2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione Coupe and A - 830bhp monsters

Competition Bred. As limited editions go, Ferrari’s new 812 Competizione has it all: 830bhp, race-bred upgrades and an amazing new aluminium rear screen. Could this be all-time peak Ferrari V12? Story by Chris Rees Images by Ferrari.

• Remember Ferrari’s 599 GTO and F12tdf? Two absolute classics in the Maranello canon of V12 glory, each an ultra-desirable, performance-focused limited edition model. Now Ferrari is back with a brand new ultimate V12 model: the 812 Superfast-based ‘Competizione’.

And ultimate it really is. Let’s say straight up that this strictly limited-production car – 999 examples of the 812 Competizione coupe and 599 more of the open-topped 812 Competizione A will be made – has already sold out, despite costing the best part of half a million quid. Frankly, that could be seen as a bargain, as previous limited edition Ferrari V12s have always gone up in value.

So what is it that those 1598 customers can expect from their 812 Competizione? The new car is way more than just a Superfast with a few add-ons, for starters: just about every area of the car has seen fundamental changes.

Let’s start with the 6.5-litre V12. Ferrari has thrown a whole load of tech at this. Titanium con-rods are 40% lighter, the rebalanced crankshaft is also lighter, and the piston pins and cams have new diamond-like carbon coating. The intake system is redesigned to deliver more power at high revs, while the oil system is enhanced to reduce friction.

The result is peak power upped by 30hp to 830hp, making this the most powerful naturally aspirated Ferrari road-car engine ever. The car’s 0-62mph time is marginally improved at 2.85 seconds, but what’s telling is its truly astonishing ability to do 0-124mph in just 7.5 seconds. Oh, and its lap time around Fiorano of 1min 20sec is 1.5sec quicker than the Superfast.

What is really making us anticipate a drive, though, is the fact that the V12 now revs 500rpm higher. Can you imagine the sound of 12 cylinder screaming at fully 9500rpm? That’s a more frenetic level than any other Ferrari road engine has ever managed. And that sound should be amazing, too, since Ferrari has got rid of the exhaust silencer and installed a new ‘trumpet’ in the single vertical rectangular tailpipe that replaces the Superfast’s twin circular pipes. Another improvement is the gearbox, which has been recalibrated to reduce shift times by five percent.

Four-wheel steering is standard on the 812 Superfast but the 812 Competizione takes this system one stage further: each rear wheel can now steer independently of the other. Side Slip Control (SSC) has also evolved to version 7.0, promising a lot of fun for the driver on the limits of grip. Also new are dedicated Michelin Cup2R tyres.

More than any prior Special Series Ferrari, the 812 Competizione really has its own distinct visual identity. Without doubt, the rear screen has generated most comment. Actually it’s not a screen at all but a single-piece aluminium structure disrupted by vortex generators. It looks like the backbone of a fish but also has an aerodynamic advantages that increase overall downforce at the rear. Although it’s solid, you can see ‘through’ the rear screen via a rear-view camera that projects an image on to the cabin mirror.

The rear diffuser now extends the full width of the car and interacts with the exhaust gases, in the same way as the controversial system on F1 cars during the 2010s. Other aerodynamic changes at the back end include a taller rear spoiler (referencing the Ferrari 330 P3/P4) and three horizontal ‘flicks’ behind each rear wheel (in turn recalling the F12tdf). Ferrari is claiming a 35 percent boost in downforce as a result.

Of course the open-roof Competizione A doesn’t have the coupe’s metal screen and vortex generators, swapping them for a new bridge between the flying buttresses, which behaves like an aircraft wing to reduce drag but keep downforce high.

Up front you can’t miss the carbonfibre blade that crosses the bonnet. As with the recent Ferrari Monza SP, there are clear echoes of classic 1960s liveries such as Stirling Moss’s 250 GT, but there’s a practical benefit, too, as the larger vents help boost cooling efficiency by 10 percent.

Other aero tweaks include an extended front bumper/splitter and two apertures in each wheelarch, one at the top and one at the rear. The large single front grille is flanked by squared-off carbonfibre air intakes that channel air to the brakes. Brake cooling is also enhanced by new ‘aero’ callipers borrowed from the SF90 Stradale.

By using a lot of carbonfibre parts both inside and out, overall weight has dropped by 38kg. And you can now order carbon wheels for the first time on a Ferrari V12 car, shaving 3.7kg off the car’s weight. As for the cabin, that isn’t greatly changed over the 812 Superfast. The door panels have been redesigned and lightened and there’s a new H-gate theme for the gear controller.

So to conclude: here’s a limited-production, ultra-high performance, ultra-sharp-handling, lightweight Ferrari with an 830hp V12 engine that can rev to 9500rpm. That’s a spec to make you salivate if ever there was one, and the 812 Competizione undoubtedly has ‘alltime classic’ written all over it. It’s even possible that the Competizione could be the last of the V12 special line. Ferrari won’t be drawn on how long it can keep going with 12-cylinder power, but it did tell us it would persist “as long as possible”. Amen to that.

Major new aero package for coupe and spider but most enticing news is the 830hp V12 now revs to 9500rpm

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FERRARI 812 COMPETIZIONE

• ENGINE: 6496cc V12
• MAX POWER: 830hp at 9250rpm
• MAX TORQUE: 692Nm at 7000rpm
• TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
• DIMENSIONS: 4696mm (L), 1971mm (W), 1276mm (H)
• WEIGHT: 1487kg (dry)
• TYRES: 275/35 ZR20 (fr), 315/35 ZR20 (rear)
• MAX SPEED: 211mph
• 0-62MPH: 2.85 sec
• PRICE: Coupe €499,000, Aperta €578,000