AUTOMOTIVE NEWS: Ferrari 812 Superfast, Bids Farewell to the Naturally Aspirated Engine & Rids I
With the introduction of Ferrari's latest front engined V-12 supercar, we can happily bid farewell to the sloth inspired transom of the outgoing F12 Berlinetta. Although a true powerhouse, the F12, with its goofy back end (that made me shake my head and cringe every time it grumbled away) can joyfully be backed-up into a garage so we can welcome Maranello’s fastest, most powerful and last (so they say) naturally aspired production car ever, the 812 Superfast.
Designed in-house, the 812's fastback's design harkens to the 1962 250 GTO and 1966 275 GTB Competition with a slight Zagato touch. Every crease, inlet and bulge have been painstakingly crafted with aerodynamics in mind. Substantial downforce gains have been cleverly achieved through striking vents behind the front wheels designed to suck high-pressure air from the wheelarches and then channel it along the doors. The rear diffuser includes a suspended splitter that increases the diffuser surfaces by turning them into bi-plane wing, allowing the air to be drawn between the lower diffuser and the splitter. All this has been done by implementing Ferrari's Mobile Aero Solutions. Either mechanically activated (active mobile aerodynamics) or activated by the pressure of the air itself (passive mobile aerodynamics), the 812 guarantees very low drag values. At the rear, we have the joyous return of the classic four round tail-lights that emphasize an imposing muscular stance without reminding us of any Proterozoic Age creature.
The challenge Ferrari tackled with the 812 Superfast was to design the most powerful road-going engine in the marque's history whilst contemporaneously cutting fuel consumption and emissions, and naturally, retaining the inimitable Ferrari 12-cylinder soundtrack. It carries a 6.5 liter V12, good for 800hp or123hp per litre, when you rev the engine to 8,500 rpm. Max torque is 530 pound-feet, all of it pushed to the rear wheels. Zero to 60 mph comes in just 2.9 seconds; top speed is 211 mph.
A truly magnificent beast, no doubt. One of whom I wanted to speak to at a greater length, due to its ending an era for Ferrari but alas, because of White House shenanigans, a new "Exposé" is in the works. I will leave you though, with this thought:
Let's hope that with the soon to be revealed McLaren BP23 hypercar, McLaren sheds the styling antics of "Men in Black" monsters and gets back to designing & making a truly spectacular car that appropriately honors its F1's past.
Exposé VII: The Smoking Gun
Trump Jr. does something silly with Russia ... it's time for Jared to shine!
More to come in this continually enthralling tale of backroom plotting...
