counter.
The most important change, though, is no other than the engine. Displacement of the V12 has risen from 6.2 to 6.5 litres. And coupled with other tweaks applied here and there, the 812 Superfast’s power has gone up by 60hp compared to the F12berlinetta.
Ferrari stresses that improvements in performance can be particularly seen in the upper engine speed range of 6,500-8,900rpm. As well, the gear ratios of the familiar seven-speed dual-clutch automatic have been shortened to make that 800hp of power more accessible.
These claims appear to be completely justified when driving the 812 Superfast on the road. Within the legal limit, the engine feels remarkably flexible by picking up power so easily at low revs. Coming out of a slow bend in third or fourth gear is a doddle, for instance.
But it’s when the road opens that really impresses. You can feel how action-packed the V12 is in its power band. And the noise it makes at nearly 9,000rpm is just intoxicating.
Sometimes you crave to rev the engine just for its aural thrills and not merely for the immense thrust forward. The 812 Superfast joins the Lamborghini Aventador in being the last of (mainstream) supercars to employ a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder.The Aston Martin Vanquish, the closest rival to the 812 Superfast, is rumoured to be switching to turbo power when it is replaced in less than a year.
Although the 812 Superfast largely maintains the suspension principle of the F12berlinetta, it incorporates two new things on the chassis side including four-wheel steering (first used in the limitedly produced F12tdf) and electric power steering (a first for the brand).
Like in some Porsches and Lambos, the four-wheel steering does merits for the 812 Superfast’s handling. Around tight corners, the 812 Superfast feels agile and continues to display great amounts of grip and stability at higher speeds. Such a system seemingly helps deliver more driving ease and confidence at the same time.
Electric power steering is mostly known to filter out feel of the road, which is probably the case for the 812 Superfast (and clearly indicated in the development charts of the car). Even so, it’s really not a point to fuss about because the steering isn’t totally numb and is compensated by being direct and crisp.
Yes, it feels a touch racier in terms of quickness than the racks found in either the Vanquish rival or Ferrari’s very own GTC4 Lusso.
The country roads outside Maranello kind of replicate the rutted stuff seen in many parts of Thailand, which is why it might be safe to suggest that the suspension setting (which could be altered via a switch on the steering wheel) should prove to be comfy enough.
The most pliant mode works well for real-world driving, while stiffening the suspension is probably most useful when you’re in attacking mode.You’ll always feel and hear those sporty tyres on the 20-inch wheels, but the level is rarely obtrusive. For an 800hp sports car like this, the overall driving characteristics is quite well-resolved.
Like in most other Ferraris, the downsides in the 812 Superfast come in the driver’s cockpit. No, the seat offers ample support and comfort, while the view of the flanked bonnets up front help for an immersive driving experience. It’s the details that bug, though.
First, operation of the electric adjustments for the front seats are hampered by the bulging door panels meaning that it’s best to do so before shutting the portals.
The second one is about the transmission. Like in Astons, if not exactly the same, you either select a gear via the steering-mounted paddle-shifters or buttons on the centre console: press a button to reverse, pull the right paddle to drive forward or tug both for neutral.
If you aren’t a Ferrari owner, it certainly isn’t that intuitive and requires some time of acquaintance. That’s quite a pity because the cabin design and its perceived quality make up for a near-peerless ambience. Even the distinctive use of buttons for the indicator lights could be an idea for other brands to consider.
Ignore these, however, and you’re being treated with a classic front-engine sports car that’s properly fast, evocative on the ears and easy to handle.
Yes, it’s a little of old-school fun, although not as wild and fearsome as in an Aventador (which is mid-engined, though, requiring more delicate hands on the limit).
That’s actually why Ferrari fans who cherish a genuinely fun driving experience have two types of sports cars to choose from. But we reckon that the 812 Superfast will be lusted for simply one thing: that great V12.
