My blast in the 812 Superfast, however, began with a crawl through narrow village streets.Even as I became more familiar with my thoroughbred steed, I was stuck in traffic, unable to get up to “gallop speed”.
Even then, the 812 impressed with its ability to trundle along at under 70km/h in 7th gear, with the engine barely ticking above 1000rpm. That’s how tractable the 6.5-litre V12 is.
But as traffic sped up, every gap that presented itself became a “yippee ki-yah!” overtaking manoeuvre. Such is the elasticity of the motor’s 718Nm of torque, 80 percent of which is available from just 3500rpm.
The 812 displayed its cornering finesse on the serpentine mountain stretches along the driving route.
The sharpest of hairpin bends, even uphill ones, were dispatched with ease. All I had to do was downshift a gear or two via the paddle shifter, give the throttle a light tap, and the coupe would surge forward with G-inducing surefootedness.
The 812 is wide and low, but still offers good forward and lateral visibility. With the raised front fenders defining the front edges of the car and the wing mirrors acting as guides for the sides, I found it easy to thread my way along narrow Italian streets. For a supercar, the 812 was very manageable.
I was able to drive it in Race mode at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit. Once again, I was blown away by the 812’s straight-line acceleration and cornering agility.
With the electric power steering, 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox and rear-wheel-steering all working in sync, I felt like a racecar driver.
The Lamborghini Aventador S, which also has rear-wheel-steering, is probably a close match to the 812 in terms of performance figures. But on track, the 812’s finely tuned chassis made it feel more nimble than the Lambo.
I never got anywhere near the 812’s handling limits, but Ferrari test driver Fabrizio Toschi certainly did.
I took a “taxi ride” with him and watched as he induced oversteer and drifted out of each corner with surgical precision. Talk about an exhilarating “slide show”.
It may sound clichéd, but Ferrari has managed to create a superlative supercar. As a grand tourer built for both road and track, the 812 has few rivals.
DRIVETRAIN
Type V12, 48-valves
Capacity 6496cc
Bore x stroke 94mm x 78mm
Compression Ratio 13.6:1
Max power 800bhp at 8500rpm
Max torque 718Nm at 7000rpm
Power to weight 490.8bhp per tonne
Gearbox 7-speed dual-clutch with manual select
Driven wheels Rear
PERFORMANCE
0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top speed 340km/h (governed)
Consumption 6.7km/L (combined)
CO2 emission 340g/km
SUSPENSION
Front Double wishbones, magneto-rheological dual-coil dampers
Rear Multi-link, magneto-rheological dual-coil dampers
BRAKES
Front / Rear Ventilated carbon-ceramic discs
TYRES
Type Pirelli P Zero
Size 275/35 R20 (front), 315/35 R20 (rear)
SAFETY
Airbags 6
Traction aids ABS, ESC
MEASUREMENTS
Length 4657mm
Width 1971mm
Height 1276mm
Wheelbase 2720mm
Kerb weight 1630kg
Turning circle 12.8m
BUYING IT
Price excl. COE $1,420,000 (after $30k CEVS surcharge)
Warranty 7 years/unlimited km
+ Fastest production Ferrari, accomplished on road and track, drop-dead gorgeous
– Some ergonomic issues, buyers are put on waiting list
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