Having unveiled its most potent production car known as the F12 Berlinetta at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari once again — after some years — had the unenviable task of producing something better than its best. Hence, at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, sticking to its tradition of building amazing V12 engines, the Italian company unveiled the 812 Superfast, its best production car yet.
The 812 Superfast is pretty amazing, and we recently got a preview of an update to the already awesome model. Also, for its automotive significance, we believe that auction bids for the 812 Superfast in the future could put the Italian grand tourer on the list of the most expensive Ferraris in the world. However, before that time comes, here are some details about the Ferrari 812 Superfast worth knowing.
10 Name
Giving automobiles alphanumeric names has somewhat become a trend, and we also saw its adoption in the naming of the Ferrari 812 Superfast. Also, like in most car models that use the style, the alphanumeric names aren't always randomly picked, as most have been found to have deeper meanings.
For the 812 Superfast, the numeric part of the grand tourer's name was well spelled out by Ferrari; the 8 relates to the car's engine output of 800 "cavalli vapore" (Italian for horsepower), while the 12 is the cylinder count, being a V12 car.
9 Design Inspiration
The Ferrari 812 Superfast's design is credited to the Ferrari Styling Centre and was inspired by the F12 Berlinetta — a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer produced by Ferrari from 2012 to 2017. The car also features several newly introduced styling cues which include the quad circular taillights, the full LED headlamps, hood with inbuilt air vents, and a body-colored rear diffuser.
Furthermore, as observed from the two-box high tail styling, the 812 Superfast also borrowed some design cues from the 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
8 Most Powerful Ferrari Engine
Power in 812 Superfast comes from a 6.5-liter F140GA V12 engine with an insane output of almost 790 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 530 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm. With this engine, the Superfast pioneered a completely new level in the history of the Ferrari 12-cylinder engines through its unrivaled sheer power, making the Superfast the new benchmark model in the mid-front-engine car segment.
At 800 cv, the engine’s output is 60 more than the F12berlinetta, making the Superfast the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever built.
7 Fastest Road-Going Ferrari
Ferrari’s goal for most of its projects is so easy to explain — it’s simply to build a better variant of its best products. The hard part is the execution of such a goal, however, Ferrari seems to always have that covered.
Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission produced by Getrag, the 812 Superfast V12 engine can propel it to an incredible top speed of 211 mph and acceleration from rest to 62 mph in less than 3 seconds. This amazing speed capability makes the Superfast the fastest road-going Ferrari, ever.
6 First Ferrari To Adopt EPS
Updates, upgrades, and the launch of new products often allow for the integration of the latest technology in automobiles. That said, the 812 Superfast was the pioneering Ferrari to adopt the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) technology.
Rather than using the conventional hydraulic system of assisting drivers, the EPS employs an electric motor for the function through sensors that detect the position and torque of the steering column, which then triggers the needed assistive torque through the motor when necessary.
5 Good Fuel Economy
For the massive internal combustion and extreme work that goes into making the Superfast such an incredibly fast car, its fuel economy and real-world mpg are moderately impressive. For context, 2021 812 Superfast has an average fuel consumption of 12 mpg within the city while it covers four more miles for the same amount of fuel on the highway.
Although that isn’t bad, it’s however short of what the Superfast rival posted, as the Lamborghini Huracán returns 13 and 18 mpg respectively under the same conditions.
4 Comfortable Interior And Unconventional Controls
The Superfast interior has a few innovative features that set it apart from previous Ferrari models as well as from other conventional cars. On one part, it has a spacious cabin crafted with modern design, great ergonomics, providing comfortable seating for two.
Also, in a bid to make drivers more hands-on and alert during cruises, Ferrari has replaced the conventional steering-wheel stalks with push-button controls in the 2021 model of the Superfast. Notably, these push buttons control the turn signals and wipers.
3 Perfect Weight Distribution
The effect of appropriate weight distribution cannot be overemphasized in cars. Primarily, weight distribution hugely determines how a car handles, and to ensure an even weight distribution while in motion or while braking into a corner, most manufacturers build their cars with a 40/60 weight distribution to the rear.
However, in the Superfast, Ferrari’s approach involves adopting a highly evolved transaxle configuration in which the car’s front-mounted engine is coupled with a rear-mounted transmission for perfect weight distribution.
2 Variant
Ferrari is offering a new variant of the 812 for the 2021 model year. Called the 812 GTS, this car is simply an 812 Superfast with an open roof, and it's literally superfast as well with the capacity to “fly” to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, as revealed during a test.
Also, like the 812 Superfast, the GTS features 20-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and an aromatic leather-furnished interior. The GTS’ cost implication is about $15,000 more than the base Superfast.
1 812 Competizione
The latest version of the Ferrari 812 Superfast has been revealed on the 5th of May. Without much official information about the car before then, enthusiasts have had to rely on spy photos and rumors being regurgitated on FerrariChat forums and social media. But that’s all in the past now as Ferrari has furnished us with all the needed details of the car including its name, “812 Competizione.”
The car was revealed along with a Targa Top version called the “Competizione A” and both are V12-powered with an output of 819 horsepower.