My observations on my F12, tdf, and 812

I have been fortunate to own a string of Ferrari cars, both V8 and V12s over the years.

I am particularly fond of the V12s – there is something very special about a Ferrari V12.

I thought I would share my observations about my most recent v12s -the F12, tdf, and 812SF.

The F12 was a fabulous car. Comfortable, grown-up, sporty yet refined, and very, very fast. It handled well for a big heavy car, but clearly was more GT than sports car. When I got the F12, it instantly became my favorite car of all time. I absolutely loved the power, responsiveness, and sound of the V12 (I had opened up the exhaust and removed some of the soundproofing so I could hear it better from inside the car). Jeremy Clarkson had said the car was too powerful to be enjoyed on the street. I completely disagree. The car was a great car to drive in all circumstances – slow or fast, aggressively or sedately.

The tdf felt like a completely different car. The things I noticed most immediately on my first drive, were how planted/stable the car was from a handling perspective, and how incredibly quickly the transmission shifted, particularly on downshifts. While I found the car to be far more user friendly than the journalists had suggested, there was no question that car had a raw, aggressive feel and sound, and that it begged to be driven accordingly. It was clearly faster than the F12, but it was the way it “felt” that really defined the car, not simply the extra speed/acceleration. I tend to drive my cars quite a lot, and mostly on the street, and while the car is quite streetable, and performs fine in those circumstances, it really begs to be opened up whenever possible.

The 812 feels very much like a newer, faster, more refined F12, and not at all like an evolution of the tdf (this is consistent with what Ferrari intended I believe). The ride and comfort are quite similar to the F12, handling is significantly improved (the rear wheel steering is completely transparent, but very welcome in terms of the improved responsiveness). While it does not give the instant feeling of being “planted” like the tdf did, it is actually a very easy, friendly car to drive briskly. Again, it is far too big and heavy to expect it to drive like a sports car, but it turns in very well, holds the corners, and exits corners incredibly well. In fact, on highway ramps that I usually take at certain speeds with the 458, I quite naturally, without pushing it, am taking those same ramps at speeds that are not quite as quick as the 458, but not far off. So handling is greatly improved from the F12, and far less fidgety than the tdf.

The power at first did not seem to be much more than I recalled from the F12, (particularly in the mid-range), but once you get over 5500 rpm, you realize how much stronger this car actually is. It pulls with a ferocity that is even greater than the tdf. This engine is an absolute gem. Possibly the best engine ever made. Docile at normal speeds, no bucking and restlessness like the Ferrari NA V8 engines at part throttle, yes absolutely ferocious once opened up. The car is worth buying just to experience the greatness of this engine!!

The transmission is the usual Ferrari brilliant double clutch setup. Shifts are very quick, follows all orders to shift up or down (unlike some other cars, eg. AMG, that want to second guess you), and while it shifts incredibly fast and amazingly smooth/tractable at normal speeds, it did not give me the same instant first impressions I had with the tdf, which was immediately noticeable. Probably just tuned to be more docile than the tdf, even though shift speeds are similar - both up and down. On the other hand, the car is an absolute delight to drive in automatic mode (I know that sounds sacrilegious) because it is so well sorted. You just get a sensation of relentless, endless, acceleration with zero interruption every time you pull away from a stop. (Very satisfying to look at the rear view mirror and see how far behind everyone else is, even though you just used a small fraction of the throttle).

The interior is much improved over the last generation. In particular the controls on the wheel, which in my opinion were really unnatural and counter-intuitive on the previous layout, are now much better. The turn signals behave logically. The horn is in the middle where it belong for emergency situations.

Much has been written about the interior looking/feeling cheap, and the exterior not being very attractive. While those are highly subjective, I am very happy with both. The interior on my car is very well put together, and the finish of the painted parts is actually better, and less cheap-looking than the previous generation. The exterior looks elegant, yet serious, with lots of the usual Ferrari aerodynamic details, the profile is quiet attractive, and it is instantly recognizable as a Ferrari GT. This car has possibly the best paint finish of all my cars, and it is a standard color paint – at no extra charge even! (Grigio Titanio). Interior is Bordeaux.

In conclusion, the car is absolutely delightful to drive, both at a sedate or a quicker pace. It feels totally natural and organic. Vey intuitive, yet, very thrilling when you chose to drive it a bit more briskly, and most importantly for any Ferrari, it feels very, very special.

Nice job Maranello!

I have been recording G-force “rolling acceleration in-gear” for a long time. (I lock the car in manual mode, and roll on the throttle in each gear, without downshifts or upshifts, to simulate what a car really feels like when you are driving briskly but not abusing it). I chart it so I can objectively compare the seat-of-the-pants feel from acceleration while just rolling along. No race or jack-rabbit starts. I have attached a summary of the G-forces for a selection of cars I own, or have owned, and you can see how they compare. The most impressive and surprising items on the 812 are the acceleration in 2nd and 3rd gear. Easily higher than any other car I have ever driven.

(Top Gear again said the car had too much power for street use. They are wrong again. Yes, of course one can spin the tires in the lower gears, but at all times the car remains absolutely stable and controllable. The whole point of having high power cars is to give one the driver the option, should they so chose, to break traction, while still being able to enjoy massive controlled acceleration when they call for it. In fact the car has extraordinary traction for a front/mid 2 wheel drive car).

( Having trouble attaching a couple of photos. Will try to do that a bit later).


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I could not figure out how to attach photos from my C Drive in the new format.
Any suggestions?

 

Try again to add photos.
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The interior is actually less "red" than in the photos. Looks quite nice.

 

Hard to choose.
The tdf is clearly the more "exciting" car to drive, but it is also less "street-friendly", so it is harder to just take it out for a spin and just enjoy it.
The 812 is more accessible, less noticeable, hence easier to just go out an have some fun.
So for more frequent enjoyment, I'd say the 812, for the occasional "special occasion" the tdf.

 

Sound:
tdf
812
F12 (with baffles open)
458 sounds amazing, but you have to be in the right mood - since it is quite loud and intrusive. Mine is a spider, so I go from liking its sound the best if I am in an aggressive mood, to disliking it if I am in a more mature mood.
AMG GTR also sound very good. (But in a very deep, American big engine way - not a high rpm screamer like the Ferrari or GT Porsches.)