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Ferrari 812 Superfast lives up to its name

Ferrari 812 Superfast lives up to its name

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Money can buy you speed

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The Ferrari 812 Superfast is making it clear that speed is still a theme that’s paramount to the luxury Italian automaker’s DNA. Seeing Ferrari’s fastest production car up close at the Geneva Motor Show in alarm-red Rosso Settanta hue is believing. All those luscious curves created at the Ferrari Styling Centre are not for looks — the design is part of the aerodynamic sauce that propels this supercar to its superfast name that harkens back to the namesake 1964 500 Superfast and the lore of the 1969 365 GTB4 Daytona. But there’s no denying that those muscular haunches are menacing, even at a standstill under the staid convention center lights.

Its big numbers don’t lie. The 812 Superfast is powered by a monster 6.5 liter V12 engine that cranks out 789 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. Engineers tweaked the intake and combustion system to maximize the amount of air flow into the engine, which also improved overall efficiency and set a record of 588 kw at 8,500 rpm. That oomph propels the 812 Superfast from 0 to 62 miles per hour in a 2.9-second flash. It’s also the first Ferrari made with electric power steering.

On the ground in Geneva, The Verge‘s Vlad Savov said the metallic shade was easier on the eyes than the new red color option. He found the interior ample in comparison to the Ferrari 488 GTB and was surprised that he had plenty of legroom for driver, passenger. The slope of the glass pane rear window made the car feel more spacious, from a driver’s point of view.

The 812 Superfast might not be equipped with the 949 horsepower of poison found on the coachbuilt $1.4 million La Ferrari, but it is still more car than any Ferrari enthusiast needs for a wicked lap at the track or a delirious ride along the Amalfi Coast. Ferrari calls the 812 Superfast the extreme version of the $320,000 F12 Berlinetta. In its 70th anniversary year, Ferrari is doing more than keeping up with the times — it’s setting the pace for a supercar-rich future.

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Photo by Vlad Savov / The Verge