Used 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

What do you call a car with 789 horsepower that can dash to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and has a top speed approaching 211 mph? If you’re looking at the same car we’re looking at, you call it the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast. Yes, Superfast. With two seats, 12 cylinders and a price tag that can exceed $450,000, the all-new 812 Superfast will likely do everything its name suggests. It’s a car that will give the best McLaren, Porsche and Lamborghini a run for their money, but only if the owners love spending time on the track. From a practical side, the 812 isn’t one of the most comfortable-riding supercars out there, but we bet you’ll love every minute behind the wheel, nevertheless.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast isn’t one of those luxury-performance cars that doubles as a comfortable daily driver. Nope. This one is as angry as it looks and just begs to be hurtled around a professional track at insane speeds. Just about everyone who’s driven this car mentions its aggressive handling, touchy throttle and lightning-quick reflexes. The 6.5-liter V12 puts out an astounding 789 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque, all running through a beefed-up 7-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission. Redline maxes just shy of 9,000 rpm, although in fully automatic mode the transmission will shift around 5,000 rpm. The melodious sound of the 812’s engine is surpassed only by the performance figures it lays down: zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, the quarter mile in 10.5 seconds and the ability reach 150 mph in about six seconds. Keeping all this Wild Child power in check are massive Pirelli P Zero PZ4 tires that provide an unbelievable amount of grip, aided by Ferrari’s version of rear-axle steering. A powerful set of carbon-ceramic brakes quickly brings this 3,800-pound supercar to a stop.

In typical Ferrari fashion, the 2018 812 Superfast has a glorious cockpit occupied by a brilliant set of sport seats available in eight different configurations. There’s also a driver-focused instrument cluster and yards of leather and carbon fiber. A set of massive rotary climate vents helps move air where it needs to go, and the steering wheel is so complex it looks as if it might have come from inside the latest Air Force fighter jet. In the wheel are controls for the turn signals, high beams, suspension settings, ignition switch, wipers, Bluetooth and a 5-position switch for the driving modes. We assume there’s a horn in there someplace, too.

Behind all the sexiness that is the 812 Superfast are some very technical features added with the goal of maximizing performance. Every inch of the exterior is designed to improve aerodynamics and create more downforce when the car is in motion. A larger turning vane built into the front bumper, for example, helps air hug the Superfast’s sides, thus limiting the width of the car’s wake. The rear of the 812 Superfast pays homage to the 1969 365 GTB4, with a unique integrated spoiler for maximum downforce.

V12 ENGINE
Equipped with a stroked version of the V12 in the previous F12, Ferrari says that 75 percent of the 812 Superfast’s 6.5-liter V12 is new or improved. The result is a V12 engine with more horsepower and torque, lower emissions and better fuel economy.

PASSENGER-SIDE VIEW SCREEN
Slotted between the top of the dash and the glove box, this optional touch screen allows the passenger to observe the tach and speedometer, navigation settings, g-force meter, vehicle traction-control settings and of course the all-important audio and music selections. It’s the ultimate back-seat driver’s assistant.

The most important standard equipment on the 2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast isn’t the manually adjustable seats or power windows, it’s the things related to performance. There’s the previously mentioned multi-function steering wheel with driving modes for Wet, Sport and Race. Also, onboard sculpted sport bucket seats, Ferrari’s Virtual Short Wheelbase (rear-wheel steering), electric-power steering (a first on a Ferrari), Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and a small configurable screen to the right of the tachometer for displaying various functions from speed to audio and navigation settings. Don’t look for advanced driver assists like collision-mitigation braking or even a standard rearview camera (it’s optional).

The 812 Superfast’s option list is wide and expensive. It also contains some items you’d expect to be standard on a $350,000-plus supercar, like power seats. You can opt for eight different leather seat designs, various stitching in multiple colors, a leather headliner, multiple carpet and floormat colors and carbon-fiber interior trim. Also offered are power adjustable seats, a high-end audio upgrade, adaptive headlights, suspension lifter, black ceramic or titanium exhaust tips, special Rosso 70th anniversary red paint, colored brake calipers and a parking camera. Check all the boxes and you can easily push the 812 Superfast’s price past the $450,000 mark.

Ferrari’s 812 Superfast for 2018 is powered by a hand-built, 6.5-liter V12 engine equipped with the latest in performance technology. Upgrades from the previous 6.3-liter V12 upon which it is based include revised pistons, stronger connecting rods and crankshaft, as well as smaller fuel injectors working under extremely high pressure for better combustion at high speeds. The result is a normally aspirated V12 producing 789 horsepower, 530 lb-ft of torque and an 8,900-rpm redline. All this power is routed to the rear wheels via a twin-clutch 7-speed automatic transmission.

6.5-liter V12
789 horsepower @ 8,500 rpm
530 lb-ft of torque @ 7,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/16 mpg