Ferrari's F12berlinetta flagship supercar prances into South Asia

Jakarta, Indonesia—We first saw Ferrari’s spectacular new F12berlinetta on these very pages in our March 2012 issue. It’s one thing to gaze at Ferrari’s new flagship supercar in a picture; it’s a totally different experience seeing it in the aluminum-and-carbon fiber flesh.

Autostrada Motore Inc., the distributor of Ferrari and Maserati cars in the Philippines, flew SPEED to this city to witness the South Asian debut of the eagerly anticipated F12berlinetta at the landmark Sampoerna Strategic Square building in the heart of Jakarta.

 The F12berlinetta marries the characteristics of a Formula One car with the aspects of a road car. With 740hp, a phenomenally flat torque curve, compact form, agile handing, optimum weight distribution and distinctive, aerodynamically honed shape, the all-new F12berlinetta marks a major step forward in the history of 12-cylinder front-engined Ferraris.

“The rich history of our 12-cylinder models, starting from the very first Ferrari 125S by Enzo Ferrari, continues today with this new F12berlinetta, which is everything Ferrari enthusiasts have come to expect from the Prancing Horse marque—a celebration of beauty, performance and more,” commented Simon Inglefield, head of the region—Ferrari Asia Pacific. “The F12berlinetta ushers in a new generation of Ferrari 12-cylinders in the form of a car that delivers unprecedented performance from an exceptional new engine, unparalleled handling and innovative design and aerodynamics,” he added.

The F12berlinetta is the most high-performance Ferrari ever built, yet it still effortlessly marries extreme performance with benchmark efficiency, delivering fuel consumption and emissions levels that are 30 percent lower than the previous generation. The challenge for Ferrari engineers and designers was to create a front-engine car with blistering performance that was still able to offer the same driving pleasure and involvement at lower speeds. A difficult task because it meant improving on the design of the 599 GTB Fiorano, deemed the most beautiful Ferrari ever. However, their commitment and determination has produced a car sporting a tremendously powerful 740hp mid-front-mounted 6.3-liter V12 engine that delivers a stunning 690 Nm of torque and can rev all the way to a screaming 8,700 rpm. The potent motor is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch F1 gearbox while braking is via state-of-the-supercar-art carbon-ceramic brakes.

Its engine and driver’s seat have both been lowered, the wheelbase is shorter and a new suspension and gearbox layout have helped tighten the rear dimensions. The result is a more compact car than the 599 GTB Fiorano—one that also has perfect weight distribution with 54 percent over the rear axle and a lower, pulled-back center of gravity to boot. The car rolls on 255/35ZR-20 front tires on 9.5” rims and 315/35ZR-20 rear tires on 11.5” alloy wheels.

The F12berlinetta measures 4618mm long, 1942mm wide, and 1273mm high. That makes it a mere three inches longer (but a whopping seven inches wider and almost the same amount lower) than a Toyota Corolla Altis. Its wheelbase is 2720mm, roughly that of a midsize sedan.

Cutting-edge electronics include Electronic Stability Control, high-performance ABS/EBD, high-performance ABS with electronic brake balance, F1-inspired F1-Trac traction control, E-Diff 3 third-generation electronic differential, and SCM-E Magnetorheological damping control with twin solenoids.

Thanks to all these characteristics, the F12berlinetta delivers truly exceptional performance figures: 0-100 kph in a 3.1 seconds, 0-200 kph in 8.5 seconds, a 340-kph top speed, and a lap time at Fiorano of just 1’23’’. Ferrari claims a 15li./100km fuel consumption on the European combined highway/city cycle.

The F12berlinetta’s space-frame chassis and body shell are both entirely new too and employ 12 different aluminium alloys—some being used for the first time in the automotive sector—and an array of leading-edge assembly and joining technologies. This helped cut the car’s overall weight to just 1,525 kg and maximise its performance.

As with every Ferrari, the F12berlinetta’s aerodynamics was developed hand-in-hand with its styling, resulting in a plethora of innovative solutions. Not least of these are the Aero Bridge, which uses the car’s hood to create downforce for the first time, and Active Brake Cooling, a system of guide vanes on the brake air ducts which open when brake operating temperatures are high enough. The result is that the F12berlinetta is the most aerodynamically efficient Ferrari ever, with a Cd of 0.299 and downforce of 123kg at 200 km/h.

The product of the ongoing collaboration between the Ferrari Style Centre and Pininfarina, the F12berlinetta’s design centers around the car’s brilliantly balanced proportions. Clothed in sleek, aggressively sculpted lines, it offers superb space and comfort despite its compact exterior There are two new colors developed for the F12 only: Rosso Berlinetta and Aluminum.

So what are you waiting for? Buy that lotto ticket now! Indeed, the Ferrari F12berlinetta is what dreams are made of. It is simply a fabulous (and fabulously fast) rolling work of art.