Review: Ferrari F12berlinetta

In a hushed corporate dining room not far from the foundry where his company's engines are born, Ferrari S.p.A. chairman Luca di Montezemolo distills the essence of his latest flagship, the F12berlinetta. The dapper Italian conjures the requisite analogy to the female form while expounding how the front-engine two-seater complements the current Ferrari lineup. But his conclusion says it all: "I wanted this to be the highest-performance Ferrari ever made."

Maranello's storied manufacturer is responsible for extreme designs that inspire wild superlatives, yet even in this landscape, the F12 is a bit of a curiosity. The numbers are breathtaking: 730 horsepower from a naturally aspirated, 6.3-liter V12 driving the rear wheels through a 7-speed transaxle. But the look is not: More Speed Racer than textbook supercar, this cab rearward sled is highlighted by a hood-mounted heat extractor flanked by two "aero bridges" whose negative space divert airflow to deep, upwardly swept grooves along the door panels. The appearance isn't as otherworldly as the insectoid Enzo, but this aluminum 2-seater is almost two seconds faster around the Fiorano test track than its more unattainably priced, carbon-bodied ancestor.

Press the big red starter button, and the V12 stirs with a cabin-filling growl.A decade after the Enzo made its first mark, I'm ready to lap the fabled proving grounds where countless Ferraris have debuted. The sights and sounds on this warm July morning are, frankly, daunting. Test driver Rafaelle De Simone blasts out of the pits, the V12's ascending bellow echoing off the Armco as the transmission bangs off incomprehensibly quick gearshifts before the rear brake lights flash for turn one. During a technical presentation the night before, several executives suggested the F12 was intended to be enjoyable at a broader range of speeds than its 205 mph predecessor, the 599. How on Earth 730 cavallini are to be tamed into two-wheel-drive submission seems like a mystery for the automotive ages, but the answers start to unfold when I take my turn behind the wheel.

My test car is finished in a crimson shade of "Rosso Berlinetta," and climbing inside reveals traditional tan leather offset by aluminum trim. The optional carbon fiber package swathes the bucket seats, door panels, and various switchgear bits in the shiny, lightweight black stuff. In sum, the carbon, along with optional wheels, shaves 66 pounds from the 3,659.5-pound curb weight. As it stands, the car is 2 inches shorter in length, 2.3 inches lower, and over 100 pounds lighter than the 599 it replaces. The rear luggage compartment delivers 17.6 cubic feet of storage space with the rear bench panel removed.

The center of gravity has been dropped to only 18 inches off the pavement, and once you're nestled inside the cabin, the F12 feels palpably low to the ground. An F1-inspired, all-in-one steering wheel theme carries over from the 458 Italia, and includes wiper, turn signal, high-beam, manettino and suspension controls, as well as a large red "Engine Start" button at 7 o'clock.

Turn the key in the steering column – a silly ritual in this age of proximity sensors – and simple white-on-black logos fade up on the dash like the opening credits of an indie flick. Press the big red starter button, and the V12 stirs with a cabin-filling growl. A tug of the right paddle, with its surprisingly long throw, engages first gear, and attention diverts to the massive, centrally positioned yellow tachometer that dominates the dashboard. The tach is flanked by multi-function TFTs depicting everything from a faux analog speedometer to temperature, trip computer, and navigation displays.

Revs unfurl into a steady crescendo of forward motion whose momentum escalates at around 4,000 rpm, and continues to accelerate strongly towards all but the tail end of the upper registers. Seat-of-the-pants sensations are supported by the engine's torque curve as plotted on graph paper: while torque peaks to 509 pound-feet at 6,000 rpm before dropping off, horsepower burgeons with a steep rise all the way to 8,250 rpm, softening just short of the 8,500 rpm redline.

The sensation of speed in the F12 is thrilling off the line, and only intensifies as the needle rises; there's a point at which burying the right pedal turns from anticipatory to exhilarating, and just beyond that, downright scary. Select "Race" mode and press a center-mounted "Launch" button, and torque braking sends revs to 3,000 rpm before they settle at about 2,500 rpm; lift off the brake while pinning the throttle, and the F12 catapults cleanly off the line, producing brief wheelspin on slicker surfaces as it hurtles forward with smooth, almost instantaneous gear shifts. A sprint to 62 mph requires a claimed 3.1 seconds, and top speed is estimated at 211 mph.

