Ferrari has introduced even more extreme versions of the 812 Superfast: the Ferrari 812 Competizione and its Targa-top twin, the Competizione A. If you take away just one fact about these cars today, it should probably be the fact that their 6.5-liter V12 produces 819 horsepower and revs to a frankly ridiculous 9,500 rpm. That makes them both the most powerful and highest-revving Ferrari road cars ever. For reference, that’s 30 hp and 600 rpm more than the so-called Superfast and I’m a little disappointed Ferrari didn’t call this car the 812 SuperDuperfast instead.
To create the Competizione, Ferrari took its masterpiece of a V12 and rebalanced the crankshaft, gave it new valve timing, redesigned the pistons, redesigned the intake, fitted 40 percent lighter titanium connecting rods, threw on a new exhaust system, and, no joke, quite literally sprinkled it with diamonds, covering the piston pins and cams with a diamond-like carbon (or DLC, as Ferrari has abbreviated it) coating that apparently reduces friction. Alas, my disappointment presents itself once again over the fact that Ferrari did not manage to make unicorn-blood-infused motor oil a requirement on this car.
With a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that apparently shifts five percent quicker, the Ferrari 812 Competizione gets from zero to 62 mph in 2.85 seconds and hits 124 mph in 7.5 seconds. It tops out somewhere north of 211 mph and apparently lapped the company’s Fiorano test track in one minute and 20 seconds—1.5 seconds quicker than the Superfast, a second quicker than what is arguably its most direct predecessor, the F12tdf, and just 0.3 shy of the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar. Less flatteringly, perhaps, it’s also a full second slower than Ferrari’s plug-in SF90 Stradale. And people wonder why Ferrari is going electric in 2025.
Anywho, some other things that make the 812 Competizione go fast and set it apart from Ferrari’s “regular” front-engined V12 supercar include Slide Slip Control 7.0, a total weight loss of 84 pounds, improved brake cooling, a stickier set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, and independent steering on all four wheels that apparently leads to better agility and response.
On the aero front, a huge blown rear diffuser incorporates the exhaust pipes and takes inspiration from the previous decade’s Formula 1 cars. Above that, Ferrari has apparently patented the vortex generators on the closed-top Competizione’s blocked-off, carbon fiber rear “window” which redistribute the pressure field over the rear axle, increasing downforce. The Competizione A, meanwhile, gets a cool-looking bridge instead that apparently acts like a wing. All in all, the Competizione produces 30 percent more downforce than the Superfast.
Usually, I like to end new car announcements with a price, if available, and when it’ll go on sale. But in the case of the Ferrari 812 Competizione, I feel like if you haven’t already been contacted by your dedicated Ferrari butler about a deposit, you probably don’t need to worry about that stuff.
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