The F12 berlinetta is the most evolved, most powerful version of Ferrari’s classic front-V12 and rear-drive sports-car format ever created.

The engine is a development of the 6.3-liter V12 introduced last year in the four-seat, all-wheel-drive FF, whipped harder to deliver more power. Maximum outputs are stunning: 731 hp at 8,250 rpm and 509 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. That’s 60 hp more than the 6.0-liter V12 of the 599 GTO.

The F12 berlinetta has a rear-mounted seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, designed to deliver that power and torque without the hiccups of the 599’s single-clutch six-speed transaxle. The seven-speed unit is an evolution of a component introduced in the FF. Ratios have been changed for F12 berlinetta duty.

With an all-aluminum chassis tightly wrapped in aluminum panels, the F12 berlinetta is 150 pounds lighter than the 599. It’s also slightly more compact. Although more than two inches lower and almost an inch narrower than the 599, the F12 berlinetta still has ample room for two tall passengers and a practical amount of luggage. Careful aero tuning endows it with a drag coefficient a whisker below 0.30.

Active front-brake cooling flaps, which open only when the front discs are hot, boost aero efficiency. Curved channels carved into the hood lead to the distinctive fender “aero bridge” feature. With the rear “blown spoiler,” which tailors air pressure around the car’s tail by connecting the rear wheel wells to mesh-covered vents on either side of the luggage compartment liftback, the aero bridge creates stabilizing, high-speed downforce.

Although the F12 berlinetta laps the Fiorano circuit quicker than any other road-going Ferrari ever produced, the company’s engineers aimed to make its elite athlete’s ability accessible rather than intimidating. That’s a seemingly impossible objective to reconcile, but with improved hardware–such as the latest generation of magnetically variable dampers–plus more processor power and better software for its multitude of electronically controlled systems, they believe they’ve done the near impossible.

designer: pininfarina
producer: ferrari
period: 2012