Fiorano's first turn approaches quickly, and the carbon ceramic brakes respond to my strident pedal stab with seatbelt-tightening strength. The short stopping distance is partially due to a more abrasive pad material with unique resins embedded within, as well as Brembo's so-called Prefill function, which keeps the pads from touching the rotors to aid fuel efficiency, but anticipates a hard braking event by pre-charging the hydraulic system. Ferrari says the system is responsible for a 5 percent reduction in braking distance as a result. Though they work remarkably well, the binders feel decidedly firm and verging on flat, with a sensation that the system is pushing back at the pedal.

The sensation of speed in the F12 is thrilling off the line, and only intensifies as the needle rises.While entering a corner, the F12's front tires transmit a surprisingly robust amount of information through the steering wheel despite its relatively light effort, especially when the manettino is set to "Sport." "Race" adds a tad more firmness for the task at hand, and at the first increasing radius right-hander, the F12 turns in remarkably quickly, no doubt aided by its shorter wheelbase, stiffer chassis, and lower center of gravity. But the real attraction comes at exit: applying throttle conjures a strong tug that pulls the F12 effortlessly out of the corner, despite tire-busting amounts of twist spilling from the 6.3 liter lump. Credit quick-thinking computers and the E-Diff, which apportions torque to the rear wheels with seamless efficiency.

In "Sport" mode, exit acceleration is polite and wheelspin all but non-existent, so I soon switch to "Race," which also proves to be unexpectedly mannered. Despite the V12's tremendous potential, the traction and stability controls work in conjunction with the E-Diff to permit only mild amounts of slip angle, keeping the car's trajectory in check. More gentle throttle application enables incrementally more sliding, but the 315mm wide rear Michelin Pilot Super Sports never step out enough to threaten serious harm. A brief dabble with all systems off reveals an eager tail scooting extravaganza that conveys just how rapidly 730 horsepower can evaporate grip, no matter how composed the chassis.

After its surprisingly confidence-inspiring performance at Fiorano, the F12 proves predictably outrageous in the twisting hills near the Abetone Pass, just outside Maranello. Local Italians, most of whom are familiar with vehicular sojourners from the nearby Ferrari factory, nevertheless seem awed by the sight of this latest flagship as it leaves a wake of aural bliss while its high-revving V12 bellows through the canyons, lurching it from apex to apex.

The F12's magnetorheological suspension amplifies every bump in the road, though its more forgiving mode makes it livable on long distance drives. Similarly crisp is the response at the paddle shifter: downshifts are perfectly rev-matched, and upshifts, even in "Race" mode, are smooth and virtually instantaneous. These are aided by a brief injection of fuel into the combustion chambers just before upshifts, which maintain constant forward acceleration. The transmission only showed signs of jerkiness during certain low-speed maneuvers, a flaw which may be corrected by the time the car comes to market.

The F12 is a gentleman's Ferrari first and foremost, one that couples ridiculous power with impeccable road manners, delivered with utmost civility and finesse.As unflappably capable as it is, does the F12 fail in its role as a Ferrari flagship because it's not a hair-raising, eye-widening widowmaker? While the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, its nearest competitor, is a snortier, jerkier, and manlier take on the twelve-cylinder supercar, that beast from Sant'Agata Bolognese also purports to be a different kind of animal with its balls-to-the-wall bodywork and rough-hewn, single-clutch gearbox. The Aventador can afford those levels of hairy hubris because it lays power down through all four contact patches, making its lower speed endeavors predictable enough – that is, until G-forces rise and those meaty tires start to slide. The F12, on the other hand, relies more heavily on electronics – and specifically, that glorious piece of alchemical magic known as the eDiff – to lay power seamlessly to the road.

The F12 is a gentleman's Ferrari first and foremost, one that couples ridiculous power with impeccable road manners, delivered with utmost civility and finesse. It's far from the most overstated two-seater to ever hail from Maranello; those bragging rights will likely be reclaimed by the "new" hybrid-powered Enzo, which is rumored to churn in the neighborhood of 850 horsepower and will surely look like a carbon fiber origami alien ship.

But considering how Mr. Montezemolo applied his lofty ideals of feminine beauty and outright power to the F12, this reigning king from Maranello proves that delicately modulated horsepower and beautifully equalized exhausts barks can, in their own curious way, trump raw, unbridled charisma.

WIRED Nothing on earth sounds as sweet as a shrieking Ferrari V12. Supercomputer electronics make you feel like an F1 hero. Elisabetta Canalis looks with Elisa Di Francisca skills.

TIRED With 730 horses on tap, you'd expect more terror for your six figures. "Race" mode only allows tire slide with über-gentle throttle. The inevitable prancing horse pretensions.