The Ferrari F12berlinetta
(Type F152) is a
front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive grand tourer
A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving, due to a combination of performance and luxury attributes. The most common format is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with either ...
produced by Italian automobile manufacturer
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
. The F12berlinetta debuted at the
2012 Geneva Motor Show, and replaced the
599 grand tourer.
The naturally aspirated 6.3 litre Ferrari
V12 V12 or V-12 may refer to:
Aircraft
* Mil V-12, a Soviet heavy lift helicopter
* Pilatus OV-12, a planned American military utility aircraft
* Rockwell XFV-12, an American experimental aircraft project
* Škoda-Kauba V12, a Czechoslovak experim ...
engine used in the F12berlinetta has won the 2013 International Engine of the Year Award in the Best Performance category and Best Engine above 4.0 litres. The F12berlinetta was named "The Supercar of the Year 2012" by car magazine
''Top Gear''. The F12berlinetta was replaced by the
812 Superfast in 2017.
In 2014, the F12berlinetta was awarded the XXIII Premio
Compasso d'Oro ADI. Accepting the award was Ferrari's Senior Vice President of Design,
Flavio Manzoni
Flavio Manzoni (born 7 January 1965 in Nuoro, Sardinia) is an Italian architect and automobile designer. He is the Senior Vice President of Design at Ferrari from January 2010 and he has led in the creation of many Ferrari models including the ...
.
Specifications
Engine
The F12berlinetta uses a , naturally aspirated 65°
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines.
The fi ...
of the
Ferrari F140 engine family. Displacement is shared with the
FF, but the ''F140 FC'' version installed on the F12 generates a power output of at 8,250 rpm
and of torque at 6,000 rpm, making it the fourth most powerful Ferrari road car produced to date, only surpassed by the
LaFerrari
LaFerrari, project name F150 is a limited production mid-engine mild hybrid sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari. LaFerrari means "The Ferrari" in Italian and some other Romance languages, in the sense that it is the " ...
, F12tdf and its successor, the
812 Superfast.
The engine in the F12berlinetta has been designed to be more efficient than that of the
599, as well as more powerful. The engine management system is fitted with Ferrari's HELE
start-stop system
A vehicle start-stop system or stop-start system automatically shuts down and restarts the internal combustion engine to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling, thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This is most advanta ...
to reduce fuel consumption when idling. Ferrari reports that the F12berlinetta can achieve – a 30% improvement over the 599 – and produces
CO2 emissions of 350 g/km.
Transmission
Similar to the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
458 Italia,
FF and
LaFerrari
LaFerrari, project name F150 is a limited production mid-engine mild hybrid sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari. LaFerrari means "The Ferrari" in Italian and some other Romance languages, in the sense that it is the " ...
, the F12berlinetta transmits power through a 7-speed
dual-clutch
A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) (sometimes referred to as a twin-clutch transmission) is a type of multi-speed motor vehicle, vehicle Transmission (mechanics), transmission system, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear train, g ...
automatic gearbox
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
operated by the driver using paddle shifters present behind the steering wheel. Compared to similar models, the F12berlinetta uses shortened
gear ratio
A gear train is a mechanical system formed by mounting gears on a frame so the teeth of the gears engage.
Gear teeth are designed to ensure the pitch circles of engaging gears roll on each other without slipping, providing a smooth transmission ...
s to match the power of the engine.
Chassis
The F12berlinetta is built around an
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
space frame
In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure ( 3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with ...
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
co-developed with
Scaglietti
Carrozzeria Scaglietti () was an Italian automobile design and coachbuilder, coachbuilding company active in the 1950s. It was founded by Sergio Scaglietti in 1951 as an automobile repair concern, but was located across the road from Ferrari in Ma ...
. The chassis is made up of 12 different aluminium alloys and improves structural rigidity by 20% over the 599, whilst reducing weight by . The centre of gravity has also been lowered by around . The F12berlinetta's
weight distribution
Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocke ...
is 48% front, 52% rear.
