Some cars are just too cocky. We’ve had the Rapide, the Superb, the Mindblowingly Amazing (okay, we made that one up), but the name of Ferrari’s latest offering not so much pushes the boat out, but rather tips it off the edge of the horizon.
Those familiar with the 812 Superfast may already be aware that it is the most powerful Ferrari ever built. It was designed from the ground up to be the fastest car in the prancing horse’s history and the numbers attest to that claim.
It has a new 6.5-litre V12 engine, pumping out 788bhp and up to 718Nm at 7,000rpm, with 80 per cent of that torque available from a more accessible 3,500rpm.
That means it can blast off to 62mph from a standstill in 2.9 seconds and it won’t stop picking up speed until it hits 211mph. If that isn’t ‘superfast’, we’d love to know what is.
But these are mere numbers. How does all this translate out on the road? With so much power, is it even fun to drive or is it too scary for its own good?
Well, the great and good of the UK motoring press recently got their hands on it, and this is what they thought…
Performance
The Telegraph’s Paul Hudson confessed to being “a huge fan of the outgoing F12berlinetta, but this is something else”.
“The power is both real and sensory; on the road, it is simply mighty,” he gushed. “The gear ratios are shorter to improve the car’s responsiveness [compared to the legendary F12berlinetta, which it replaces].”
In cramped towns, the 812 Superfast felt “almost anti-climactic”, he noted. However, let off its leash up in the hills, he felt it became “an entirely different beast, a snarling, crackling road-burner that commands respect, as you’re inevitably travelling a lot faster than you imagine”.
“The faster you go, the better it gets,” he added.
Auto Express’ Steve Sutcliffe said the Superfast was “maybe even crazy fast”, but unmistakably “a road car” rather than “a track toy”.
On the road, he couldn’t deny that the Superfast felt intimidating, due to its size and expense. However, after a while, the car’s usability becomes significantly apparent, with deceptively soothing suspension despite its ability to let all hell loose with a simple prod of the throttle.
Handling
Also writing for Evo, Sutcliffe noted how, compared to the F12, handling had become “perhaps a touch heavier than before, which is good, but is also even faster in its responses, which to begin with at least, is not so good. Not unless you are naturally hardwired to drive a car as if it were a fighter jet.”
The result? A car smoother and easier to drive.
Styling
The Telegraph’s Paul Hudson was won over by the 812 Superfast’s exterior – a product of the Ferrari Styling Centre.
“[It] is clearly a derivative [of the F12berlinetta], but it has been restyled and is now festooned in aerodynamic aids that are effective yet discreet,” he mulled.
“The perfect antidote to massive slots and vents and wings of so many performance cars.”
Interior
Inside though, Hudson reckoned the Superfast “retained the feeling of space and comfort” that V12 buyers expect.
But the cabin now boasts “a sportier look compared with the F12, coming with new seats, a new steering wheel and instrument clusters, as well as upgraded infotainment and air-conditioning units”.
Verdict
So the big question is, should anyone with £253k burning a hole in their pocket come March 2018 buy one?
“Hell yes,” answers Autocar’s Matt Prior, who noted a lack of like-for-like rivals to the 812 Superfast in terms of providing this kind of high performance without overwhelming the driver.
Prior concluded that the 812 “feels less natural than the lazier, more analogue Aston Vanquish S”, adding that opting for the Aston over the 812 would be like “taking a roll-top bath over a jacuzzi: there are reasons why you would, but technologically and experientially, the Superfast offers more”.
A similarly satisfied Paul Hudson signed off with “Super? Check. Fast? Undoubtedly. And so much more besides.”
So that’s a thumbs-up all-round. What do you think of the 812 Superfast? Tell us down there in the comments.
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