In the end, a car only moderately different from its predecessor
by Wallace Wyss –
We are used to Detroit automakers lately making the noise with the horsepower, particularly in Dodges. Now it’s like Ferrari couldn’t take it anymore—they have in the new Ferrari 812 Superfast announced an engine with 800 Horses, more, I think, than Detroit is currently offering on any of their mass produced musclecars.
Ferrari’s latest will go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and have a top speed of over 340 km/h.
The black grille looks cheap. What have we come to when the grille of a new Lexus LC500 looks more expensive than a Ferrari that cost twice as much?! And those little air intakes are oh-so-fish like. Ferrari designers must spend a lot of time in the aquarium…
At first glance, stylistically, the Ferrari 812 Superfast seems but a further development of the last model, the F12TDF, which came from the F12 Berlinetta.
So the big news is the engine, a 6.5 liter V8, which achieves its 800 Horses at 8500 RPM resulting in a specific 123 horsepower per liter. Ferrari promises the maximum torque arrives at 718 Nm and almost all is available from as low as 3500 rpm.
One change that Detroit is already using but will now be in Ferraris is a Ferrari EPS (Electric Power Steering) system, electric power steering. Plus, so all that power doesn’t get away from you, Ferrari’s patented Side Slip Control.
Ferrari acknowledged in their press release that the car has a fastback design already seen in the previous F12 Berlinetta and F12TDF, but they are claiming the new design has “a vague memory at Ferrari 365 GTB4” with what they call “pure homage of 1969 the trim tail view.”
Interior improvements include new seats, a new steering wheel and new instruments.
There are no driving reports out yet but it ought to be a good handler, with weight distribution is 47% front and 53% rear.
Not having seen it in person, I submit, for some preliminary information, some comments based on photographs.
FRONT The grille cavity seems to be lower than in the Tdf, at least if you compare the two side by side. The pressure of having totally functional aero is influencing design more and more –aesthetics being sacrificed to efficiency–and the presence of aero aids has shaped the nose, which incorporates a cluster of aerodynamic solutions including active flaps at the front of the underbody.
REAR I have to say that the two taillights per side in the back are dark, and disappointing, as if they are “hiding” in the shadows. They seem to be more akin to those in the 308GTB.
The vertical rear air exits lead to an odd look, as from the direct rear, it almost looks like a 308GTB (or dare we say Corvette!) is being held prisoner inside a larger car; like a whale in the process of swallowing a shark… Also the rear under tray of plastic looks cheap; this scribe would have preferred metal.
Also I wonder if the standard exhausts are getting “old hat” when other luxury automakers are having custom made exhaust tips, as another excuse to add bling (see Bentley EXP10 Speed Six concept and many new Mercedes models now on the market).
In their press release they say the rear flank features an unprecedented aerodynamic by-pass to increase downforce, but I guess we will have to wait until the Geneva show to get the details on actual pounds exerted when the system is activated.
SIDE The Ferrari 812 Superfast is strong on side sculpturing, but we hope that all those dips and swoops are with a purpose, the air flowing over the car being directed purposefully rather than, say, the side sculpturing on a Buick Cascada (which does, I have to say, have interesting body surfacing) which I wager is primarily “eye candy.”
The air intakes on the side of the roof are more influenced by the Lamborghini Miura than anything from Ferrari.
Ferrari makes much in their press release of the emphasis on the wheelwells, as if to say that is what made the Ferraris of the ‘60s and ‘70s so memorable.
In the Ferrari 812 Superfast interior, there main effort is to make the main elements “seem to float” (their words). There’s horizontal dash loops stylishly around the central air vents for a different look. They describe the new seats as “sporty and ergonomic” (can you be both?) and boasts of new infotainment and air-conditioning units.
IN SUM…Ferrari 812 Superfast We can always use a new Ferrari model to brighten the horizon. In a way, I think it was wise they left the TDF behind, because with its diagonal side vent, and its 275 Comp-style rear fender slashes, it was borrowing a little too many design cues from celebrated ‘60s models and in one picture found on the net, looked remarkably in side view like the current Corvette!
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Wallace Wyss
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is a fine artist. He is still working on the painting below, but those interested can write him to ask about availability of prints. He can be reached at Photojournalistpro@gmail.com.
Ferrari 812 Superfast – Art by Wallace Wyss
It was cruel to the new Ferrari to put it”s photo below Mike’s silver Bizzarrini.
The Superfast is, IMHO, a vast aesthetic improvement over the F12, which always reminded me of a bigger California- and that’s not meant as a compliment! Frankly, I found the 599 much more attractive than the F12, although all of the recent V12 Ferraris are entirely too big (and heavy) for my taste and driving environment.
Ya, this split from Pininfarina might have come just a bit too soon . . . sad to see the corvetteishness and absent proper grill, over designed side sculpting (like a rock and roll star over-produced jumpin the shark) and south-central wheels . . . man is that a wide miss. What happened to that “wide-body” f12 that someone made a few of a while back? Now that had potential . . . to heck with too big and too heavy – more carbon fibre, light alloy and big air intakes please.
Back to my Maranello, I’m such a fuddy-duddy.
It was once suggested by a major car magazine that the biggest problem with Japanese cars in the 60’s and 70’s was the amazing over adornment of every panel on the car… seems Ferrari has picked up on this philosophy and is now building overly busy designs that have no real reason for being… the beauty has been lost in the intricacy of design and that is sad… but I am sure that the market place will not agree with me and reward them by purchasing these over styled cars, simply because it is the latest and greatest… I would remind you all that the Lusso arguably one of the prettiest designs of the 60’s and later the Dino’s were not well received and it is now many years later that these lovely cars have become icons… I would agree with Peter Carniglia the Maranello was a superior very clean design…
It’s hard to argue aesthetics – most is a matter of taste and most of that is driven by “fashion”. Who would think we ever wore bell bottoms and side burns when we (now) look back at the roaring 70-ies? So, for the fashionistas this is right up their alley (except for the “old hat” exhaust tips) and it’s mainly the people who less go for fashion who come up criticizing cars like this. To me, the car looks very busy, too busy; almost (excuse me) Corvette like and very much adhering to the “fashion” this market is pointed in. Nobody can (yet) argue performance or build quality but time will tell if this new trend survives, however look at how much cleaner a 599 looks now – compared…
Didn’t we add too many decorations so we can’t see the beauty of the tree anymore?
I agree with several here, including Maurice. The buyers of the latest-new-Ferrari are fashionistas who want the car to have every bell and whistle currently in vogue.
Whereas, one would think if they were purists for, performance, they would want the best ingredients that will accomplish the performance mission and not give a damn for styling cues that remind you of this old model or that. I realize that contradicts my critique where I said the exhaust pipe ends should be more stylized but there I was talking about what they need to be au courant, Now, on Maurice’s point, I am saying too many styling gimmicks aren’t going to earn as much respect in the long run as a design that’s functional first, and if it looks good hitting the performance targets, that’s a plus, but in a marque as vaunted as Ferrari the goal should be as much performance as they can get first and style second.