Ferrari 812 Superfast Is a 789 HP, V12 Supercar Masterpiece

Maranello’s successor to the Ferrari F12 berlinetta looks likely to live up to its bold name.

byWill Sabel Courtney|
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If you give a car a name like "Superfast," it better be able to back up those claims. But it doesn't seem likely anyone will consider the new Ferrari 812 Superfast anything but extremely, extremely quick—not with the most powerful engine every screwed into a regular production F-Car lying beneath its long hood.

Most of the reports we heard about the new Ferrari from potential owners appear to have been borne out: the 812 Superfast does indeed use a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12, tuned to deliver 800 metric horsepower (which works out to 789 American ponies) at a lofty 8,500 rpm. The new Ferrari makes a maximum of 530 pound-feet of torque, 80 percent of which has shown up to the party by 3,500 rpm. The dual-clutch gearbox fires off shifts faster than the F12 berlinetta that came before it, too. 

The 812 Superfast is indeed the first Ferrari to use electric power steering, which Maranello says makes the car's incredible performance easier to harness by working in concert with Side Slip Control 5.0 (a.k.a. Ken Block Mode). And, as expected, the new supercar uses an updated version of the rear-wheel-steering system seen in the F12 TdF

The Ferrari 812 Superfast moves from Pininfarina to the carmaker's in-house studio

The performance stats may not be a matter for concern, but the styling might divide Ferrari fans. Ferrari's in-house design center has massaged nearly every one the Pininfarina-designed F12 berlinetta's sleek lines, adding style elements that update the car's looks while enhancing aerodynamics. The new front fascia and the C-pillar both integrate thin air flow elements, designed to help the fluid medium stream around the 812 Superfast at high speed. We at The Drive will reserve judgement until we see the 812 Superfast in person at the Geneva Motor Show, but until then, we'll just say that it's good to see four taillamps on the back of Ferrari's two-seat V12 again. 

Inside, the car has been updated much less obviously, but the tweaks remain. There's a slim passenger's-side display there to terrify any spouse who wants to peep at the car's speedometer; a new instrument cluster much like the one in the 488 Italia, which plops two configurable screens on either side of the massive analog tachometer; new standard seats; and a new steering wheel to wrangle the car's massive power and grip with. It's sleek and more futuristic than the unit it replaces...much like the 812 Superfast overall. 

As for the new Ferrari's name...

If you've been wracking your brain trying to figure out the "812" part of the name: From what we hear, the 8 stands for "800 metric horsepower," while the 12 stands for "12 cylinders." Go figure.

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