Forza 4 Head to Head: Ferrari V12 flagships

What makes a Ferrari very unique to the eyes of the enthusiasts? Well, it's a serious car company focusing on very serious business when it comes to making the most serious supercars only the rich and privileged can own. A decent V12 engine made by Ferrari is what makes it proper, unlike the baby Ferraris fitted with V8s such as the 355, 360, F430, or the current 458. A Ferrari flagship V12 car may have sacrificed its handling in favor of insane speeds but it's what made them very serious, leaving the driver absolutely no sense of humor at all. I've picked up three of the finest Ferrari V12 flagships from Forza Motorsport 4 and compare which one is the serious V12 flagship of all ages...

First up is the Ferrari 512TR, it maybe an improved version of the fabled Testarossa with some added testes at the back but is it quite a serious machine built for the serious executives?

Ferrari 512TR

Next up is the Ferrari 575M Maranello, this car has been a favorite of my childhood because of its unique characteristics a good Ferrari V12 flagship would do, except for the fact that this is just an improved version of the 550M, which is known to be the best handling car in the world according to Jeremy Clarkson.

Ferrari 575M Maranello

And finally, the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, a sonorous flagship Ferrari with the well-mannered version of the V12 engine you would normally get on the ultra-expensive Enzo. It may look weird in terms of design but when it comes to performance, it's business as usual.

Ferrari 599 GTB

So what am I gonna do is using a stopwatch while letting Stig thrashing down those three V12 flagship horses round the Top Gear Track. It's a simple science experiment so here goes...

Lap Times:

512TR: 1:24.876
575M: 1:25.360
599 GTB: 1:20.625

Based on these lap times, it appears the 599 with its Enzo-based V12 engine toppled down those two and seems that the 575M performed slowly than the 512TR but what if lap times weren't relevant? I've rechecked those laps and then figuring out how serious are these three V12-powered Ferrari flagships. The 512TR is definitely a serious one because this car sacrifices handling for the sake of power and acceleration. The 575M is an added curiosity even though the V12 engine is mounted on the front rather than the back. This car does corner well but when it comes to speed, it's nowhere near as good as a midship-engined 512TR. The 599 though does provide some spartan driving manners. When I said spartan I mean of course you need to have the heart of the spartan to master the 599's potential. It maybe quick but for me, it's not quite a serious flagship Ferrari.

As for me, the most serious Ferrari V12 flagship of all ages...is the Ferrari 575M Maranello. It maybe slower than the 512TR or the 599 but it does perform seriously well in the corners. This car is made for the serious drivers of all ages because of some F1 technology implanted on it.