Similar to other contemporary Ferrari models, the F12berlinetta uses Ferrari's third generation ''CCM3''
carbon ceramic
In materials science, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are a subgroup of composite materials and a subgroup of ceramics. They consist of ceramic fibers embedded in a ceramic matrix. The fibers and the matrix both can consist of any ceramic mat ...
disc brakes
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
with
ABS, ''SCM-E''
magnetorheological suspension, an electronic
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
, ESP Premium
stability control
Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a car handling, vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of Tract ...
and ''F1-Trac''
traction control system
A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...
. The car's stability and traction control, suspension and other settings are controlled by the
Manettino dial
In automotive engineering, a manettino dial is a rotary switch part of some modern Ferrari cars first designed by Frank Stephenson, beginning with the Ferrari F430 in 2004. The adjustment dial is mounted on the steering wheel, usually just und ...
mounted on the steering wheel.
Tyres
The F12berlinetta is fitted with
Michelin
Michelin (; ; full name: ) is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ''région'' of France. It is the second largest tyre manufacturer in the world behind Bridgestone and la ...
Pilot Super Sport tyres, with the
tyre codes 255/35 ZR20 (on 20"×9.5J wheels) at the front and 315/35 ZR20 (on 20"×11.5J wheels) at the rear.
Aerodynamics
The F12berlinetta makes use of aerodynamic techniques based on Ferrari's
599XX and
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
programmes, developed with
wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
and
CFD testing. A notable feature is the Aero Bridge, an air channel running from the bonnet, through the flanks and along the sides of the vehicle, creating an effect that increases
downforce
Downforce is a downwards lift force created by the aerodynamic features of a vehicle. If the vehicle is a car, the purpose of downforce is to allow the car to travel faster by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip. ...
. Another feature is Active Brake Cooling ducts, which open to direct cooling air only when the brakes are hot, keeping them closed at other times to reduce
aerodynamic drag
In fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called air resistance, a type of friction, or fluid resistance, another type of friction or fluid friction) is a force acting opposite to the relative motion of any object moving with respect to a surrounding fl ...
. The F12berlinetta produces of downforce at – an increase of 76% over the 599 GTB – and has a
drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient (commonly denoted as: c_\mathrm, c_x or c_) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It is used in the drag equ ...
of 0.299.
Performance
Ferrari reports that the F12berlinetta is capable of lapping the
Fiorano test circuit in 1 minute, 23 seconds; three seconds slower than the
LaFerrari
LaFerrari, project name F150 is a limited production mid-engine mild hybrid sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari. LaFerrari means "The Ferrari" in Italian and some other Romance languages, in the sense that it is the " ...
, a full second faster than the
599 GTO, two seconds faster than the
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italians, Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari ...
, two seconds faster than the
458 Italia, three seconds faster than the
430 Scuderia and three and a half seconds faster than the
599 GTB.
Ferrari claims acceleration times for the F12berlinetta of 0 to in 3.1 seconds, 0 to in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of .
Design
The body of the F12berlinetta is designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre and
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
, and shares some styling elements with other recent Ferrari models. This includes a front grille similar to the
FF and headlights shared with the FF and
458 Italia. The interior, based on the FF, features new "Frau leather" upholstery with aluminium, Alutex, and
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
trim, and has increased luggage space compared to the 599.
The
body computer system is developed by
Magneti Marelli
Magneti Marelli S.p.A. () is an Italian developer and manufacturer of components for the automotive industry. The firm is headquartered in Corbetta, Italy, and includes 86 manufacturing plants, 12 R&D centres, and 26 application centers in 19 c ...
Automotive Lighting.
