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New Ferrari F12 Berlinetta:
An Awesome Mess

February 29, 2012 by Matt

New Ferrari F12 F12B Berlinetta Sports Car GT Red

Well, at the risk of OD’ing on Ferrari this week, here it is, officially: The new F12 Berlinetta.

It seems the actual car matches pretty closely with the spy shot leaked a few days ago, complete with an aggressive, FF-like grille, dramatic BMW Z4-ish “flame surfacing” adorning its flanks, and amped-up rear haunches lifted from an Aston Martin. The technical specs are awesome—in both the classical and vernacular sense of the word—a 6.3l V12 delivers 730 hp through a 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle, enabling the 3363-lb F12B to inhale 60 mph from a standstill in 3.1 seconds on the way to a claimed top speed of 211 mph. Hugely impressive, but strangely numbing, given the number of exotics on the market capable of matching, if not the horsepower number, then certainly the performance figures. Above a certain level, the cars’ capabilities are so far removed from our frame of reference that we might as well be discussing fighter jets. Yes, that kind of “above the fray,” higher-plane prowess is partially what supercars are all about, but when the new “supercar fray” is as saturated as it is, the numbers lose some of their impact. But again, that’s a post for another day.

New Ferrari F12 F12B Berlinetta Sports Car GT Red

Another part of the supercar equation is visual impact, and the F12B has it in spades. I can’t think of another car that would be so readily identifiable at a distance; you’d know it was a Ferrari, and specifically an F12B, half a mile away. But is the new exotic beautiful, or even attractive? The Spannerhead verdict: No. As alluded to above, the styling amounts to a 3-D crib sheet of other cars’ distinctive features draped over classic front-engined GT proportions. Is Pininfarina running out of ideas? Have they painted themselves into a corner, styling-wise, unable to create a shape at once new and fresh and plainly beautiful? Who knows. As it is, the F12B definitely inspires awe, and engenders respect, but desire… The jury’s still out.

Filed under: Ferrari, News

2 Comments

  1. Ryan says:

    I personally just can’t stand the front fascia. It reminds me too much of the most recent re-styling of the Mazda 3’s, where the silly things look like they are smiling at you. Other than that I would probably drive one. ;)

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