Ferrari F8 Spider and 812 GTS

The fastest Ferrari convertibles on the road, the F8 Spider and the 812 GTS, are uncaged and ready to stun the world with its speed and style with or without the roof. If you were to choose between the newest open-top Ferraris available, which would you like to have a go at?

2020 Ferrari 812 GTS

First, let's get to know the 812 GTS and at last, a V12 open top supercar from Ferrari after five decades. For starters, the GTS delivers the same performance as its hardtop equivalent with the retractable roof that can be opened in just 14 seconds at cruising speeds of 45kph.

It still comes with the rather wonderful 6.5L V12 engine which sounds so wonderful while driving with the roof down and this engine produces an Aventador-crushing 800PS of power and 718Nm of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox which fits perfectly for its flagship open-top Super GT and despite being a convertible, it is almost as quick as the hardtop because not only the weight is almost as close to it, it goes from 0-100kph in less than three seconds and onwards to over 340kph, similar to the hardtop 812 Superfast can do.

The 812 Superfast is the flagship Ferrari grand tourer that works brilliantly on the road and on the track and with the open-top GTS, it still bears the same experience as its hardtop equivalent, allowing playboys to drive this super grand tourer faster and harder for longer until they are fully satisfied.

2020 Ferrari F8 Spider

If drivers are fully satisfied with the 815 GTS, they can move on to another fast Ferrari convertible and this time, it's a midship V8 one that can easily tickle their fancies even more. Of course, the Ferrari F8 Spider offers the same charismatic thrill as the instant classic F8 Tributo but with the roof down, drivers will love it even more.

The 488 Pista-derived 3.9L V8 Twin Turbo engine may produce 80PS less than the 812's but because it's mid-engined and armed with a 7-speed F1 DCT, it does 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and onwards to 340kph. That's almost the same as the 812 GTS can do although it is heavier compared to its hardtop equivalent but nevertheless it still works just like the F8 Tributo. It zooms into the unknown at breakneck speeds and handles nearly perfectly on the road and on the track with precision and poise, putting this open-top mid-engined supercar in a different league.

Going back to the question above; if you were to choose between the newest open-top Ferraris available, which would you like to have a go at? It depends on the outcome but because the 812 GTS and the F8 Spider delivered similar speeds and performance even with the roof down, it's fair to say that these two open-top supercars have reached an honorable stalemate. No contest but these two are worth driving.

Photo: Ferrari

Forza Horizon 4: Prince, Princess, and Conquest

There are some cars that you won't find in the Autoshow. It can only be obtained at the #FORZATHON shop where all the points earned from completing challenges during the duration can be exchanged to prizes you won't obtain through normal gameplay. One such example is this car, the Ferrari 812 Superfast.



It's a great thing I finally managed to snag this elusive Prancing Horse with only a few hours left in the autumn season event to spare in-game. I once thought that this car couldn't make it in the Forza Horizon 4 car roster but as it turns it, it DOES exist...as a #FORZATHON prize car, and if I want one in my collection, I have to achieve numerous tasks, earn points, and claim it. It's like winning arcade tickets to claim a big prize, am I right?

Anyway, for those who want to know about this Ferrari, this is the most powerful road-going V12 Ferrari ever made with 800PS churned out from its brand new 6.5L V12 naturally aspirated engine and with the F1-style double-clutch gearbox, it does 0-100kph in less than three seconds and a top speed of 340kph. It was the first Ferrari to come with Electric Power Steering and to my tastes, cars equipped with Electric Power Steering always result in catastrophic understeer even if you corner it hard but this feels a bit different and it still behaves like a Ferrari.

It's like they said when the opposition injects more power to outrun the Prancing Horse, Ferrari will keep fighting back and this 812 served as their counterattack on the likes of Lamborghini by outdoing their Aventador to the point that it can outpower its predecessor, the F12berlinetta, especially the limited-edition F12tdf. I love Maranello's method of madness when it comes to retaliating and this 812 is the result of what Ferrari does best, no matter how good or bad this car gets.

So, now that I bagged the FORZATHON prize car of the week, let's see if the 812 demonstrates just how Ferrari this Ferrari is and speaking of which...





What? A true princess wears her conquests, right? Trophy, I presume? Never mind but still, it reflects the 812's personality rather well and with the 812 all set, the Prancing Horse prepares to take on all comers on the streets of Bainbridge at the dead of the night. Now, show me what you can do, ma'am.



This beast ain't beast unless it was named..er...Anna Akagi. (laughing with tears of joy)



With the 812 now my trophy and my conquest, I wonder what new cars will be rolling out at the FORZATHON shop for a week? Keep playing and find out.

Forza Motorsport 7: Super Fast!

I fell in love with the Ferrari F12 ever since its inception in 2012 as the 599-replacing flagship V12 grand tourer that lapped the Fiorano test course quicker than the Enzo Ferrari. Although not destined to tackle down hypercars like the Aventador and the Huayra, its presence as an exotic grand tourer makes it hard for drivers to confess that it's way too powerful for its own right.





Sadly, my favorite Ferrari has reached the end of its career but like seasons, the Ferrari F12 has undergone a major transformation into something so radical, even their eyes are starting to twitch by such firepower.









Ladies and gentlemen, the F12berlinetta is gone. Long live the new 812 Superfast, the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 car ever made and I found it at the Top Gear Car Pack on Forza Motorsport 7 for keeps. So, what's it all about the 812?

