Ferrari teases new limited-edition speed machine

FERRARI has released the first official images of an upcoming special-edition supercar based on the rabid 812 Superfast ahead of its global debut on May 5.

If previous special-edition V12 Ferrari’s are anything to go by, the as-yet-nameless newcomer will only be available in a small quantity and aimed at the brand’s “most passionate collectors and connoisseurs”, but offer up genuinely savage performance increases over its donor vehicle – think 599 GTO and F12 TDF.

Examining the media images, it doesn’t take long to realise the special edition will be more than a step above the regular 812 in terms of its track capabilities, resembling more of a homologated race special than a road car.

At the front, the main air dam has been made wider, the chin extends lower and flaunts an aggressive new splitter while the air channels skirting the inside of the headlights are notable only by their absence due to the new bonnet.

From the side we can see the new splitter is complemented by a matching set of carbon side skirts, while the wheels are bigger, the integrated lip spoiler has been extend and the whole package sits lower to the ground.

In the place of the standard version’s rear window is a slatted piece of aluminium, the air vents adorning the boot lid are gone and the rear apron is dominated by a new full-width diffuser.

According to Ferrari, the 812 has been given an “aerodynamic redesign” with the goal of increasing downforce and helping the special edition carve out an identity of its own.

Carbon-fibre has been used for the majority of the body in a bid to save weight however exactly how much lighter the special edition is remains to be seen.

Under the redesigned bonnet is a reworked version of Ferrari’s familiar 6.5-litre V12 which develops 610kW of power at a screaming 9500rpm – 22kW more than in the standard Superfast – enough to make it the most powerful road-going internal-combustion engine the brand has produced to date.

For reference, peak torque has not been quoted yet but the standard car develops 718Nm.

Save for the extra firepower and reduced kerb weight, Ferrari has teased few other tricks it has used to help up the ante with the new car including independent all-wheel steering and the fitment (premiere) of its seventh-generation ‘Side Slip Control’ vehicle dynamics system as standard.

Whereas the exterior takes on a road-going racer identity, the special edition’s interior is far more sedate and GT-like, differing only marginally from the Superfast.

The biggest changes can be found on the door panels – and a few other unspecified surfaces – which have been redesigned to help shed weight while the transmission tunnel features a new H-gate theme designed to emphasise the sportier theme.

“The new model is the ultimate expression of Ferrari’s concept of an extreme front-engined berlinetta, honing the characteristics of the critically acclaimed 812 Superfast to a level never seen before,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“The result is a car that encapsulates and epitomises the company’s 70-plus years of experience on the world’s circuits, drawing on its thoroughbred sportscar DNA to deliver a perfect marriage of performance, form, and function.”

Ferrari has sold 42 vehicles in Australia so far this year ending March, marking a 40.8 per cent decrease on the 71 it sold over the same period last year.