F12 Initial Observations and Comp to 458 Spider

Long time owner of various F cars, most recently a 2011 458 Italia, which was replaced by a 458 Spider. (I am keeping the Spider as well as the F12).

Just received my 2014 F12.

Both are extraordinary cars. Easily the best Ferraris ever made in my opinion, and without a doubt, the best in their class, of any car ever made - current or past.
I absolutely love the Spider for its sound, nimbleness, feeling of agility and lightness (even though I know it is not very light, it “feels” light).

Then F12 is more grown up, mature, more dignified in its feel and approach, but still very much a Ferrari in every way. I have had a 575, a 599 and now this. Among the big V12’s this feels the best by far. It is extremely strong, fast, and composed. It can have a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Docile when driven as a grand-tourer with my significant other in the car, then absolutely ferocious flat out above 5500 rpm.

Beautifully finished inside and out. Looks much, much better in person than in the pictures. Has a purposeful, aggressive stance, yet retains the elegance we have come to expect from the big V12’s. I am particularly happy with the exterior color I picked (Rosso Fiorano).

As usual, the best attributes are the engine and transmission. The engine is an absolute, docile/aggressive gem. Strong at any RPM, crazy strong above 5500 rpm. The transmission is, as usual for Ferrari, just brilliant. Without any doubt the best transmission and the best transmission software in the business. Instant shifts up and down, with just the right amount of thump during aggressive shifts (or seamless shifts at a leisurely pace).

One thing that particularly impressed me it the amount of traction that the F12 has, thanks to the excellent F1 Trac electronic differential and traction control software. Again, easily the best in the business. On a sunny dry day, it can deploy almost 100% of its torque with only limited wheel spin - even in first gear. More importantly, if it does slip, the diff and software optimise the traction so that one is barely aware that anything is taking place, while still delivering ferocious acceleration and keeping you on the road. (Most other traction control software, in other brands, abruptly limit forward thrust, and spoil the experience, so that you are keenly aware that it is intervening to save you from yourself).

Compared to other high horsepower/high torque cars I have had, theF12 hooks up by far the best. As empirical proof, I use an accelerometer on all my cars to baseline how they perform/accelerate in each gear. My benchmark is my 2012 Nissan GT-R (lightly modified) and it delivers just over 1.0 G acceleration in 1st gear, .8 G in second gear and .6 G in third gear. (All measurements are from a roll – not “launches”). The F12 finds enough traction to deliver .9G and occasionally more, in 1st, and match the GT-R in second, third and 4th gear. No other front engine, rear-wheel-drive car I have ever had, was ever able to hook up and deliver more than .8G in 1st gear. None came close to matching the F12 in second and higher gears.

The ride/handling trade-off is also very well handled. Very composed, comfortable ride, and still it corners very flat and very stable. (While not a “track car” as such, due to its stature, size and weight, I have no doubt it could set some very fast lap times if one has access to lots of free tires!).

So as for as the inevitable comparisons to the Spider:

The F12 feels heavier/more substantial and feels much more composed, mature, settled, but also more wieldy. The Spider feels more frenetic, more edgy (in a good way), but more connected.

The F12 is clearly stronger/faster, but the Spider feels more alive, more responsive; gear shifts “feel” quicker (might not be any quicker, they just “seem” more immediate). Driving the two back-to-back, the Spider does not disappoint with feeling underpowered. It provides a sensation of comparable seat-of-the-pants acceleration (although there is absolutely no doubt the F12 would leave it far behind in a straight line).

The F12 sound has a more technical, more complex, more sophisticated sound from the engine, and from outside it sounds more pleasing to the ear. However, from inside, particularly with the top down, the sound of the Spider is intoxicating, and much better resolved than the F12 interior sound. The extensive sound insulation, coupe design, and different tones that make up the V12 sound, results in the 12 cylinder cars sounding quite muffled from the inside. The F12 is the best of the most recent F12s, but still not as thrilling as the V8’s from the inside. (It would be nice to find a way to pipe more of the fabulous outside “wailing” from the V12 to the inside of the car).

If one is blessed with living in a country or region where there are few speed limits, open twisty roads, and benevolent law enforcement, then the F12 will make for a fabulous driving experience. (I can occasionally find those conditions on a Sunday morning drive in the countryside). If however, you spend more time in populated areas, with less than sympathetic law enforcement, you will get more thrills per mile from the Spider. (The 458s are the only cars I have owned that are nearly as exciting to drive at moderate accelerations and speeds, and in somewhat congested areas, as they are flat out (because of the fabulous sound, amazingly agile engine and transmission, and lower gearing-see the speeds in each gear on the attached chart). The F12 can be very thrilling and satisfying, but it needs space and Italian-style law enforcement to be fully exploited.

So in summary – both spectacular cars. Both definitely worth owning. Ferrari continues to be at the very top of its game. A good time to be a car addict!
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To protect the sides of the car from the sandpaper effect of dirt and gravel, (on the road as well as track), in addition to applying 3M film along the rocker panels, I custom make transparent Lexan mud flaps for all my cars.
They are clamped on using a simple screw and clip arrangement. Easily removable and no body paint damage.

 

Blue Oceano.
It is a Maserati special color, that can be specified on Ferraris alsop.