The king is useless; lengthy dwell the king. Ferrari has bid its scintillating 812 Superfast a fond farewell, changing it with a brand new top-dog front-engined supercar with an equally on-the-nose identify – the 12Cilindri.

No prizes for guessing what the marginally awkward nomenclature is referring to – Maranello’s trademark 6.5 litre naturally-aspirated V12. Codenamed F140HD, this newest iteration has been fettled with a number of lighter parts, together with titanium connecting rods, new aluminium alloy pistons and a rebalanced crankshaft. Shaving off all that weight has allowed the huge engine to rev to a stratospheric 9,500 rpm.

Happy, the engineers then moved to releasing up extra prancing horses, including lighter sliding finger followers (with a friction-reducing diamond-like coating, or DLC) for the valvetrain that allow the fitment of hotter cam profiles. A brand new consumption manifold and plenum with shorter variable-geometry tracts additionally enable the engine to breathe extra simply.

The results of all these adjustments, a few of which had been already applied on the go-faster 812 Competizione, are breathtaking – 830 PS at 9,250 rpm and 678 Nm of torque at 7,250 rpm. Routed to the rear wheels by way of a brand new SF90 Stradale-derived eight-speed dual-clutch transmission – now with 30% sooner shifts – these figures enable the 12Cilindri to blitz its manner from zero to 100 km/h in simply 2.95 seconds and 200 km/h in 8.2 seconds, on its strategy to a prime pace in extra of 340 km/h.

To boost the ferocity of the acceleration, Ferrari has added Aspirated Torque Shaping (ATS) for the primary time on a naturally-aspirated mannequin, pushing torque supply in the direction of the upper reaches of the rev vary similarly to the corporate’s turbocharged automobiles. Different adjustments have been made to organize the engine for the newest Euro 6E emissions laws, together with a extra environment friendly oil pump and a brand new exhaust system with a ceramic catalytic converter and a particulate filter.

Preserving the horses nailed to the highway are a collection of Ferrari’s newest chassis programs. A 20 mm shorter wheelbase aids agility, helped by the faster-reacting rear-wheel steering from the Competizione. Additionally faster to reply is the brand new Facet Slip Management (SSC) 8.0, integrating the 296 GTB’s brake-by-wire and ABS Evo programs and growing traction on low-grip surfaces specifically.

Not that the 12Cilindri is missing in grip, rolling on a selection of both Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 or Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres. Each are bespoke for this automobile and are available in new sizes – 275/35 ZR21 on the entrance and 315/35 ZR21 on the rear – wrapping bigger 21-inch alloy wheels. The all-aluminium physique construction, incorporating new strut tower, A- and C-pillar geometry, is 15% stiffer than earlier than.

On the surface, the 12Cilindri eschews Ferrari’s earlier sculptural design language in favour of a extra refined aesthetic that additionally pays homage to previous fashions. The latter is very evident within the black band that wraps across the entrance, integrating the headlights and offering an apparent stylistic hyperlink to the long-lasting 365 GTB/4 Daytona from the Seventies.

Behind the lengthy clamshell bonnet, the black glasshouse – now incorporating a glass roof – intersects with an expansive rear part that sweeps outwards and integrates the voluptuous rear haunches, forming a delta wing-shaped rear finish. A slim quad taillight strip sits beneath a big rear spoiler with lively flaps, the latter pushed to both facet of the glass boot lid to maximise baggage house.

Aerodynamics are an integral a part of any fashionable Ferrari, and so is the case with the 12Cilindri. The entrance options a minimum of seven beneficiant air intakes, feeding the revamped cooling system and brakes. A few of that air then exits by way of the 2 bonnet vents, decreasing strain beneath and resulting in fewer openings within the underbody, maximising downforce technology.

Talking of which, the optimised underbody makes use of three pairs of vortex mills – once more derived from the Competizione – to generate downforce, working in live performance with the revised central part and rear-wheel shields to direct air in the direction of the ginormous rear diffuser. The latter options two extra vortex mills and in addition homes the compulsory quad exhaust exits (now in an oblong form).

Inside, the 12Cilindri adopts the dual-cockpit design first seen within the Purosangue SUV, housing the expansive 15.6-inch digital instrument show and the 8.8-inch passenger touchscreen. In a primary for Ferrari’s most sporting fashions, a ten.25-inch central infotainment touchscreen sits beneath the big twin cowls. The centre console includes a Y-shaped metallic construction that homes the gear selector toggles organized in a H-pattern to imitate the corporate’s famed gated handbook shifters of yore – a function that made its debut on the Roma.

Similar to previous Ferrari front-engined flagships for the reason that 550 Maranello, the 12Cilindri options simply two (heavily-sculpted) seats, and these can now be upholstered in a extra sustainable Alcantara variant with 65% recycled polyester. You additionally get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – fortunately now displayed by way of the central show as an alternative of the instrument cluster – as commonplace, in addition to Qi wi-fi charging and an (elective) new 15-speaker, 1,600-watt Burmester sound system.

Unusually for Ferrari, the 12Cilindri berlinetta (or coupé) debuts alongside the droptop Spider model. The latter is notable for being simply 60 kg heavier than the hardtop mannequin, regardless of retaining the dramatic folding metallic roof that flips backwards into the rear lid. The roof retraction course of takes simply 14 seconds and might occur at speeds of as much as 100 km/h.

GALLERY: Ferrari 12Cilindri

GALLERY: Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

Seeking to promote your automobile? Promote it with Carro.