Big front-engined V12 Ferraris have always been GTs – grand tourers –
rather than out-and-out sports cars. However, Ferrari calls the 812 a
“super GT”, meaning it should be able to get you to a racing track in
the south of France in comfort but also embarrass pretty much everything
else on the circuit once you get there. That sounds like a sports car
to us.
Well, it certainly has the performance. It was nice of Ferrari to
prewarn us of this by, er, making it fairly obvious in the car’s name.
But, if anything, the company has underplayed it; 789bhp in a road car
with a V12 that revs to 8900rpm is, we’re quite sure, a crazier
experience than you’ve ever had in a car. And the noise that comes from
the 812’s exhausts is similarly otherworldly. It takes all of Ferrari’s
wizardry and the car’s launch control mode to get off the line as
quickly as possible.
And this V12 has no turbochargers, making the savagery with which it
pulls in any gear (it has seven) barely believable. And you’ll want to
be paying attention should you decide to floor the accelerator in second
or third gear on the move, because the engine’s response and the
subsequent forward motion would have Tim Peake reaching for the grab
handle.
Put it this way: if the road isn’t bone dry, leave the traction
control switched on if you plan on using the lower reaches of the
accelerator pedal. Or, if you fancy a thrill with it off, be very
prepared to start steering and catch the rear end.
Handily, the 812’s dual-clutch seven-speed automatic gearbox is one
of the finest we’ve come across. There’s some dither while the ’box
hooks up from a standstill and at low speeds in town, but it is nothing
short of brilliant on the move in both auto mode and when using the
large metallic column-mounted paddles.
And for a car that has a weighty V12 at the front and measures almost
4.7 metres long, the way the 812 changes direction is simply
staggering. Ferrari’s steering set-up is typically light and very quick,
and the same is true here. In fact, it’s quick to the point of making
the car feel nervous when you first get behind the wheel; it does take
some getting used to. Especially so because rear-wheel steering is also
standard, helping the 812 turn in to corners with even more gusto.
Ferrari’s wheel-mounted Manettino driving mode switch can be flicked
to Wet, Sport and Race, with further settings for switching just the
traction control off or both traction and stability control together.
If the road and weather conditions are bad, then Wet mode will keep
the electronic aids fully engaged. But on a dry road, Sport and Race
modes allow increasing amounts of slip at the rear – although
surprisingly the 812 never feels overly snappy. The clever electronic
differential also constantly monitors wheel slip and adjusts the amount
of power to each rear wheel. Meanwhile, the standard carbon-ceramic
brakes have great pedal feel and provide incredible stopping power on
the road.
However, we’re not sure the 812 plays the GT role quite so well. It
has a ‘bumpy road’ suspension mode that slackens the standard adaptive
dampers for more comfort; while the ride is reasonable comfortable for a
sports car, it's still firm and there’s some shimmy through the car’s
body over rough surfaces. It’s also impossible to turn the exhaust drone
down on the motorway and those huge 20in wheels kick up lots of noise
inside.
All told, the 812 isn't quite as comfortable as an Aston Martin
Vanquish S, although it's far more engaging to drive. In fact, when it
comes to driving thrills, it's closer to the mighty McLaren 720S – an
astonishing feat for such a large, front-engined car.
With so much power at your disposal, a perfect driving position is
essential. Good news: the 812’s standard sports seats get plenty of
adjustment and so does the steering wheel. The optional carbonfibre
racing seats and racing harness hold you in place extremely well, but
they aren’t as adjustable.
The 812 is a very long, very wide car that also happens to cost a lot
of money, so at least you get a good forward view from behind the
wheel. Of course, the view over your shoulder in this strict two-seater
isn’t as good, although the door mirrors are a decent size, while front
and rear parking sensors are standard to help guide you into parking
spaces. Bright LED headlights are standard for good visibility at night,
too.
Ferrari’s infotainment system is limited to a small colour screen and
a rotary controller to the left of the steering wheel that you twist to
scroll through the on-screen menus. Sat-nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth
are all included as standard, but the system isn't as easy to use as the
system in the McLaren 720S. And – be careful not to spit your tea all
over the keyboard – Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring is a £2k-plus
option. A second screen on the right side of the steering wheel
displays the trip computer and provides in-depth driving information.
You could argue that the 812 is all about the driving experience, so
interior quality isn't crucial. However, when you’re spending this much
money, quality has to count – especially since the 812 purports to be a
GT car. Ultimately, McLaren and Aston Martin show Ferrari up in this
respect.
