- quite possibly easier to drive around town than 488 - absurdly fast - the sound at the top end is racier - like an XX car - car feels incredibly compact and rigid, similiar to a smaller sports car of 911 type The 812 can IMO not be compared to the F12, it is a completely new experience on a another level. STEERING: The new electric steering offered what we've come to know as lightweight Ferrari steering, but now wanders and darts less on bumpy road surfaces. This is most welcome. Although the steering does not offer the most feel (like a McLaren 570 etc), it suits the overall character and dynamics of the car very very well and otherwise does not differ from the previous models. The gearbox is faster and smoother - noticeably so. Helps transform the usability of the car compared to an F12. The driving aids interfere almost seamlessly, the electronics package is really impressive, and you can easily judge the difference in handling character throughout the Manettino positions. This is something I particularly enjoy as it means each mode has an obvious and noticeable use. From WET to CST OFF. All in all I was left in awe. This is in all objective parameters the best car I have ever driven. I am staggered how accesible such extreme performance has been made. You can feel it even by just gently rolling on the throttle - feeling the enormous momentum of the V12 build speed. The turn in is so stable, and the car plants is self so well on a the road. Yet it does not feel intimidatingly wide on narrow country roads. A few odd quirks: - the automatic wipers seem to reset every time the car is turned off, even though the button is left in A1/2 position? - You seem to be able to dim only the instrument cluster, not the AC screen, or passenger display? - Speaking of illuminated, the wiper selection is not illuminated, making it impossible to actually see what mode the wipers are in at night, without scrolling by memory - parking sensor on demo car malfunctioned - boot didn't close properly - diffusor was mounted incredibly off angle, looked horrible
MisterMaranello - Thank you for your first impressions driving the 812. I am unhappy with your review however, as I was considering buying a lightly used F12, but am now thinking I should, instead, order an 812 !
MisterMaranello many thanks for your informative review of the new 812. Did this 812 have the standard seats or the race seats? Could you give your opinion for the seats?
I can confirm every single word that MisterMaranello wrote. I had the same impressions - as well during my testdrive in Luxemburg 3 weeks ago as during my pilota Ferrari course last week. This is overall more than an evolution of the F12 - it particularly feels much lighter and smaller than it actually is. Even the sound has improved - whereas you sometimes think you need to open the exhaust valves in the F12 - you never think of something like that in the 812. So glad I have one on order - hope to receive it soon...final spec made last week, Re the seats: I can only tell that the (Daytona-)Racing seats fit perfect - as in the former models (458, 488...)
MIster Maranello, Thanks for the detailed review. Since you are an F12 owner I believe your driving observations and comparisons are particularly interesting. The 812 is a very modern piece of kit. Every bit of the car is new and improved. Thanks also for the comments regarding the imperfections. Somehow I think Ferrari has been struggling to iron out these wrinkles. Perhaps this explains the lack of guidance from the factory to the dealers about first deliveries.
What a fantastic write up! Thank you for this. It really is amazing how Ferrari can make such huge leaps. They have clearly "done their homework" with this car. Wow! This makes me even more excited! I suspect some of the issues you discovered can be cured by software. It seems like it might be wise for them to consider a wiper position indicator on one of the screens. As to the rear diffuser, you just have to drive faster and then it straightens out Now I am drooling more at the 812!
Thank you for your impressions. Do you feel that the 812 actually wants to be more a mid-engined kind of car? I got the impression that the V12 sports car has now come to a point where some redefinition might be needed. Maybe in future we see a split into two car categories?
I have now driven the car on dry roads. My impressions are exhausted. This is the first car I almost feel like a passenger, when giving it full throttle. The acceleration, sense of speed, power, sound is overwhelming! For the first time I ever I have left a Ferrari in SPORT mode - as opposed to the 488 which I regularly drive in RACE and CT OFF. The car had Daytona race seats. They offer good comfort, but I would like to try the car with regular seats as well to compare. They were suprisngly hard from what I can remember racing seats have been in Ferraris of past. I feel regular seats in the F12 are up to the job, and give a more GT driving position. BTW: there is a wiper indicator on the left TFT (as there has always been), but as is the case on every Ferrari - the position of the steering wheel blocks it from my sightline.
Thanks for your more extensive review. I only drove (and shortly to be honest) the 812 in "race" mode and thought it was less "angry" than on the 488 regarding suspension and overall response (obviously one can feel the 812 has more power but that's not what sport / race settings are about) so given your comments I wonder whether there is less difference between both modes on the 812.
