2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta - Review

The Basics:

The top of Ferrari's grand touring hierarchy is always an interesting place: from the 550 Maranello to the 599 GTB Fiorano to the new F12 Berlinetta, the Prancing Horse's front-engine, rear-drive, V-12 grand tourers have blended extreme performance with top-tier luxury in a stylish package for over a decade. Priced at about $330,000 to start, the F12 Berlinetta is an expensive grand tourer, but its specs tend to justify the cost.

The F12 Berlinetta's exterior style is unique, and perhaps more daring than Ferrari has been with its grand tourers in the past. The most noticeable feature is the dramatic, swooping accent line along the side. While some will love, others hate it, but as with all good automotive design, polarizing features is a measure of success.

As the latest in this lineage of blazingly fast grand tourers, the F12 Berlinetta (officially styled as the F12berlinetta) is among the fastest of Ferrari's cars to date, reaching 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds and a top speed somewhere beyond 211 mph.

It's a 6.3-liter V-12 engine under the hood that enables these feats, generating 729 horsepower and 508 pound-feet of torque. About 80 percent of peak torque is available from 2,500 rpm, and the 8,700-rpm redline is just 200 rpm beyond the peak horsepower mark.

Inside, you'll find the latest in Ferrari's design style, with modern touches like an F1-inspired steering wheel with "manettino" control for performance modes, a two-tone color theme, and extensive use of leather. Carbon fiber accents, the occasional red switchgear, and other touches accentuate the car's ties to Ferrari's racing history.

Of course, there's nothing saying you have to stick with the basics in any Ferrari, let alone the F12 Berlinetta. Through a variety of customization and personalization services, F12 buyers can specify nearly any option, material, or color they'd like.

Front seat space in the F12 Berlinetta is fine on paper, and Ferrari's penchant for making supporting but comfortable seats looks to have held true as well. Cargo space is not abundant, but the trunk should hold enough for a couple of overnight bags, though it's not likely to be good for a multiple-person golf outing.

We haven't yet driven the 2013 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, but we'll update this space as soon as we do.