MOST POWERFUL FERRARI F12BERLINETTA BREAKS COVER

Today Ferrari unveiled its most powerful car ever, the F12berlinetta. Weird name yes, but still a magnificent-looking thing with an incredible technical ability, from what we can see. It will be unveiled publically next week at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show, so if you happen to be around there, go have a look.

First things first. This is a Ferrari, and so fans will want to know about the engine above all else. Well, it’s a 6.3-litre V12 with natural aspiration (no turbos here), nestling in the mid-front position to realise a total 54/46 weight distribution. It is the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever to come out of Maranello, thanks to the 544kW it produces at 8500rpm, and the 690Nm of torque at a banging 6000rpm. The 0 – 100km/h sprint time takes just 3.1 seconds, and top speed is said to be over 340km/h. Average fuel consumption, likely to be more of an irritant than a disappointment to potential buyers, is 15 litres per 100km, which in real life means over 20 litres per 100km!

F12berlinetta is 4.6 metres long, 1.9m wide, 1.3m high and has a dry weight of 1 525kg, which is 70kg lighter than the 599 GTB it replaces. This is thanks to an all-new spaceframe chassis and body shell using 12 different kinds of alloys, some of which apparently, have never been used in cars before.

The Pininfarina original is a full two-door coupe with additional luggage capacity behind the seats, while the dashboard is designed around the driver’s needs, which is quite typical of Ferrari.