812 Superfast: A Tribute To Ferrari’s Roots

BEIRUT:History. No matter how things change, you just can’t erase the past because it defines your identity. That is never truer in regards to Ferrari’s storied past. I’m talking, of course, about the marque’s two-seat sports GTs with their state-of-the-art V-12s nestled in front, under what seemed like a mile of hood.

To me that’s what Ferrari will always symbolize, raw mind-numbing power enveloped in deliciously beautiful sheet metal. Those were the stuff of legend, and no one would dare dispute that to this day.

In a sense, the 812 Superfast represents a tribute to those masterpieces. In spirit it adheres to the same concept – a two-seat rear-wheel-drive sports car with its 6.5-liter V-12 in front, under a mile of hood, and with enough power to silence everyone else on the asphalt. In fact, producing 800 horsepower, that mill is arguably the most powerful normally aspirated V-12 on the planet, at least in a production car. It ticks every box on the “legend” list.

But whereas the original GT, with its ladder chassis, drum brakes and live rear axles, was not exactly the most sophisticated car of its time, the 812 resides at the opposite extreme of the current technology spectrum while retaining all the magnificence of its revered ancestor.

In fact, I would argue that the Superfast is a showcase, a demonstration, of everything Ferrari has learned over the decades, and everything it is capable of achieving. In a nutshell, this is Ferrari’s magnum opus.

And Scuderia Lebanon decided to hand me the keys to this vehicular triumph for a weekend, and then one more time for good measure.

Now you would think that after test-driving hundreds of cars I’d get jaded, or at least less emotional, at the prospect of driving a new Ferrari. But no, the notion of being handed the keys to one of Maranello’s finest still makes me feel like a kid visiting Toys R Us. Yes, I know the toy store chain went bankrupt, but you still get the idea. Now consider that it’s not just a Ferrari, but the 812, and you can imagine my exuberance at the opportunity to experience this wet dream. It’s enough to bring you to tears.

As it happened, we scheduled the test-drive a couple of weeks before a wedding that we had planned in the family, meaning a ton of friends and relatives would show up from abroad ahead of time, bringing with them thousands of dollars of filming equipment that I needed. That also meant free help in filming this ravenous beast the way it deserved. I was so thrilled!

On a sunny Sunday morning, we loaded my sisters’ SUV and convertible with the filming gear and assorted relatives, while my friends showed up in their cars, one of them with his kids in tow, and we proceeded to climb the hill toward Zaarour, with me in the lead driving the scarlet 812.

The drive up provided the perfect opportunity to discover what this car could do, and so I took full advantage. Here’s the lowdown:

If you think the F12, or even the TDF, was the height of insanity, you’d be wrong. Yes, you would walk out of those car white as a sheet because it would scare the living daylights out of you, but the 812 is beyond nuts. And by nuts I mean bonkers. Crazy. Ludicrous.

In fact, I would venture to say that after Ferrari developed the TDF, they realized they could take all that knowhow, give it steroids, teach it some manners, and unleash it on an unsuspecting public. They ended up with a very drivable car that could switch from a leisurely cruiser to an insatiable demon that would chew you up and spit you out if you looked at it wrong.

Then, discovering that they had created a superfast monster powered by an 800 horsepower, 718 Newton-meter V-12, they aptly named it the 812 Superfast. They’re not getting an argument from me. I want one. A Superfast, not an argument.

Power peaks at 8,500 rpm, but your redline doesn’t come till 8,900. And more important than that, the revs scream to the limiter with no hesitation, seemingly impervious to the laws of physics as the car shifts seamlessly from gear to gear on the sublime seven-speed transmission. Nothing can prepare you for the instant throttle response, and absolutely nothing I can say or write can convey that feeling as much as if you experience it yourself. In fact, it makes me wonder why turbochargers even exist because this car proves you don’t need ‘em.

And then there’s the music that emanates from the exhaust. It’s sheer ecstasy, a mechanical rasp refined with the harmony of F1 cars. No, not today’s turbocharged rubbish, but the melodious shriek of the ’90s cars. You have to hear it. You need to hear it. It is essential to your development as a well-adjusted human being.

