     2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta. Click image to enlarge |
Slowing down to take in the F12 at a rest stop, the Berlinetta – or F12berlinetta, as Ferrari strangely combines the F12 and Berlinetta designation as one word – continues along the design school of restrained aggressiveness that started with the 458. The body avoids big spoilers or the massive intakes for subtler but still performance-enhancing styling cues. Most notable at the front is what Ferrari calls the Aero Bridge, two sheet metal scallops in the hood that lead air under a bridge in the bodywork to behind the front fender to provide more downforce.
Stepping inside, there’s an artful sleekness to the F12’s interior, with performance the overriding theme. That’s especially true if one opts for the carbon-fibre steering wheel with integrated LED rev counter, carbon-fibre seat shells – helping the CF package shed a further 30 kg – and an instrument readout screen in front of the passenger that displays the driver’s speed, rpm and gear choices.
My F12 tester seemed well optioned, but with nowhere near the sumptuously fully loaded finishes of a Bentley. This particular example didn’t have the carbon-fibre steering wheel or passenger tattle-tale screen that displays the speed, rpm and gear readings, but featured more security-oriented front and rear parking cameras. All the materials and surfaces look sleek to the eye and virtuous to the fingertips, with red leather swathed across the dashboard and door panels to match the rosso of the carpets and leather seat inserts.
Out on the twisty mountain roads surrounding Maranello, though the power is triumphant, handling was just a touch less divine. The lovingly chiseled steering wheel helps turn in quickly and smoothly, but there is just a shade of delay there compared to mid-engine cars, to help with comfort and directional stability on the highway. Although the latest generation magnetorheological shocks offer improved response time to its continuous pavement monitoring, with settings adjustable on the steering wheel, it’s hard not to compare the F12 to the brilliant mid-engine 458 Italia coupe we drove around these same roads to this larger and heavier sports car. And there is simply no better or sharper-handling vehicle on the road than Ferrari’s 458.
On the other hand, the F12 is notably more comfortable, with a much larger cargo area, at 320 litres. And it is practical considerations such as this that are key if Ferrari is correct that about a fifth of its owners will drive the F12 daily – which is a high percentage, for a Ferrari.
In the end, the F12berlinetta seems to be a Ferrari for those used to having the best of everything, including multiple examples of the prancing horse machinery. It may not be the prettiest Ferrari, nor the best handling, but its Herculean engine is enough to guarantee its legendary status, no matter how long its actual reign as the most powerful production Ferrari lasts.
