Show-stopping Ferrari raises the game

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Nelly

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Sep 23, 2009
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Of all the manufacturers at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show it is the Ferrari stand that has a queue of people waiting to be let through, and the star of its display is the brand-new F12 Berlinetta.
Replacing the 599 GTO Fiorano, the F12 is both the flagship of the current Ferrari range and also the most powerful road car it has ever produced. Following the template set by the previous model, the F12 is a 2+2 coupe with a front-mid mounted V12 engine, driving the rear wheels through an F1-inspired dual-clutch seven-speed transmission.
The vast 6.3-litre power unit is a development of that seen in the FF, but with extra power and torque it delivers a remarkable 730bhp and 509lb.ft of torque, with 80% of that torque available from just 2,000rpm. Unsurprisingly the performance figures are sensational: 0-62mph is completed in 3.1 seconds, 0-124mph in only 8.5 seconds and the top speed is quoted as ‘over 211mph’ – 220mph is not out of the question.
It is also a more visually arresting design, with F1-inspired aerodynamics including brake vents that close when not needed to improve the drag coefficient and a so-called ‘Aero Bridge’ along the bonnet which diverts air from the wheels and along the curves in the doors. It combines this efficient aero performance with the drama and presence that a top-drawer Ferrari needs; judging by the response the assembled crowds the legendary Italian firm has another winner on its hands.
 
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