F12tdf (2015–2017)
The Ferrari F12tdf (tour de France) is a track-focused version of the F12berlinetta unveiled in October 2015. The name pays homage to the
Tour de France automobile race held between 1899 and 1986 and which was regularly won by the Ferrari 250 between 1956 and 1964. The F12tdf shares the same 6.3 litre V12 engine with the F12berlinetta, but with power output increased to at 8500 rpm and of torque at 6750 rpm. The F12tdf is lighter than the F12, having a claimed dry weight of and kerb weight of . Ferrari claims an acceleration time for the F12tdf of 0 to in 2.9 seconds and 0 to in 7.9 seconds. The top speed was claimed to be 'in excess of '. The car has recorded a 1-minute 21 seconds lap time on Ferrari's Fiorano test circuit, 2 seconds faster than the standard F12berlinetta and
488 GTB, and just 1.3 seconds behind the fastest lap set by the
LaFerrari
LaFerrari, project name F150 is a limited production mid-engine mild hybrid sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari. LaFerrari means "The Ferrari" in Italian and some other Romance languages, in the sense that it is the " ...
. F12tdf was designed by Ferrari Styling Centre.
Production of the F12tdf was limited to 799 units.
One-offs and special editions
F12 TRS
The Ferrari F12 TRS is a
barchetta based on the F12berlinetta, made for a customer by Ferrari under its
Special Projects programme.
It made its public debut in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
at the Ferrari Cavalcade in June 2014.
Designed in-house by the Centro Stile Ferrari headed by
Flavio Manzoni
Flavio Manzoni (born 7 January 1965 in Nuoro, Sardinia) is an Italian architect and automobile designer. He is the Senior Vice President of Design at Ferrari from January 2010 and he has led in the creation of many Ferrari models including the ...
, it took inspiration from the 1957
250 Testa Rossa, reinterpreted in a modern design language. The car has a Barchetta bodystyle, harking back to the original Testarossa. A redesigned rear section also recalls the styling of the Testarossa in a modern fashion. The front of the car features a redesigned front bumper and a new engine cover with a glass panel displaying the V12 engine's cylinder heads.
The F12 TRS also made an appearance at the 2014
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hill climb and other events, held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, in l ...
.
In November 2014, a second F12 TRS was spotted testing at
Circuito Monteblanco in Spain, painted in black, while the red version was displayed again in January 2015 at the Festival Automobile International in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
The black F12 TRS was seen again, this time in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
at the Ferrari Cavalcade in June 2015, now finished in liquid silver paintwork and featuring a redesigned front bumper, headlights, mirrors and rear diffuser.
The red F12 TRS was spotted again in
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
in 2016 now featuring the same redesigned body as the liquid silver version. Only two of these cars were produced and both were commissioned by the same customer.
File:F12 TRS (16837206625).jpg
File:F12 TRS (16217245853).jpg
File:F12 TRS (16649616478).jpg
File:F12 TRS (16649832270).jpg
SP America
The Ferrari SP America is a one-off coupé based on the F12berlinetta completed in 2014 and developed under Ferrari's Special Projects programme with
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
.
It features custom bodywork, including a redesigned hood with three vents, which many reviewers say is reminiscent of the
250 GTO. It also has unique vents on the fenders and slats behind the windows, as well as a redesigned front bumper and redesigned rear end with a large diffuser and an integrated spoiler. The car was commissioned by
Danny Wegman, CEO of
Wegmans
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a privately held American supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Gates, New York, and was founded in 1916 in Rochester.
As of , Wegmans has 110 stores, mostly in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions. The ...
.
File:Ferrari SP America front.jpg, Front left view
File:Ferrari SP America rear.jpg, Rear right view
File:Ferrari SP America interior.jpg, Interior
F60 America
The Ferrari F60 America is a limited production
roadster derivative of the F12, built to celebrate 60 years of Ferrari in North America. Production was limited to ten examples and according to the manufacturer, all were already spoken for at the time of the car's public introduction in October 2014. The open-top configuration pays homage to US-only limited production convertible Ferraris of the past, such as the
275 GTS/4 NART Spider. Compared to the F12, the F60 has all-new bodywork; it uses a light removable soft top instead of a conventional
convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
top. Each of the ten examples built features an asymmetrical cabin design with red trim for the driver's area and black for the passenger, American flag detailing in the center of the backrests of both seats, and classic blue and white
North American Racing Team
The North American Racing Team (NART) is a motorsport racing team founded in 1958. It was created by businessman Luigi Chinetti to promote the Ferrari marque in United States through success in endurance racing.
