Ferrari 812 Superfast

This article was originally produced on 16 March 2020, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

Days when the heart rate increases can be due to various things, such as an Italian high-revving engine with twelve cylinders. Today is one such day when I stand with the keys in my hand to a Ferrari 812 Superfast.

If you are a little knowledgeable about Ferrari models, you can easily follow the family tree of the various models. Like, for example, that the latest F8 Tributo harkens back to Magnum's 308 he drove in the TV series of the same name. In this line we also find other models such as 355 and 430 to name a few. These are all fitted with a mid-mounted V8 engine.

If we look at the previous models in the family the 812 Superfast belongs to, we find, among other things, the 599 and before that the Daytona 365 and the outrageously expensive 250 GTO. Common to this type of Ferrari model is a front-mounted V12 engine. There are a number of other examples within Ferrari's model range, but we don't have the space to go into them here. The 812 Superfast replaced the F12 Berlinetta and was first shown at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2017. The production-ready car reached the first customers in 2018.

The feeling of having just collected a Ferrari from the factory in Maranello is of course very special. The feeling that arises when you do it on a day when the weather is more like Gothenburg than Italy is also special, but in a completely different way. Especially because the 800 horsepower is distributed exclusively to the rear tyres and a price tag of over three and a half million SEK. If this was back in the days when cars didn't have traction control, I'd probably have left the car alone for me, my finances and the sake of the car. Fortunately, Ferrari has developed something that allows you to take a car like this out in the rain and snow and not jeopardise your life and financial future. Among the driving programmes that can be accessed via the switch on the steering wheel is one called "wet", which is intended for wet surfaces. Here we also find other programmes designed for the track or if you want to take full responsibility and turn everything off completely. The factory has been kind enough to already set the wet mode and even gives me a discreet but friendly recommendation to start in this. Without hesitation, I follow the factory's advice and start up the car with the big red start button. The 6.5 litre V12 engine wakes up and the sound of the four rear pipes even drowns out your thoughts.

The performance of the 812 Superfast is slightly bizarre. As the name suggests and as mentioned earlier, it has 800 horsepower and 718 Newton metres of torque. This means that you can go from standstill to 100 kilometres in just 2.9 seconds. The top speed is over 340 km/h and unfortunately not something I have the opportunity to explore on this rainy day. The route I intend to evaluate the car on goes over the Abetone pass which is about an hour's drive south from Maranello. It is here on the winding road up to the pass that I really get the opportunity to experience what wet mode does. Despite the massive power on the wet surface, I still feel in control but at the same time not hindered by the car's systems. You can drive really actively and still have full control despite the surface. Incredibly impressive and something Ferrari worked hard to achieve.

The rain stops falling and the road dries up slowly but surely, by the afternoon the road is completely dry and I feel comfortable behind the wheel and dare to push the car and my own limits further. If one were to try to compare the 812 Superfast and its power and behaviour, a machete but with the precision of a scalpel intended for brain surgery would be appropriate. Despite a relatively long wheelbase and bottomless power, it's easy to handle even on the tightest corners with steering that gives you 100 per cent control at all times.

The 812 Superfast is a so-called GT model that stands for Gran Turismo. Models originally intended to travel long distances quickly and comfortably. The 812 Superfast does this in a way that will make you never want to get on a plane again no matter how far you are going. You literally sit like a king in the 812 Superfast despite the cupped sports seats in alcantara. The car's infotainment system is of the highest quality and so that the passenger does not get tired, there is a display in front of it where you can follow the car's performance in real time and control some of the car's functions. Thanks to relatively good packing possibilities and with the advantage of a specially ordered kit with bags from Italian Schedoni, the 812 Superfast is a perfect car to travel with. What you need to consider in addition to the high purchase price is that the V12 engine is not your bank card's best friend. The consumption when driving a little more actively quickly exceeds the joint consumption of a couple or three ordinary cars. There is no need to speculate that this type of engine will not last forever and the successor to the 812 Superfast will probably have an electrified powertrain of some kind. Without hesitation, I am convinced that it will also be something in the way of a horse, but as lively as this machete intended for brain surgery, I still find it hard to believe. The 812 Superfast will live on for a long time as one of those incredible cars only a few get the pleasure of living with.