Reviews of the Ferrari 812 Superfast

Replacing the F12 berlinetta in the Prancing Horse lineup, the 812 Superfast is the most powerful Ferrari available, boasting a top speed of 211 mph courtesy of a naturally aspirated 6.5L V12 engine. Like every Ferrari, this car is as much about driving pleasure as raw power; and with every review, the Ferrari 812 Superfast’s place as a worthy successor to previous standard-bearers of the Prancing Horse lineup is further cemented.

Top Gear

Top Gear’s review of the 812 Superfast drives this point home immediately by writing that “The 812 Superfast represents the pinnacle of the art of answering a question that no-one ever asked: namely — what would an F12 Berlinetta feel like with more power?” and immediately answering the hypothetical: “But progress is measured empirically and Ferrari is, thankfully, more interested in what is possible rather than what might be necessary.”

The difference, according to the reviewer, is noticeable, and Top Gear highlights a few aspects of the vehicle deserving of particular praise, including the new electric power steering system, the new shortened gear ratios — which “allows that more potent V12 to spool even faster, and the result is a car that leans on its chassis electronics more than any other” — and the electronically variable differential.

Top Gear sums up their feelings by noting that the 812 superfast “drips with personality and seduces with vast performance.”

Motor Trend

Motor Trend praises this Prancing Horse as “among the top five quickest rear-wheel-drive cars we’ve ever tested and far and away the quickest front-engine, rear-drive car,” adding that “If there’s never another new naturally aspirated V-12 developed — and the possibility becomes more likely every day — this will be the greatest swan song ever sung.”

Motor Trend reserves a great deal of praise for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and the musicality of the engine, noting that “it does a fine job of shifting for you in all circumstances,” but that manual control will allow drivers to experience “how sinfully glorious this engine sounds at the redline.” So much is the reviews conviction that they advise drivers to “drive it at 9,000 rpm every chance you get.”

The verdict, summarized? “A car like this is as unnecessary as it is ostentatious, and that’s what makes it wonderful.”

Road and Track

Road and Track’s review highlights the 812 Superfast’s status as a tribute to the Prancing Horses of yore, suggesting that it channels the spirit of the 250 GT Short Wheelbase in particular.

The engineering of the vehicle gets most of the praise from this outlet, from the throttle response to the transmission. Some of their big takeaways include:

• “The immediacy of the throttle response is something that has to be experienced to be believed, too. It’ll make you wish turbochargers had never been invented.”
• “It offers performance and visceral thrills equal to any modern supercar, with most of the usability and familiarity of a front-engine GT. It seems like it could be the product of an alternate timeline where mid-engine cars just never happened.”
• “No transmission I’ve experienced comes as close to replicating the unrealistic shifting possible in racing games. The downshifts are especially impressive, with a perfect throttle blip executed in an instant.”

In the end, this review sees the 812 Superfast as a tribute, declaring that “This is Ferrari throwing everything it knows about building cars into one extraordinary package.”

Car and Driver

Car and Driver heaps praise upon the driving experience, the handling (even at high speeds), and the raw power on display in its Ferrari 812 Superfast review, but perhaps the most impressive part is their declaration that it “would make a perfectly acceptable daily driver.” Their reasoning is that the interior is comfortable and spacious, the seats are comfortable for almost all drivers, and it has exceptional visibility, with the review stating that “The high tail means the view rearward is more like that of a mid-engined car”).

Of course, the driving is the star of the show, and Car and Driver proclaims that “like a skydiver falling from an airplane, the Superfast driver will never be bored.”

What Do You Think of the Ferrari 812 Superfast?

In every review, Ferrari 812 Superfast drivers sing the car’s praises. It’s more than just a sports car: it’s one of the most impressive production cars in the world, putting decades of Ferrari’s engineering expertise at your command.

Want to inquire about purchasing your own 812 Superfast? Contact Continental Ferrari. While we’re based in Chicagoland, we serve enthusiasts from St. Louis, Indianapolis, and throughout the country, so don’t hesitate to reach out.