Bob Arora test drives the Ferrari 12 Cilindri – a powerful grand tourer that blends F1 pedigree with long-distance luxury in truly spectacular fashion
If you’ve read my previous Ferrari reviews, you may remember that I was never really a Formula 1 fan, until I started watching Drive to Survive. I’ve now started
watching the F1 highlights on a Sunday evening; I wouldn’t call myself a superfan, but I do like to keep ahead of all that’s going on.
If you aren’t an F1 fan, you must have heard the biggest news of the year which involves our very own Lewis Hamilton. He’s decided to leave Mercedes and move to Ferrari, which must be the coup of the century.
Being given the chance to drive for the most iconic F1 team ever was obviously too big an opportunity for Lewis to turn down. As a Lewis fan, I really want him to do well at Ferrari. Hopefully, he’ll get the opportunity to win his eighth title – the one he should have taken a few years ago, before Max Verstappen robbed him of it.
Until recently, Silverlink had its very own Ferrari dealership, but unfortunately it has now closed, which is such a shame. That brings me to a very special call I received recently: Ferrari Edinburgh asked if I’d like to drive the new 12 Cilindri.
I made my decision quicker than a Formula 1 team does a pit stop and made my way up to Edinburgh and I was handed the key to this beast. I decided to take a drive to North Berwick, which has some incredible scenery; it’s the perfect place to drive this stunning car.
First impressions
The first thing you notice in the small streets of North Berwick is the sheer size of the car; it’s longer and wider than the outgoing 812. I was thankful for the rear-wheel steering and parking sensors, which came into their own around the tight streets or when I’d taken a wrong turn and had to do a three-point turn.
As soon as you jump in the car and begin to drive, you’ll instantly notice just how refined it is compared to the 812, which was a much harder car to drive. You can just tootle around like you’re on a Sunday drive, plant your foot down on the accelerator, and the 830 horses under the bonnet spring into life and you are at 70 mph in the blink of an eye.
Another thing you cannot fail to miss are the black accents on the front and back of the car, which are a real throwback to the classic 365 Daytona. The rear spoiler at the back of the car features the black accents, which rise and lower at each rear quarter section.
I do think this car is very colour dependent. The one I drove was a gold colour, which did nothing at all for me or the car in my humble opinion. In the showroom, there was a beautiful grey car with black alloys; it was unreal, and the black accents looked great. It’s definitely one of those cars that looks better in the flesh than it does in pictures.
Speed and sound
The 12 Cilindri is the replacement for the extremely popular 812 Ferrari. The 812 ticked all the design boxes for me with its classic circular round lights at the back and its extremely sporty styling; it just screamed supercar.
Ferrari have been producing beautiful GT cars since 1947, and this latest car continues the company’s legacy in this market. Due to the number of regulations car makers must adhere to now, the 12 Cilindri is two decibels quieter than the outgoing 812.
Despite the noise reduction, the 6.5-litre engine still sounds incredible. The engine’s redline is 9,500 rpm; you’ll find yourself trying to find tunnels to hear the amazing engine or driving all the way to the redline or dropping gears just to hear the exhaust pop and crackle!
Getting the car to 60 mph only takes 2.9 seconds and 125 mph takes 8.2 seconds. The car’s top speed is a blistering 211 mph. The eight-speed gearbox is 30% quicker than the outgoing 812, which I have to say didn’t seem at all slow at making its changes.
The brakes are phenomenal; this is partly thanks to the drive-by-wire braking system that really does an amazing job of bringing the car to a stop with absolute ease.
The interior
The interior has leather, Alcantara and carbon all over the place, as you’d expect for a car costing over £350k without any options. The driver’s display is a big screen. Unfortunately, like other Ferraris, the rev counter is no longer analogue, which is a real shame, but it appears to be the way all manufacturers are now going.
The infotainment screen at the bottom controls all the car’s heating, sat nav, music, and your phone. The passenger also gets a small screen which shows them how fast you’re going, which we all know isn’t a good thing!
If you are in the market for a luxury Grand Tourer, this car really ticks all the boxes. It’ll get you across continents with absolute ease and you’ll have a huge smile on your face when you reach your destination!