2017 marks the 70th anniversary of Ferrari and one of the cars launched in honor that occassion is none other than the all-new Ferrari 812 Superfast, the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 production car ever made.

Served as the successor of the F12berlinetta, the 812 responds the needs of a more powerful V12 Ferrari that brings them to the top of the supercar food chain as it now boasts an all new 6.5L V12 engine producing 800PS of power and 718Nm of torque. Mated to an improved F1-style double-clutch gearbox, it goes from 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and onwards to 340kph. While the dynamics are heavily improved for a more dramatic feel on the track, its attributes as a grand tourer is never forgotten on the road, making it the best of both worlds.

Matt LeBlanc sampled the 812 round Imola in a Series 25 episode of Top Gear until The Stig irritated him enough to drive this car.



The old F12 feels like a more enjoyable sportscar that cares about its driving delight more than itself. The new 812 though, well, this is a different story. Because it now dons an electric power steering, the handling is starting to feel heavy while slowing down and because it's got so much power by Ferrari standards, it's starting to becoming more challenging to drive than the F12 I enjoyed before. I admire Ferrari's tendency to trump Lamborghini and Pagani on the power play but having demonstrated the challenging dynamics it possesses, you get the feeling that you've been wrestled by...a fire-breathing leviathan. Mess with it and you'll get a nasty burn.



Having proved that the 812 is a very challenging grand tourer to drive thanks to its excessive power from its new V12 engine and its electric power steering that can break everyone's arms, it's time to find out if this car improved from the F12 and to do that, I'll get not one but two variants. There's the normal F12 I mentioned earlier and then there's the more hardcore F12tdf.





It's a real beauty, isn't it? But anyway, it's time to put these three V12 Fezzas round the Top Gear Track to see how much improvement the 812 is compared to the F12.



And now, the results...

F12 - 1:20.005
F12tdf - 1:19.154
812 - 1:18.641

The science experiment provided by me that from the 812 is over a second and a half faster than the F12, although it takes time to get a grip to its intimidating dynamics that will upset novices elsewhere.



The 812 maybe the most intimidating Ferrari to drive but because it's served at Top Gear's very own Cafe LeBlanc, it's starting to taste like extra hot curry served on a platter with black coffee. Sounds like brave stuff but if you are brave enough to drive the 812, this could be the Ferrari you're going to fall in love with, even if you hate it.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

For seven decades, Ferrari has been the dominant force of the sports car realm and as true as what they said that when others try to grab Ferrari to the mane, the Prancing Horse will kick them hard. In other words, when others get more powerful enough to beat Ferrari in its own game, it will counterattack it with more powerful machines in their fleet. One such example is the latest addition to the Scuderia stable.

2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

Let's begin with this, the brand new Ferrari 812, or in full name, the 812 Superfast, the new and improved version of Ferrari's breakthrough F12berlinetta that responds the needs of a more powerful V12 Ferrari that brings them to the top of the supercar food chain and there are plenty of reasons why everybody's salivating over the most powerful V12 Ferrari ever made.

First and foremost, the 812 now bears a 6.5L V12 engine that produces 800PS of power and 718Nm of torque, that's more powerful than the old F12tdf. That's even more powerful than the LaFerrari running on V12 alone, which is impossible because you can't separate the LaFerrari's hybrid powertrain. However, without all the complicating bits and bobs, the new 812 is a miraculous feast for the Ferrari purists because with no hybrid and turbocharging malarkey involved in the making of Ferrari's super GT car, it's all about bringing freedom to drive to a whole another level.

On the normal roads, the 812 still as civilized as the old F12. You can drive like a normal car on a quiet village and it still works as fine and because the engine features a nifty feature that shuts the engine off when stopped at a set of lights and restarts when you set off, you'd get about 14.9 l/100 km of fuel consumption, which isn't bad for a V12 Fezza.

On the open roads, the 812 comes alive with a set of new rules that will reshape the supercar genre one step at the time. With that V12 engine in place and the improved F1-style double-clutch gearbox, it goes from 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds and onwards to 340kph, which is as slower than the latest version of the Lamborghini Aventador but the truth is, you can't compare it to hypercars because the 812 is much more subtle than that. Instead, it can give cars like Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martin DB11 a complete run for their money.

Apart from the performance, Ferrari never forgot the memo about the dynamics and while it was an improvement compared to the old F12, there's a major catch; it's got Electric Power Steering, which is a dismay for Ferrari purists, and some high-tech junk that draws inspiration from the F12tdf and LaFerrari to deliver a driving experience unlike no other. Sure, it's got the best of the best in one unique package but those who are brave enough to drive the 812 need to be wise enough to understand what it should and it should not when taking things to the max. Dynamics aside, the aerodynamics played a crucial part of the 812 and while it sounds complicating to mention what's what, it sees a drastic improvement compared to the F12tdf.

That said, if you are taking this car on the track, the 812 is a complete monster and it will take no prisoners on any driver until he gets drunk with the exhilirating performance similar to mastering a MASTER-level, 1000-combo song with one finger. However,, in terms of cruising, the 812 feels rather nice to live with and it soothes your brow all the way home.

The price starts at around 282.934 Euros plus on road costs, which is very expensive by supercar standards, but we are itching to drive one someday.

Photo: Ferrari