Cars - Ferrari - F12berlinetta, the fastest ever built - 01-03-2012

Ferrari - F12berlinetta, the fastest ever built

by Henry

The Italian marque Ferrari has unveiled the F12berlinetta, feted as the fastest Ferrari ever built, with a new engine and innovative aerodynamics. Revealed to the world for the first time on Ferrari.com in preparation for its official debut at the Geneva International Motor Show, the F12berlinetta is a mid-front-engined sports car with an incredibly efficient engine – in terms of mechanical, combustion and fluid-dynamics efficiency. It is claimed to guarantee unsurpassed driving involvement whatever the road or track. It could be compared to to "Formula One on the road" concepts currently built by other brands such as Caparo and McLaren.

Ferrari’s traditional transaxle layout has been revolutionized to match the more extreme performance of the car. The wheelbase has been shortened and the engine, dashboard and seats have been lowered in the chassis, while the new layout of the rear suspension and gearbox enabled Ferrari’s engineers to make the rear volume of the car smaller. The overall result is a very compact car with a lower centre of gravity that is further back in the chassis, and a level of aerodynamic efficiency that sets new standards.

Scaglietti, renowned for its expertise in aluminium materials and construction, designed an all-new spaceframe chassis and bodyshell using 12 different kinds of alloys, some of which have been used here for the first time in the automotive sector, and employing new assembly and joining techniques. This has resulted in a 20 per cent increase in structural rigidity while reducing weight to just 1525 kg (70 kg less than the previous V12 coupé) with an ideal distribution between the axles (54 per cent over the rear).

The F12berlinetta’s 6262cc 65° V12 engine delivers unprecedented performance and revs for a naturally-aspirated 12-cylinder. Its maximum power output is 740 CV, with torque that provides an unrelenting surge of acceleration all the way to the 8,700 rpm limit. The weight-to-power ratio is just 2.1 kg/CV . Fuel consumption has been reduced by 30%, with CO2 emissions of just 350 g/km – figures which put the F12berlinetta at the top of the high-performance league.

As regards aerodynamics, downforce is 76% higher, while drag has been significantly reduced (Cd just 0.299). These results are attained by two innovative systems, the Aero Bridge which uses the bonnet to generate downforce by channelling air away from the upper part of the car to its flanks where it interacts with the wake from the wheel wells to decrease drag; and Active Brake Cooling, a system that opens guide vanes to the brake cooling ducts only at high operating temperatures, again reducing drag.

In terms of speed, the new Ferrari accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 8.5 seconds. Top speed is over 340 km/h. The 6262 cc V12 engine consumes 15 l per 100 km.
Find out more at www.ferrari.com