F12 is the most powerful Ferrari ever

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Replacing the 599 GTB, the F12berlinetta is credited with 544kW and 690Nm.

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• Ferrari F12berlinetta in pictures       

Continuing the genealogy of the Testarossa and 550 Maranello and directly replacing the 599 GTB, the new mid-range Ferrari has to be something very special - and it is.

The new F12berlinetta (not called 620 GT as was previously thought) is the fastest and most powerful road car that Ferrari has ever created.

Let’s get straight down to the numbers: Its heart is a mid-front-mounted, naturally aspirated, 65-degree, 6262cc V12 that pushes 544kW and 690Nm through Ferrari’s ‘F1’ dual-clutch transmission to thrust it from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.1 seconds and from 0-200 in 8.5 seconds. Flexible too, the engine can deliver 80 percent of its twist from as low as 2500rpm.

You’ll also reluctantly want to bring it to a stop at some point, right? For this, Ferrari has fitted its latest generation CCM3 carbon-ceramic brakes.

To keep it agile as a pin through corners, the F12 uses a revised version of Ferrari’s magnetorheological suspension control system.

THE KING OF FERRARIS

The design was a joint effort between Pininfarina and the Ferrari Styling Centre.

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And just in case you have any doubt left in your mind that this is the king of Ferraris, the company says it managed to lap the Fiorano circuit 1.23 seconds faster than any other Ferrari road car.

Assuming that economy and emissions matter at all to prospective buyers, the F12 is also said to be 30 percent more efficient than its predecessor and its official CO2 rating of 350g/km is among the best of the supercar fraternity.

This has not just been achieved via engine technology and aerodynamics – tipping the scales at just 1525kg (about the same as a modern mid-sized sedan) the F12 is also 70kg lighter than the 599 that it replaces. This is owed to an all-new space frame chassis and body that use 12 different types of alloy – some even used for the first time on a car.

DYNAMIC EXCELLENCE

Another delightful by-product of this wizardry is that the new supercar is also 20 percent structurally stiffer.

As you would expect, this Ferrari’s design is also centred on dynamic excellence. To keep the dimensions compact and lower the centre of gravity further back in the chassis, designers shortened the wheelbase and put the engine, dashboard and seats in a lower position.

Engineers burned midnight oil in their wind tunnels too, with downforce having been increased by 76 percent and drag significantly reduced to a Cd figure of just 0.299.

And when you’re sick of all the facts and figures and just want to stare at the striking machine, you’ll be glad to know that its exterior design was a combined effort between Pininfarina and Ferrari’s own styling centre.

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