The Ferrari F12tdf Could Be the Performance Bargain Of the Century

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Jonathon Klein

 

For those lucky few that have been able to unleash the savagery of the 6.3-liter V12 motor stuffed into the Ferrari F12, few probably thought the super-grand tourer needed any more power. It seems that Ferrari didn’t get the memo.

The Ferrari F12tdf (Tour de France) is what happens when you take an already ludicrously fast car, and break the dial off at eleven. The F12tdf is still powered by the same 6.3-liter V12 motor, but thanks to Ferrari’s engineers, power has been increased to 769 horsepower. Torque has also been increased from 509 lb-ft to 520, most of which is on tap at only 2,500 rpm.

Not only does the Ferrari F12tdf receive a boost in power, but Ferrari’s engineers have decreased the weight by 240 lbs. In a world where ounces and grams matter, 240 lbs is impressive. Ferrari also retuned the car’s dual-clutch transmission to make it upshift and downshift faster than ever before.

Everything on the F12tdf has been touched in some way or another. The car is wider, it has the same one-piece brakes from the LaFerrari, it uses Ferrari’s new four-wheel steering system, and the entire car has been reshaped to provide 87 percent more downforce.

All of which culminates in a car that’s breathtakingly fast. The Ferrari F12tdf will get to 62 miles per hour in just 2.9 seconds, and reach 124 miles per hour after just 7.9 seconds. Top speed is now a blistering 211 miles per hour. However, the most telling performance metric the Ferrari F12tdf holds is the lap time around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track.

 

The Ferrari LaFerrari—a multi-million dollar, mid-engine, hybrid hypercar—will lap the Fiorano track in just 1:19. The new F12tdf, 1:21. That means, with almost 200 less horsepower, more weight, and a front engine design, the F12tdf could be the performance bargain of the century. Pricing has not yet been announced, but with 799 being built, it certainly will not cost nearly as much as the LaFerrari, which commands a price in excess of $1.5 million.