The New Ferrari F1 Berlinetta

When you think of sporting car perfection more often than not you think of Ferrari. For generations this Italian manufacturer’s name has been synonymous with quality, high end design and of course, that show off shade of red that draws all attention to their brilliant vehicles.

Over the years, as with any of the top end designers, Ferrari have had their huge successes with cars like the F-50, the 1995 road loving version of their Formula One car and the 1992 Enzo. They’ve also had a number of failures, with the 1980 Ferrari Mondial making its way into Time’s list of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time at number 32.

When Ferrari announced their new range of five cars at the Paris Motorshow recently at the end of September, the whole of the motoring world held their breath, anxious to see whether or not their new range would be a hit or another embarrassing miss. The flagship car is the  F12 Berlinetta, which claims to be the best performing V-12 they’ve ever created.

As you’d expect with any Ferrari the F12 Berlinetta strikes a particularly elegant silhouette, apparently incorporating many aerodynamic solutions. This creates a body that simply glides down the road,  filtering air off its many surfaces in near effortless precision. The best points of the  design are perhaps the aggressive looking air-intake, which dominates the front view of the car and the ‘reinterpretation’ of the rear Kamm tail that adds that touch of sleek sportiness to the overall look.

The F12 Berlinetta stays away from the bold lines that many associate with super-cars and instead utilises a much more classic look, perhaps drawing inspiration from the powerful American roasters of the 1950s, without comprising the clear European influenced elegance. This is a very good looking car, to which photos do not do justice. This is a vehicle that needs to be seen at speed to be appreciated.

The interior of the F12 Berlinetta is another success, and here the driving experience has clearly been given priority over the type of luxury add ons that one would normally find in a Rolls Royce or Bentley. There is a straight forward and easy lay-out to the driver’s controls, all of which can be reached without the need to take one’s hands off the steering wheel. Similarly all the car’s information is displayed on the front console, directly within view of the front seat.

Hardcore Ferrari fans will no doubt be more interested in the capacity and power of what’s under the bonnet than the exterior look or interior lay-out of the F12 Berlinetta. The car is incredibly light, with a V12 engine that packs an incredible 730 bhp, limited to 8700 rpm, which according to many critics means that the car can beat a MacLaren F1 to 60mph and 120mph in tests. The double clutch gearbox ensures a very smooth transition between shifts.

The only problems we’ve heard of with the F12 Berlinetta are down to the steering. Apparently the car has a tendency to over-steer and under-steer due to the massive power delivered down the drive-shaft to the back axle. This is especially true if you take the car out of one of the two computer controlled modes, allowing you to feel the unbridled power of this beast of a motor-car. Ultimately this is a true sports model and thus a skilled driver is required to handle it out of mode.

So how does the F12 Berlinetta measure up in the stats? Well, the max speed is a little under 340 km/h which in old money is around 210mp/h. It can do 0-100 km/h in a hair-raisingly fast (to use a Clarkson-ism) 3.1 seconds and 0-200 km/h in a staggering 8.5 seconds, meaning you can burn off just about anything else on the road other than a fighter jet. When Ferrari say this is their top performing V12 ever, they really mean it.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about the F12 Berlinetta is the cost. If you want a grab a slice of the power and prestige on offer from this killer car then you can join the back of the list (and we’re assuming it’s quite a queue, this is Ferrari after all)  and pick up this amazing car for under £250,000.  Now where do I have to sign up?

Still not convinced? Take a look at gallery of Ferrari Berlinetta images over on Pinterest.

If you’re looking to sell your old Ferrari to fund buying a new one then please talk to us here at Iain Mutch cars. We don’t buy just any old car – just the best ones and because we specialise in prestige cars we can usually offer you the best price. Get a valuation for your prestige car or Ferrari now by completing this simple car valuation form or give us a call on 0845 0034018.