The Jeremy Clarkson 812 SF Review

I don't subscribe to The Times, but was wondering what his take on the 812 was?

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-jeremy-clarkson-review-ferrari-812-superfast-cj6v2bk2n

 

I know some people won't like that review but I do.

 

Good read, I've always enjoyed his work.

 

Someone copy and paste please, I don’t want to register.

 

It was a good read (I subscribe just to read his great stuff).. I have screen shotted it for you but last time I saw someone do this on another site they got blasted by the owner of the actually site (who was a member). Hopeful this doesn't happen to me and if this not allowed here mods just remove it.


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I am sure it will upset many, and I am a 812 to be owner, but sort of know what he is getting at .

The size for some is an issue, but the overall dimensions are smaller than a RR Sport and there a lots of those around, he mentions Aston, but a DB11 is longer and only an inch (30 mm) narrower and weighs more, no, the issue is seating position I am thinking, and on 812 and Lusso, you are sat low and far from the nose of the car (for the front mid engine ), and that makes it hard to judge position. But from visual memory, I am not sure a 275 GTB was much different in that regard, but I assume it was 20 to 30 cm narrower/shorter.
Also the test car I think he was given in the UK was an 812(yellow) with the full on race seat (the single piece, some had on the TDF, not the race seat option they use on all cars) combined with harnesses, well that makes for a very extreme GT car, and very impractical . You could not get further from a GT car, and if you are unsure of position and size, being in a full race seat with a harness is going to make any issue far far worse in that regard. You cannot move. Any other ideas ?

As for grand tourer, I get that comment, it is why many FF/Lusso owners I know love those cars and use them and love them, a little less frenetic, but the same comment applies regarding the distance from seat to nose of car. A more user friendly daily use GT would get my vote. Maybe a Portofino is going to be that car, not driven one yet. Or is the FUV going to solve all with a lofty seating position .

A small, lighter, more nimble Ferrari I think most would agree would go down a storm though

 

New safety laws have put an end to smaller lighter, Ferrari has always been v12, v8; cute lighter cars is a
pipe dream , GT means grand touring not go cart racing.

 

The 812 is 8” shorter than the Honda Accord !

 

Probably the worst review of a modern Ferrari I've read. One has the impression that he does not like the brand. From the software bugs to the cheap switches to too much power, etc. He also is not in touch with what mid-front V12 engine Ferrari buyers want and that's always more cowbell and great looks. Pass on the cheap switches though.

 

How would I know I love a car without him crapping on it? He craps on every single car I like, it just confirms it must be brilliant.

 

After having driven the F12 in all kinds of conditions (mountain passes, small villages, tiny streets etc etc) for 1000's of kms I can say he plain wrong. F12 (and 812) shrinks around you and you just dont feel its "size" and yes its smaller than my X1 DD so what BS regarding size!!

 

Thanks

 

You really feel the F12's size and weight once you are on a race track. I love my F12...not a good track car even though it was fun to try for a day.

 

This should be merged into the "is size important" thread.

 

*I wrote this to a friend and I am copying it out of the email I wrote to him, I hope he won't mind.

I find Clarkson often mixes valid criticisms along with some dramatic bombast.

I think he raises two main issues: 1- the front engine Ferrari V12 GT is just too big and uncontrollable to be likable; and 2- Ferrari is trying to appeal to a less desirable type of client these days.

My reactions:
1- I think Clarkson had a Ford GT (2005) and loved that car. So I would like to use it for a comparison and I have to tell you, I do not know the specs (in terms of size) of the GT relative to the F12 and now 812 before I started looking. So for comparison sake: (all from wikipedia)

Length: Ford GT: 182.8 inches; F12b: 181.8 inches; 812SF: 183.3 inches
Width: Ford GT: 76.9 inches; F12b: 76.5 inches; 812SF: 77.6 inches
Height: Ford GT: 44.3 inches; F12b: 50.1 inches; 812SF: 50.2 inches
Wheelbase: Ford GT: 106.7 inches; F12b: 107 inches; 812SF: 107 inches
Curb Weight: Ford GT: 3,351lbs; F12b: 3,594lbs; 812 SF: 3,594 lbs
Power: Ford GT: 550hp/ 500ft lbs; F12b: 730hp/509 ft lbs; 812 SF: 789hp/530 ft lbs
0-60: Ford GT: 3.3sec; F12b: 3.0 sec; 812SF: 2.9 sec

You will already arrived at my line of attack on Clarkson: just look at the size specs- the F12b is 1 inch shorter; the F12b is 0.4 inch narrower; and is basically in the same range of the other stats. Yet, somehow the F12b and 812 are just too large for UK roads, and, the same basic size in the form of the Ford GT is not an issue?
I am sure there are subjective reasons for his opinions on these cars, but then he should say so. *I think @montpellier makes an excellent point of where one sits in the vehicle.

