Ferrari 812 Superfast 2018 Review

Ford GTHO Phase III, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari 812 Superfast…

In years to come, you cannot help but think Ferrari’s latest V12-powered supercar – and possibly the last of a long lineage – will be remembered as one of those era-defining vehicles that remain firmly etched in our psyche.

With a name like Superfast, how can it afford not to be?

The Ferrari 812 Superfast arrives in Australia packing some serious heat. Its 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 offers outputs that are unmatched by any other production-spec Ferrari (limited-run LaFerrari excluded): 588kW and 718Nm.

For sheer reverence, we’d like to point out that’s 800 metric horsepower in the old money – and the ‘8’ in the 812 nomenclature equation. The 12 denotes those bustling cylinders up front.

And super-fast it is: Claimed performance figures are 0-100km/h in a 2.9 seconds, 0-200km/h in an equally fearsome 7.9 seconds and a speed ceiling of 340km/h.

With those figures, the Ferrari finds itself in an ultra-elite group that includes the Lamborghini Aventador S, Bentley Continental Supersport and Porsche 911 GT2 RS – some of the fastest vehicles to wear numberplates in Australia.

The Maranello export’s prodigious pace is matched by a price tag that few other cars can compare with, either: $609,888 (plus on-road costs) – a figure that will happily blow out to $900,000 on the road when you take in our tester’s extensive options catalogue.

But for all its superlative performance and eye-watering price, it is the Superfast’s broader skillset – the comfort and amenity of an everyday tourer – that truly sets it apart.

It is no mere hyperbole.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast may present as a re-hashed version of the brutal F12 Berlinetta, but according to Ferrari there is only 25 per cent commonality between the pair.

The Italian car-maker purportedly set about creating a successor whose limitations were more accessible, as opposed to the razor-sharp F12, which arrived at its grip purchase all ragged and edgy.

Mechanical highlights of the F12 replacement include four-wheel steering and electrically-assisted power steering, a first for Ferrari. The engine’s capacity increases from 6262cc to 6496cc — a move the endows the 812 with an additional 44kW and 28Nm.

As before, the powerplant sends drive to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Ratios have been shortened by about six per cent, while upshift-downshift times are said to have been sharpened by 30 per cent.

The entire package is wrapped in an aerodynamically-shaped body work complete with an active diffuser that allows the 812 to slice through the air en route to its heroic maximum velocity.

Kerb weight remains unchanged at 1630kg.

Inside, the Ferrari 812 Superfast takes in the latest mod-con tech: Apple CarPlay, satellite-navigation, digital display screens and climate control.

However, the functions are integrated in a streamlined way that shows unequivocal preference for the driver.

Most functions are contained within two digital instrument displays positioned in front of the steering wheel, either side of an oversized analogue tachometer.

Both displays are shrouded by plastic aviation-inspired air-vents that hopelessly fail in matching the reams of surrounding quality Italian leather, a small disappointment given the financial outlay.

Happily, the Ferrari 812 Superfast avoids ridiculously low-set seats or narrow door apertures. It is a cinch to get in and out of, and still manages to offer an excellent driving position and outward vision. There’s even a centrally-mounted cupholder!

A large boot opening gives way to adequate luggage space for a couple of overnight bags, reinforcing the car’s grand tourer appeal.

Of course, an exotic Italian supercar wouldn’t be complete without a long list of options, and the Ferrari 812 Superfast delivers in a big way: a $52,937 paint job, $10,000 wheels, $9981 parking cameras and $2715 titanium wheel bolts to name a few.

Clearly, there are no limits to making ‘your’ Ferrari distinctive. At least you get seven years of servicing included in buy-in.

First thing’s first: the Superfast’s engine is vintage Ferrari. It starts and idles with presence and theatre akin to an Italian orchestra, with no turbochargers or sound enhancement to dull the experience.

Tug on the fixed right-hand steering paddle, the Superfast gently slots into first gear before slotting tentatively away from the line, trying in earnest not to bind or lurch despite the engine’s surfeit of riches.

From this point, the low-speed experience is incredibly… docile. The engine purrs along happily below 2000rpm, and the seven-speed automatic gently slurs through the ratios in a bid to maximise fuel economy. On several occasions we look down and the car is sitting in seventh gear at 40km/h.

The 812’s exhaust valves open at about 3500rpm, instantly liberating more vocal potential from the extraordinary V12, previewing what is yet to come.

Elsewhere, the electrically-assisted power steering transfers less road interference through the steering wheel than before, and is lighter at the same time, while the car’s adaptive dampers take the edge of B-grade country roads, particularly when set to ‘bumpy road’ setting.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast packages the latest 5.0 version of Ferrari’s Side Slip Control (SSC) electronic safety suite. At low to middling speeds, the system is never really called into action, but upon exploring the accelerator pedal, the system becomes invaluable.

Upping the 812 for the rent often requires forward planning, such is the ferocity in which it gathers speed. We discover this upon our first full-tilt blast, on a damp road surface on the picturesque Barrengarry Mountain, which meanders into stunning Kangaroo Valley.

Our videographer on the day has just requested a pass best described as enthusiastic. I duly oblige, tipping the Superfast into the slightly off-camber hairpin, before proceeding to gently bury the accelerator as I unwind lock.

With the steering wheel-mounted Manettino dial switched to Sport, the result is… wheel spin, followed by swift intervention from the stability control suite, which admirably chimes in before things turn awry.

It all happens very quickly but controllably, the 812 still managing find forward drive despite protesting from the surface underneath.

The same sequence is repeated, this time in wet mode. The difference could not be starker, the SSC suite making benign but measured adjustments to balance slippage with speed. The 812 blasts forward without threatening to snap sideways.

Brilliant.

And that in itself helps define the 812 Superfast. It should be super-scary, but it’s not. Granted, it’s stupid-fast, but in a controllable way.

Upon getting your head around the speed, sound and theatre, it drives with a real composure that feels well up to the measure of fast road driving. This Grand Tourer would feel right at home at a track.

The steering now observes an element of lightness because of its underlying hardware change, but is nonetheless direct and accurate. Body control is well balanced between performance and comfort, and the carbon-ceramic brakes are unflinching from high speed.

But those features ultimately pale against the engine, which is central to the 812’s appeal. What a thing; 80 per cent of peak torque materiales from 3500rpm, en route to spine-tingling 8900rpm cut-out.

The naturally-aspirated V12 is a veritable exclamation point on internal combustion engines. It revs freely and honestly, cultivating its power in a way that excites you as much as it frightens you from losing your licence.

Our only real mechanical hiccup with the Ferrari 812 Superfast comes in the form of a flat battery, a result of the car sitting idle in the garage for three days (let’s be honest, would you risk driving the thing if it wasn’t totally necessary?).

Other than reminding me that I should really invest in a trickle charger, the experience highlights that this could be the last of Ferrari’s true naturally-aspirated V12s. One whose reliance on electricity is limited to turning over the starter motor.

Gazing into the crystal ball, this is surely a high-watermark in Ferrari’s history. A car that will define an era. One thing’s for sure: this one certainly lives up to its name.

How much does the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast cost?
Price: $609,888 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.5-litre V12 petrol
Output: 588kW/718Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 15.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 340g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested