Making your opinions and views about cars known on a public forum such as this, can be a slippery slope. Firstly, you will always have those that disagree with you. And being a passionate bunch, petrolheads will very quickly let you know if they think you’re wrong. This, is a risk I accept as a dedicated moto-journo of sorts. I’m always happy to listen to everyone else’s wrong opinions and then tell them what I think.
But recently I have come to realise that there is in fact another risk associated with making your opinions known. You drive enough cars, eventually you will contradict yourself in a big way. Such has been my complete 180 on the Audi R8. A car I hated when it arrived, and have grown to love after spending a weekend in one. So too was my about turn on the subject of manual gearboxes in sportscars, having spent lots of seat-time in some fabulous F1 Ferraris and PDK Porsches to name but two.
And so it has come to pass that a few months ago, I was saying how sportscars have gotten too fast to be fun. The horsepower wars have gone too far and anything with more than 500 horsepower is simply an idiotic display of a Napolean complex.
So, welcome everyone to the best car I’ve ever driven – the 700+ horsepower Ferrari F12. Queue the chants of hypocrisy now please.
A V12 Ferrari will always be a very special car. After all, front engine, V12 GT cars is what old man Enzo always wanted to build. But once you’ve driven one, it makes more sense. There is a noise, smoothness and a response from a Ferrari V12, that you simply can’t describe. Nor will you find it elsewhere. These engines truly are as close to perfection as can possibly be achieved. You can FEEL the size of it when you rev it up, but it responds SO quickly, you would never believe it was possible for a 6.3l engine to spin up so fast! Blip the throttle at standstill and the whole car rocks from side to side from the mighty torque accelerating the crankshaft.
What makes the F12 even more special is the fact that this is the last ever V12 Ferrari, designed by Pinin Farina. The famous Italian design house has been responsible for styling just about every single Ferrari road car before. However, post-F12, Ferrari decided to move all design work in-house. And I must admit, although their cars have been very striking since, they’ve lost something of that delicacy and grace. Don’t get me wrong, the new Ferraris are still great-looking cars, but the Pinin Farina signature look bestowed on Ferraris of old is just missing in my opinion (with the 296 being the exception to that rule).
Inside the F12 is very comfortable. The seats hold you in place without squeezing you. The driving position is near-perfect. The quality of the materials, excellent. It’s still a Ferrari, so figuring out the dual display infotainment system is always going to be a mystery to me. Changing the radio station takes 5 attempts. But then I remembered, I’m in a V12 Ferrari… who needs a radio? Just hit that red start button!
The big V12 briefly sends a violent shudder through the chassis as it bursts into life. A second later it settles into a subdued hum and becomes completely smooth. Push the auto button, flick the paddle-box into first and off she goes. Pottering around the F12 feels so civilised, sophisticated and sedate, it is almost impossible to tell what kind of monster lurks beneath its surface. The gearbox is incredibly smooth, and no matter the gear, the engine always has an abundance of torque.
It’s not a small car, but it doesn’t “FEEL” big on the road. And it certainly doesn’t respond like a big heavy car either. It feels very nimble and light, the steering is very direct and, although slightly over-assisted, the brakes do still retain some feel – something that has become rare on modern cars. The buttons on the steering wheel for stuff like indicators, lights and wipers take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to in fact. Another stark reminder of why I prefer column mounted paddles – when you turn the wheel, nothing is quite where you left it. Frankly though, these practical issues are not what this car is about. Let’s stick it in manual and see what she does.
WHOAH MAMMA! To describe the power and acceleration as violent, simply doesn’t do it justice. The mind boggles how two, admittedly large, contact patches could possibly be capable of sustaining that much force. The F12 slams you back into your seat with the kind of ferocity that takes your breath away! But the truly frightening part is that at lower speeds, the car is still traction limited. In other words, as you go faster and traction becomes less of an issue, it gets faster. It sucks the eyeballs into the back of your head, and simply does not stop doing so until fear gets the better of you and the throttle is closed.
What makes this performance even more impressive is just how manageable it is. In the 599, the F12’s predecessor, you really have to be awake when you step on it. The F12 is just so much more stable it defies logic and, to be honest, the laws of physics. Despite being considerably faster, it is much easier to drive.
But don’t worry, she’s still a proper Ferrari. Yes, it’s much easier to manage than the 599, and gives much more confidence to the driver, but it still dances with you. It’s still a car that likes to move under you and reminds you that YOU still have to drive it. There is a delicacy and eagerness that very few cars with this sort of size and performance can even get close to matching.
Everything in my brain tells me that the F12 is a shameless display of excess. A big, brash statement car, designed to simply scream “hey, everyone, look at me!”. It has far too much power and frankly nothing has any business being this quick on the road… but… I love it. I love the way it feels to drive. I love the way the engine is capable of inflicting serious whiplash injuries. I love the noise it makes. I love the insanity of it all. It makes no sense at all, but I absolutely love this car.