Ferrari 812 successor spied having V-12 fun at Fiorano
There’s life in Ferrari’s V-12 yet. Maranello confirmed in 2021 that it was working on a more powerful version of the 830-hp engine in the 812 Competizione, and the recipient of that powerplant looks like it’s just been doing laps at the firm’s Fiorano test track.
Although the camouflaged test mule caught in this spy video appears to be based on the Roma, pumped up wheel arches, a stretched hood, and a new bumper with extra cooling ducts suggests it’s something else entirely. Listen closely to the sound from the quad exhausts and you’ll hear it’s playing a very different tune to the twin-turbo V-8 that’s found in a regular Roma.
What’s more the prototype definitely packs a punch. As the driver attempts to put all the power down on the exit of the track’s tightest turns you can see the rear wheels step out of line, before the car’s electronics step in to tame each slide. The throttle response appears instant, with no lag from turbos, and with the immediate rise in acoustic accompaniment it seems unlikely that there’s any electrical assistance either.
The Daytona SP3 has proven that the venerable V-12 can be fitted amidships and gives hope of a LaFerrari replacement in the near future, but it’s exciting to see that Ferrari hasn’t given up on its front-engined V-12s either. Although it’s clearly in a very early stage of development it gives us even more reason to monitor the movements at Fiorano throughout 2023.