Let’s talk about first impressions, and preferences. I have always been a front engine, rear-wheel-drive kind of guy. I always will be, irrespective of whether I sing the accolades of the 488, or the 458, or even going as far back as the 208, 308 and 328, which I find to be sheer genius. But in my mind, the Ferrari 250 GT was the progenitor of all things exotic, and as far as I’m concerned the 812 continues that tradition, even if the now-retired California and the spanking new Portofino might seem to be the direct descendants of that breed.

I love a car with a long front nose housing a massive engine and a short rear end, and the 812 perfectly fits that criteria. In fact, it may have one of the longest noses I have ever seen on a car, and with good reason. The engine might be in front of the driver, but it’s placed behind the front axle, which technically makes the Superfast a mid-engine car.

Sorry if your head just exploded, but that’s how it works – layout is determined by engine placement in relation to axles, not the driver.

And that is quite fortunate because it affords the 812 the sort of handling that you wouldn’t expect from a car with a 2,720-millimeter wheelbase, brilliant control that’s accentuated further with the benefit of rear-wheel steering.

Seeing as we were going uphill, my confidence levels soared and I opened up the car, flooring the throttle at every opportunity. Once I got past the fear that the enthusiastic 812 would throw out its rear end, I began taking the corners at greater speed, and any overseer or understeer I had anticipated never manifested. Amazing for a car with a curb weight of 1,630 kilograms, but that weight is pretty much evenly distributed between front and rear, at 47 and 53 percent.

The 812 simply goes where you point it, and the lightning-quick steering accommodates those cues immediately, like it can read your mind. And if you ever approach a corner a little too fast for comfort, those massive brakes will quickly dispel the extra velocity and allow you to firmly place the car where it needs to be. And it does so with gusto, hitting 100 kilometers in 2.9 seconds – yes, I timed it, they weren’t lying – and a top speed of 340 kilometers, which I didn’t try to achieve because, although the car may be nuts, I personally like staying alive.

What’s almost more rewarding than how you feel behind the wheel of the Superfast is the astonished look on people’s faces as you scream past. And why wouldn’t they be mesmerized? The 812’s styling is just as monumentally preposterous as its performance. It’s like Ferrari took the shackles off its stylists and told them to push the envelope, and they did. Air scoops, vents, spoilers, splitters, diffusers: It has them all, and in abundance, integrated in ingenious locations to reduce drag, increase down force and keep the car glued to the ground. Oh and the very long nose, which would put even Barbara Streisand to shame.

I mean think about it: A long, low, wide and red ballistic missile, massive ravenous grille beneath the nose sucking in air, four exhaust nozzles coming out the back, a Ferrari badge on the hood, and this particular example fitted with black 20-inch staggered rims, wearing 275-millimeter rubber in the front and 315s in the back. It’s beautiful, intimidating and terrifying at the same time.

Inside, it’s unabashed Ferrari. Black leather bucket seats, every conceivable control on the steering wheel including the start button, the indicators, lights, and the Manettino dial, which lets you select among different driving modes. I set it in “Race” and left it there because … well, just because. Everything comes intuitively to your hand, including a new touchscreen for the passenger that displays all relevant data from rpm, speed to audio controls.

Once behind the wheel and looking through the windscreen, the first thing you see is the raised fenders with their air outlets, clearly visible from your seat, and a sign of this car’s bottomless potential.

Start the car and the engine explodes to life, a combination of drama, promise and restlessness. Put the car in first gear – paddle shifters only, ‘cause this is a Ferrari – nudge the throttle and the electric brake disengages on its own. Then floor it. In case you were wondering, that’s when all hell breaks loose as the back of the seat clobbers you from behind with the ridiculous acceleration, the sound of the engine wreaks havoc with your eardrums and you hang on the steering wheel for dear life while trying unsuccessfully to wipe the stupid grin off your face.

Of course it helps a lot if you do all that after the tires warm up so they can stick better to the asphalt, but the drive up in the middle of August took care of that in short order, and the trip up to Zaarour proved one of the most memorable in recent memory.

Cars like this do not come around very often. And that it’s normally aspirated, probably one of the last ones to be produced by any manufacturer, makes the 812 Superfast especially precious. And it’s a rear-wheel-drive Ferrari fitted with a V-12 in the front. Folks, it doesn’t get any better than this.