Is the f12 a great GT.

Patrick you shouldn't have the slightest doubt that the F12 Berlinetta is still a great GT despite of the fact that was first launched back in 2012. You count with less than the fingers of one hand the road GT's that can even compare with the F12B and very few drivers have ever the opportunity and ability to explore the limits of this car. The F12B is a very fast and powerful GT but when you're driving it below 4000 revs/minute around town or on the road or motorway, is a relaxed car that gives the sensation one is seating inside a BMW. However when you press the accelerator to the bottom you have on your hands an extremely wild "animal" whose great V12 engine responds instantaneously without any lag. Driving the F12B on back roads with curves is a real pleasure. The very direct steering is a joy to handle and enables to position the car exactly where we want it to be. At very high speed curving using the first three mannetino positions the car stays glued to the tarmac. On the motorway and if there is no speed limit honestly the F12 has no limits. There when you press the accelerator down on a straight the car accelerates and accelerates like a jet taking off and you are only able to notice a very slight interruption of the process when you reach around 330 Km/hour but, even then, the car continuous accelerating to 340 Km/hour and even higher speeds.
Don't hesitate, buy the F12B because you wont find now any other GT car that can deliver so much for the price.

 

Welcome to Fchat

I'm a bit puzzled about your question.

What do you mean when you ask if it can handle the journey? Do you mean if it's comfortable enough as a GT and good enough as a sportscar? Yes to both. It's a wonderfully split personallity car. One important thing. Make sure the car is fitted with MPSS rubber and not the useless, harsh and noisy PZeros.

If you're asking if it's mechanically capable of that journey, yes. I take it, it will be your first modern exotic? The times of unreliable and moody exotics are long gone. These cars work and are very reliable and durable. Only thing you should do is change the battery. It's not the cars fault, Ferrari have for some odd reason simply chosen to use the worst quality battery on the market. Get a good quality battery in there - it's a must, especially if you plan on parking the car without a battery tender.

Good luck with the purchase

 

Short answer: YES!

Longer answer: the only time I felt uncomfortable in the F12 is on highways that have a lot of chop in the pavement- lots of rapid up and down movement for the tires/ suspension/ over and over. I would call it "washboard" type of roadway. This caused my F12 to "porpoise" more than I would like.

Depending on road surface, you will find the power either fairly easy to deploy or a little bit tricky. Where I live the roads are generally sticky enough that I never had much problem deploying the F12 power.

 

Agreed. I think that's the only real caveat of the F12. The suspension is too busy - like there's too much spring for the damping rate.

 

Many stock Ferrari suspensions need professional calibration and even proper spring rates. Just like other performance machines including motorcycles. Must be performed by an experienced suspension specialist with the correct equipment and 4-corner balanced. Performance can be similar to the VS versions but with potentially an even more likable setup.

 

Very true.

But what really puzzles me, is how they can really nail it on the 488 as well as on the 812, and at the same time get the spring rates so wrong on a car like the original Cali which had a dreadful suspension setup from factory. The F12 is far from as bad in this regard, but it definitely needs a bit of help to be 100% up to snuff.

One would just think the same people whom set up the 488, FF and 812so well, could have done the same with the F12.

 

I'm convinced that we can't blame only the suspension setting because according to my personal experience tires also have an influence. Once in a while I go and test my F12 on a motorway section that has a road surface with some chop like Jerry (Caeruleus11) explained "caused my F12 to "porpoise" more than I would like". Initially when my F12 was equipped with the Pirellis Pzero tires that "porpoise" effect as well as an unpleasant vibration I hated, were always felt quite strongly at speeds above 300 Km./hour. After changing the tires to the Michelins PSS the first time I took the car again to this motorway section and drove above 300 Km/hour, I was very surprised with the results. The so called "porpoise" effect was much less noticeable and the unpleasant vibration of the past had almost disappeared. Since I've repeated this high speed experience several times with the MPSS tires and the truth is that the road always felt with less chop than in the past when the tires were the Pirellis.

 

Yes. Very fast steering and something you will notice if its been a while since you've driven it. Basically a wrist action type of affair which takes some getting used to. One you do its one of the best traits of the car.

 

Yes.
As,Solid State said, the F12 has a super fast steering, and it is also very light.
Some like it, others not so much. Personally I think the F12 has the fastest steering ever fitted to a Ferrari, and it is a tad much. Glad they dialed it back a notch on the 812.

Generally Ferrari is known for their fast and direct steering. Nothing else is like it and that's what makes Ferrari special.

 

Direct steering is very nice on tracks - because even for the hairpins you can keep the hands on the same position on the wheel. I've been told that some Porsche owners install more direct steering on their GT cars for track use (while one would assume these GT cars are designed for such use) while it's never a requirement for modern Ferrari.

 

Can I assume “super fast steering” means very responsive?
Would this be the equivalent of the rear axle steering option I have on one of my Porsche’s ?

 

I would not say that, direct steering does nothing in itself against understeer - it's just the steering ratio, i.e. how turning the steering wheels corresponds with turning the front wheels. Front engined V12 Ferrari typically have some tendency to understeer, but the way to counter it is not to apply more turn but rather to turn under braking (obviously it's been continuously improved from the 550 to the F12). On the other hand, one needs to adapt to direct steering because what would be on another car a small correction while going straight will be a "turn request" for a car with direct steering...
To improve agility, the F12 TdF introduced rear wheel steering, which has been carried over to the 812.