Thanks for posting your impressions. I understand what you mean when you say you feel almost like a passenger. Exactly the same sensation in the tdf.
I think at this level of performance and speed you really need to be pushing the boundaries - or be on greasy/poor road surfaces - to feel the full extent of difference between SPORT and RACE. CT/ESC OFF is pretty obvious (CT = slip in a straight line / ESC OFF = slip 100%) The gearshift is better in race, it still kicks on downshifts and pulls very smooth and precise on upshifts. In Sport it feels agressive enough yet simoultaneously docile. WET mode slips a little too much between the gearshifts at low speeds IMHO. Otherwise found WET mode an excellent "everyday" mode mainly because of the throttle response. It's really very smooth and predictable in WET (and I assume the aids are working their magic without being noticed) - in SPORT the throttle instantly becomes racier and more nudgy, which is not always desirable especially if you're tired. I can honestly say this is the first time I've felt such a difference in throttle response, perhaps because the car just has so much power. I did not have to opportunity to push the car enough to feel if there was any change in steering response between the Manettino positions. The 812 is a bigger and heavier car than 488 with a different engine layout, so will naturally feel different and more like a go kart. The 488 is so wild, like a rally car, and the top end. Such a hooligan machine. The 812 at speed needs to be tamed, as its a beast by comparison IMO. Otherwise its just a super playful car. I turned everything off and attempted my best Chris Harris impression with the car on some familiar empty roads, and the rear end was super playful. Easy to judge and balance, but the car just builds speed so fast wheen you get the rear end going. Idiots beware...
Appreciate you taking the time to post your impressions! They are very logical and really expected given what we know about the design. A more powerful F12 TDF driver with better control and the edge removed. Unfortunately, it does not make up for the loss of beauty for me.
The design ethos of Pininfarina masterpieces has been supplanted by the servile devotion of Ferrari to the benefits of aerodynamic efficiency in current body designs.
While Pininfarina made some great designs, I am not convinced one could say a design is ugly just because Pininfarina did not made it, nor that a design would have been beautiful just because Pininfarina would have made it. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I agree. Just because a car had the PF badge doesn't instantly make it a classic. But PF did have a certain look- which I usually enjoyed and appreciated. In the case of the 812, I don't think its just a devotion to the dark art of aerodynamics, but also I think its always a case of dealing with whatever criticism there was. The F12berlinetta was free of major criticism- what qualms exist are at the margins: maybe its not the most arresting design of all time, the car can be a little darty at high speeds on the highway. It's not a surprise to me they chose more aggressive bodywork. They really had no choice- aerodynamics or not. Ferrari leads the market place, but they still have to be aware of trends. The trend here is for more aggressive, and also, if they would have made something even more elegant (if possible!) than the F12b, then it would have likely risked being looked upon as "boring". They made the right overall choice. I'm excited to hear about the driving experience as it sounds like an astounding success. I guess they took the FF to an even more GT level with the GTC4 and with the 812, they took the F12b to an even more sports level. It makes sense.
Almost 100% of the time when a designer of this caliber has a result that is relatively undesirable it is because of the customer and not the designer...
Flavio Manzoni has stated that other car companies he has worked for start with the engineering points of the car he is to design. However he said Ferrari is like no other company in that the design is totally aero driven and that complicates his work greatly.
Given the performance of Ferrari road cars, aero must be a top priority. Perhaps, car designers should be taught aero in design school. Then it wouldn’t be viewed as a foreign or irrelevant frustration
Pininfarina house designed the first Ferrari GT in 1953 and since many others carried it’s badge being the last one the F12 Berlinetta. Despite of having designed some less achieved models, the overwhelming majority of Pininfarina house designs were a success and imposed their superlative style as the state-of-the-art in GT and Sports cars marking, clearly, the difference and the gap to all the other sports car brands. No other Ferrari designer will ever achieve in number and success what Pininfarina house was able to. Flavio Manzoni office has a short history designing Ferraris on it’s own and the designs already oscillate in between the ones acknowledge as good, acceptable and very controversial. Sometime ago I prepared a group of prints with the evolution of the Ferrari GT’s across the years and they enable to see the various designs and tendency changes. Since the subject of design was raised I’m pleased to post them again. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you your dates are the right ones and these two mistakes on the dates I discovered them after posting these pictures the first time but never corrected them afterwards.
