F12 High speed Impressions

Over 200mph and ANY road car at that speed isn’t feeling great.


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353 km/h (= 211 mph) on my way back from a track day at Spa-Francorchamps in September
on a sufficient long straight on a german motorway no real problem to go that speed and no issues concerning the stability of the car
despite the general issue of driving on public roads together with slower cars you cannot predict what they are going to see and do...

 

The first time I tried my F12 at "high" speed was in a track that was used for formula 1 racing and on the long straight the maximum speed I could achieve at the 200 meter breaking mark was 260 Km/hour (160 MPH). On this track the formula 1's arrive at the 100 meters breaking mark at 300 KM/hour (186 MPH). The F12 on this straight feels completely under control and because the tarmac surface is good I felt no vibration but the down force is already noticeable. In this particular track because the curve after the long straight is normally made in 1st gear, the full breaking power of the F12 was put to test at the end of the straight and the car always responded without hesitation.
After that track experience, I've hit the 320 Km/hour (199 MPH) mark just twice on a very long straight in a motorway that has almost no traffic and therefore is safe for that king of experience. The first time the F12 was equipped with Pirelli PZero tires and the second already with the Michelin's PSS it has now. At this speed the difference from the Pirelli's and the Michelin's I found it to be huge, because with the former the chassis vibration felt much more intense than with the later and don't ask me why but the MPSS inspired much more confidence. One thing that is very noticeable at this high speed is the down-force and the F12 feels really compressed against the road giving a sensation of complete control. The incredible thing about the F12 is how fast it reaches these high speed and the acceleration seems linear without any interruption like an airplane when is taking off.

 

This is a typical phenomenon with worn tyres (if properly balanced) and not an attribute of a tyre brand or another.

 

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Got to ~165 mph on banking at Daytona Raceway. Car was solid and planted. The experience on the high banking was very unnerving however.

 

Not sure because the Pirelli's had less than 4.000 Km…………...

 

Tyres can be damaged a lot sooner than that. Then again there is the possibility of a defective tyre or rim.

Personally I have never felt that any of these cars is darty. You just need to keep your wits about you at those speeds and be gentle with the steering wheel.

 

I saw 170 mph before braking on back straight. Best I felt comfortable with on high banking was 125 mpg and I agree that is was very uncomfortable. Possibly vertigo? Driving a 488 GTB bty.


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Driving on an Italian highway I hit about 145 MPH (233 KPH) - there were a few going even faster! - and I felt the car got a little bit "darty" / required constant small steering corrections. However the road was somewhat bumpy and I think that played a role. I felt this beginning around 130 and I decided 145 was about as far as I wanted to go. When sweepers appeared I would slow to about 130. Back here in the US I don't go anywhere near those speeds and would rarely go beyond the high 90s and the car always feels stable and confident inspiring.

I've driven on high banked ovals (Charolette Motor Speedway) and it is very weird until you acclimate. Then it all works.

 

Get the car aligned and properly balanced, check ride height too. That sounds a whole lot like too much lift, try to lower the front ride height if nothing helps. Or get it to some good suspension guy to make a geometric alignment.

 

That's always good advice. And it really could be just our roads- even the road material. I found it to be quite different in Italy from the US and in some circumstances the difference in grip was very apparent.

 

Sounds to me that you are not used to this kind of speeds. Also the suspension tuning might have hurt high speed stability (n favour of nimbleness). Just saying...

 

Well, I would check again just to be sure, because the f12 has light steering, but I never felt it insecure or 'light'. This light that you mention, especially at high speeds is lift, that's an alignment issue because at most you just feel the car become more stable at speed, not the other way around, probably try to not grab the wheel white-knuckle style, try feather fingers.

 

Bugatti are an exception to that. Seriously.

 

Your description echoes my brief experience.

 

Twice while on 200 MPH barrier I maintained that speed for several minutes and the feeling I had is exactly the opposite of what you mentioned. The F12 steering didn't feel light at all nor heavy either but the car felt completely glued to the road and I presume that can only be the down-force aerodynamical effect. At that speed steering has to be done with great delicacy and because everything happens so fast concentration on the road and alertness needs to be 100%. Because the F12 has such a good drivetrain and aerodynamics, it really transmits great confidence at very high speed and isn't uncomfortable which makes the task of driving it not a stressing one.

 

Wow...where were you able to do this, Autobahn?

 

On a motorway with little traffic and very long straights…………..

 

Wow, I'm sure I will start backing down once I hit the mph I want to reach. At most I'll be there no more than 30 seconds before I start chicken out.

Things that worry me the most at high speed are tire failure and deers. For speed like that, make sure the tires have never been repaired and are in great condition.

 

157 mph on an airport strip. Car felt planted and no issue
150 mph on a country road and ESC came on with some wobble which scared the crap out of me.
Tracked it at Sonoma. Scared the hell out of me on track (mainly my weakness but I know a few other track guys who tried f12 on track and they had same impression as me).
If you try launch control the nose will lift just as you launch. It can feel pretty daunting the first time you use.

Overall feeling; f12 is pretty stable and puts down the power pretty easily. Normally you don't go these speeds in any car and definitely don't do it consistently so it's pretty difficult to compare from one car to another.

 

I would double check. Plus if the car feels too light at high speeds the suspension isn't set up properly, steering is quick but it's not that scaring. What's your toe and camber? Can you post a picture of the car on profile? Did you lower it with springs? I know a few people that own f12, I drove one of these f12 more than once not to 200mph but pretty close 250-300 for a long time, never felt anything close to what you describe, actually the opposite, the more speed, the better it felt.
Did you look up all the holes and aero bits and the undercarriage?

Edit: You could check tire pressures, or if they have any bulge, who knows. And please double check your alignment and tell what you said here to your suspension guy, that's literally their whole job, to make a car handle to the wants of the driver.