Berlinetta goes bonkers: Ferrari F12tdf revealed ~ station of gear

The rumoured F12 Speciale will be called Ferrari F12tdf, in homage to legendary endurance road race of the 1950s

2015-10-13 11:00

Earlier this year, our eagle-eyed spy photographers snapped what looked like a lightweight Ferrari F12 Speciale, but today the brand has confirmed it will be called F12tdf, in homage to the endurance road race that Ferrari dominated in the 1950s and 60s.

The tdf uses the existing naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V12, albeit with power uprated from 731bhp to 769bhp. That shaves two tenths of a second off the standard F12’s 0-62mph time (now 2.9 seconds), while Ferrari claims a top speed ‘in excess of 211mph’. That means it can accelerate as fast as a LaFerrari hyper car, and should beat the normal F12 flat out, too.

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In terms of technical innovations, Ferrari engineers have installed a rear-wheel steer system to compensate the car’s natural tendency to oversteer. Known as the Virtual Short Wheelbase, it is integrated with the other vehicle control systems, which improves steering response and high-speed stability.

It’s 110kg lighter than the standard F12 thanks to a radical redesign of the body and extensive use of carbon fibre. From the front the F12tdf gets a lower, wider stance and sharp front splitter, as well as fins in the bumper and bonnet. There are slats in the rear haunches, too, helping double the car’s aerodynamic efficiency over the standard car.

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The rear spoiler is now 60mm longer and 30mm higher, while the rear screen is more steeply raked.. It now generates 230kg of downforce at 124mph – 107kg more than before. At the rear, there’s a mean-looking diffuser, with the same centrally-mounted foglight – inspired by the company’s F1 car.

Just 799 will be built, but prices have not yet been announced. That said, we’d expect a premium of at least £30,000 – meaning a price tag in the region of £275,000 seems likely. As ever, a few choice options could send this spiralling, well past the £300,000 mark.

Richard Ingram

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