It was created in 1958 when Chin ...
livery.
Touring Berlinetta Lusso
At the March
2015 Geneva Motor Show Carrozzeria Touring unveiled the Touring Berlinetta Lusso, a two-seater,
three-box
The configuration of a car body is typically determined by the layout of the engine, passenger and luggage compartments, which can be shared or separately articulated. A key design feature is the car's roof-supporting pillars, designated from fron ...
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
based on the F12berlinetta.
Carrozzeria Touring developed the car on a client's request. The car has coachbuilt bodywork with each body panel of the car made from hand beaten aluminium. It also features a special blue exterior colour and a redesigned interior. The mechanical components are the same as the F12berlinetta, as are the headlamps and tail lamps. A production run of five examples was announced.
F12berlinetta SG50 Edition
The Ferrari F12berlinetta SG50 Edition is a one-off made to celebrate Singapore's 50 years of independence. Changes over the F12berlinetta include a red and white livery featuring a special ‘Rosso Singapore’ paintwork on the exterior and leather upholstery in the same colour on the interior. The colour scheme is designed to mirror the colors of the Singapore flag. Additionally the car has Singaporean lions embroidered in the headrest as well as the words "Singapore 50th Anniversary Edition 1/1" on the steering wheel and the door sills.
SP275 RW Competizione
The Ferrari SP275 RW Competizione is a one-off model inspired by the 1964
Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale that won in the GT class at the
1965 24 Hours of Le Mans and placed 3rd overall. Its design is a collaboration between the Ferrari Styling Centre and
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian mu ...
.
The car is based on the F12berlinetta but utilises the 6.3 liter V12 engine from the F12tdf which generates a power output of and of torque. The car has a coachbuilt body with a redesigned front fascia and headlights, widened rear track, custom 20 inch 10 spoke forged alloy wheels, an aluminium fuel filler cap and unique yellow exterior colour.
The body also has 3 vents behind each side window, 3 on each side of the rear bumper and 4 vents on each fender inspired by the vents on the racing
275 GTB/C. The "RW" designation stands for the initials of the person who commissioned the car, Florida dentist Rick Workman, who also owns the
599-based
Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta unveiled in 2009 and the F12-based F60 America mentioned above that was unveiled in 2014.
SP3JC
Presented in November 2018, the Ferrari SP3JC is a roadster based on the F12tdf. There were two matching cars ordered, one in
LHD, the other in
RHD with different liveries. They were designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre to pay homage to Ferrari roadsters of 1950s and 1960s. They are powered by the V12 engine from the F12tdf which is unchanged from the production car.
The body has been completely redesigned, and includes redesigned front and rear fascias, a new front bumper, a rear diffuser, transparent hood vents that show off the engine, roll hoops behind the seats, taillights and wheels from the
812 Superfast. The RHD car has a white and blue paint job that pays homage to the 1962
Ferrari 250 GTO
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT car produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's ''Tipo 168/62'' Colombo V12 engine.
The "250" in its name denotes the disp ...
. "JC" stands for John Collins, a Scottish collector and founder of Talacrest, a classic Ferrari dealer located in the U.K. He commissioned the car in mid 2014 and it took 3.5 years to complete. Ferrari said the design process alone took 2 of those years.
Touring Superleggera Aero 3
The Touring Superleggera Aero 3 is a limited production coachbuilt car by
Carrozzeria Touring based on the F12berlinetta. The design of the car is inspired by
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B raced at Le Mans in the 1930s,
only 15 cars to be built.
References
External links
Official website
{{Ferrari
F12berlinetta
Grand tourers
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars introduced in 2012
Flagship vehicles
Vehicles with four-wheel steering