Ferrari may be close to introducing an electric vehicle, but it’s also releasing its most powerful V12 engine yet.
The company has revealed a special version of its 812 Superfast, but it isn’t telling us what it’ll be called just yet.
The car’s name and full specifications will be revealed on May 5, 2021.
The enhanced 812 Superfast produces 610kW at 9500rpm from its naturally-aspirated, front-mounted 6.5-litre V12 engine.
That is indeed super fast, making it the highest-output and highest-revving internal combustion engine ever put into a Ferrari road car.
In contrast, the 812 Superfast produces 588kW of power and 718Nm of torque.
To attain that extra power, Ferrari added a new valve-timing mechanism and a new exhaust system.
To help deliver it to the ground, there’s a four-wheel steering system plus the latest version (7.0) of Ferrari’s Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system.
The special model has also lost some weight, with more extensive use of carbon fibre on the exterior and inside the cabin.
To distinguish it from the 812 Superfast, Ferrari designers have given it a more aerodynamic front end with new front air intakes.
Down back, there’s a restyled diffuser, rear spoiler and exhaust outlets.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference, however, is the single piece of aluminium that replaces the rear window which includes ‘vortex generators’ said to improve aerodynamic efficiency.
There’s also a prominent carbon-fibre blade crossing the bonnet.
Ferrari says these modifications make the bonnet look shorter and therefore emphasise the car’s width, while the tail now looks more compact and ‘competition-like’.
Interior modifications are less dramatic, but include redesigned door panels to reduce weight.
While the special model is more powerful than the 812 Superfast and uses Ferrari’s most powerful internal-combustion engine, it isn’t the most powerful Ferrari road car.
That title goes to the plug-in hybrid, twin-turbocharged V8-powered SF90 Stradale, which has a total system output of 735kW and 800Nm.