For example, I can tell you I hated driving the 2005 Ford GT because I could not see out very well, and I found the build quality terrible, as well as the handling, which is well known to go from understeer into very rapid (aka “snap”) oversteer.

Now as to point number 2. Perhaps I am wrong on this, I think this is really crying that the sky is blue. Ferrari has sold cars to wealthy people since its inception. And I am sure that when Mr. Ferrari sold only 2-3 cars a year, he was even more selective than when he sold hundreds and then again when he sold thousands. Now they sell many thousands per year. They are bound to be selling these cars as much on their appeal as fashion items as for the race bread technology underneath. However, that technology is there, and if it weren’t it would lose its fashion status. Thus, I see it as “nothing new under the sun”.

As to that purist sports car Clarkson, and others, wish Ferrari would make, well, I have news for them, their cousins have made it. Its called the Alfa 4C, and despite it being a hoot of a drive, the sales are a disappointment. It turns out brands such as Ferrari and Alfa can’t support such a car anymore. Cars such as these are really the province of Lotus and Aerial etc. Even Porsche with its Cayman, the car is really not quite that back to basics sports car that the 4C almost is and that Lotus does make.

So, if Clarkson wants a smaller car with circa 300hp, it would be quite easy, just a visit to his friendly Alfa dealer. And it even comes in “Ferrari red” ………

 

It amazes me that people take Clarkson and Co. seriously...

 

I don't take Clarkson seriously, he is irrelevant and his reviews of cars border between idiotic and poor attempts at comedy. I can see him sitting at his laptop, drinking a pint, smoking a cigarette, stuffing his obese frame with Shepard pie and trying his hardest to contort phrases to make him sound funny, and relevant.

I have an F12...I have put over 12K miles on it in all weather conditions and road surfaces, from going to dinner with Wife to racing around on back country roads...pure and simple Clarkson's words aren't worth the paper they are printed on, or the precious minutes of life reading them.

 

My take is Clarkson feels the car is too big and heavy, and compensates for those flaws with fabulous engineering and a state of the art V12.

I think he's right. The F12 when placed on independent scales has a curb weight of over 4000 lbs, or about 450 pounds more than Ferrari's official spec. That's very typical for Ferrari. I suspect the 812 weighs about the same.

Does that mean the F12 and 812 are not great cars? No, I don't think so. But it does mean that those who value compact dimensions and lower weight in a street sports car may not rate them as highly.

Bottom line is that the 812 is a great, expensive GT. It's not a pure sports car like, say, a Porsche GT3, a Speciale, or a McLaren 675 LT (and even these are larger and heavier than they need to be for some people).

Horses for courses basically.

Best.

 

Someone tell me what is a “street sports car”.

 

I do not even know what an Antonov full of purple Lambo’s and G-Wagons means. Do I need to get one before taking delivery of our 812 or should I wait until after?

And what if I don’t want to go to London?


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Clarkson is spot on.

 

488 Challenge = track sports car.

Porsche Cup car = track sports car.

488 coupe or spider = street sports car.

Porsche GT3 = street sports car.

812 = GT car.

Aston DB 11 = GT car.

Get it?

Lesson over, school's out..........

 

I like Clarkson but he is a bit confused.
He wants a small and light, 4cyl. sports car with about 300HP.
Alfa made one recently and somehow he was not interested in buying one, most of the public wasn't either and the poor thing languished on the dealer lots.

 

Sport means competition what kind of street competition are you thinking of ..

 

Having spent a lot of time in London I understand what Jeremy is conveying but it’s borderline racist.

He’s snobing against middle easterners who load up their private planes with their tricked out and flashly decorated exotics and rip past Harrods near Mayfair for 10 seconds at a time at late hours.

Personally I love cars and car people and enjoy the culture. Tremendous car and people watching esp at Dorchester. Just fantastic.

Clarkson comes off as an old school spoiled white man. Quite pathetic.