Ferrari F12berlinetta: The world's fastest red - sports cars
La Ferrari he always understood the importance of showing his models. And even the most critical and cynical journalists rarely resist the temptation to attend the debut. Red in service. Half an hour is left before the press conference at the Geneva Motor Show, but all the best seats have already been taken. Hordes of journalists and photographers are elbowing their way to look at three canvases in the center of the booth and a screen on which videos of the world's best hits are filmed. Maranello.
when Montezemolo finally appears - with the usual academic delay and microphone setup as if it were a rock star - a contrived crowd, probably the entire Salon is here. First, he tells us that under one of the sheets is California, 2013 and although it reveals itself in all its glory, Montezemolo assures us that it is now 30 kg lighter and 30 hp. more powerful.
But as beautiful as California is, it is just as transparent compared to the two forms that are still covered and the expectations that focus on them. These are two versions of the new one F12 Berlinetta. Substitution 599 - road faster and powerful, never produced by Maranello. Everyone present has already seen him in official photos and read the specs to scream, but we are all here trying to see him when Montezemolo introduces him: “the first 12 cylinders A new generation Ferrari... It's time to make it public. My pleasure". Assistants step forward, the canvas disappears and ... we have the most radical Ferrari V12 since Enzo.
The F12 Berlinetta represents a major change to the traditional front-engined layout of Ferrari. We must treat this as a whole. supercar for all intents and purposes and with a certain practicality, which is not the kind of GT that devours a kilometer like most of its ancestors. It's smaller than the car it replaces, challenging the unwritten rule that every generation must be larger than the last. Compared to the 599 GTB, the F12 is 63mm shorter, 47mm shorter and has a 30mm shorter wheelbase, but the tight, muscular lines emanating from the Pininfarina pencil seem to emphasize its sleek proportions more than the numbers suggest. It even looks compact on the stand platform. It is 4.168mm and is only 90mm longer than the 458 Italia.
Moreover, not only the size decreases, but also the weight... As we fight our way through the crowd gathering around the cars, Metcalfe and I run into Andrea Bassi, the F12 project manager, who is more than happy to tell us about his new creation.
“The goal was to reduce the weight and move it further back and down and further into the step,” he explains. “The dimensions of the Berlinetta are the result of these considerations, and not a parameter given a priori. Automobile easier 60 kg compared to the 599 GTB due to the fact that it is more compact and also thanks to our efforts on the body, which is completely new. We have used 12 different types of alloys, 2 of which will make their car debut here. "
Berlinetta has space frame и body completely in aluminum assembled using what Ferrari describes as a "completely new" attachment technique. BUT double clutch a seven-speed gearbox contributes to an almost perfect 46/54 weight distribution towards the rear. Ferrari claims 1.630kg and also tells us that the new body is 20 percent torsionally stiffer than the 599.
The F12 Berlinetta has been designed to be used to its full potential. Despite its small size, the passenger compartment is more spacious than the 599. There are sculpted sports seats, and the dashboard is made of carbon and leather with visible stitching, without giving up the three central air intakes that are Ferrari's trademark. There are paddles on the steering wheel and – like on the 458 Italia and FF – the most commonly used controls are on the steering wheel, with the arrows, high beam and starter next to the driver's fingers. Then of course there is a manettino to switch from one mode to another, from "Name" the most daring "Off"... As with the FF, the F12 Berlinetta can be fitted with an optional passenger display with all performance information including current speed and top speed. The F12 also has a boot with a movable bulkhead that absorbs space behind the rear seats. If that's not enough, you can also have a set bags an option that allows you to use every centimeter of the cargo compartment.
But for all this emphasis on practicality and what Bassi describes as “everyday livability,” the F12 is still the expensive Ferrari with the most incredible acceleration of all time. IN V12 6.3 aspirato is a masterpiece of its kind and with its own 740 CV takes the Berlinetta to a whole new level. Ferrari claims 0-100 inches. 3,1 seconds0-200 at 8,5 and a top speed of over 340 km / h. For comparison: in 0-100 acceleration, the F12 is half a second faster than the very powerful Enzo, the most productive road-going Ferrari to date. In the range of 0-200, this interval becomes a full second. Only the Enzo's top speed of over 350 km / h remains unmatched.
“The F12 will be much more dynamic and sportier than the 599,” Bassi assures us. "This is the best option when it comes to performance и lap time... For example, he overtook Fiorano in 1 minute and 23 seconds: this is 3 and a half seconds less than 599, a good shot. And it's not only a matter of time, but also of sensitivity. At the wheel, this car is strikingly different from the 599, it looks more like the 458, it is easier to push it to the limit, touch and evaluate. " There is an army of electronics and new ones as standard. magnetorheological shock absorbers with double solenoids for faster response.
As you'd expect from a car capable of 5km in one minute, the F12's aerodynamics have been as thoroughly studied as the rest of the mechanical package. Every square centimeter of the car's surface contributes to its mega-performance. The most interesting details on the front side: as well asAeromostin practice, these are grooves cut in the cover that allow air that flows forward to be directed to the sides, helping to reduce inertia and increase deportation... At the rear, two elements fall vertically to wrap around the bumper to restrain the flow of air exiting the rear diffuser.
Maranello says the F12 Berlinetta has "the highest aerodynamic efficiency of a Ferrari of all time," with a downforce of 123 kg at 200 km / h and a very low coefficient of inertia: 0,299. But perhaps the most impressive thing is there stability F12 at high speeds without having to resort to fins to stay glued to the ground like rivals do. The Berlinetta also has moving sections, but their function is to direct air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs when excessive temperature is detected.
The promised use also includes consumption minors, especially with an extra package ALL which includes stop-start... The official fuel consumption of 8,5 km / l in the combined cycle, of course, is not listed in the Guinness Book of Records, but almost 20 percent better than the 599. Even Emissions decreased from 415 g / km from 599 to 350 g / km. The huge 92-liter tank guaranteesautonomy 600 km.
There's more? For price we will have to wait, even if there are rumors inside Ferrari that the substantial increase in performance over the 599 is likely to be economically reflected as well.
Considering that the 599 GTB costs 253.393 € 12, the price of the F270.000 Berlinetta with some options can easily reach 300.000 350 € or even 80 XNUMX €. However, according to our sources, more than XNUMX units have already been booked with large deposits, that is, XNUMX percent of “first tier” customers who saw the car before the official debut made an advance to receive it.
Of course, the fastest Ferrari crown shouldn't last long on the F12's head. Apparently, the next Enzo, which will see the light in 2012, will have an improved version of the V12 under the hood.
But this car will have a truly stellar price tag, while the F12 should position itself in a more affordable segment. And despite the front engine and spacious trunk, it can be considered Casa Ferrari's Lamborghini Aventador, with similar power and price. At this point, the question arises: Will the driving experience justify these astounding numbers?
