Ferrari 812 Competizione First Impressions: The Most Powerful Naturally Aspirated V12 Ferrari Has Built

Introduction

The Ferrari 812 Competizione is a front-engine V12 berlinetta with roots in legends such as the 250 GT short wheelbase and the GTO of the 1960s. It is also a direct descendant of the much more recent 599 GTO and F12 TDF: road-legal, track-biased, low-volume specials that let Ferrari debut its latest engine, chassis, and aerodynamic technology.

The headline figure is 830 horsepower from a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, the most powerful naturally aspirated road car engine Ferrari has ever made. There is far more to the car than the engine, but the V12 is unmistakably its heart and soul. Ferrari’s own reverence for it was clear when the company introduced it simply as “her majesty” at the press conference.

Who This Car Is For

This is a car for collectors and enthusiasts who want the sharpest expression of Ferrari’s front-engine V12 lineage: a road-legal machine built in low volume, with track-focused hardware derived from the 599 GTO and F12 TDF playbook. It is about 38 kilos lighter than the 812 Superfast, and the body changes give it a visibly different, more aggressive character.

If your idea of a great drive is an engine that revs to the red line like an event rather than a means to an end, this car is aimed squarely at you.

Main Strengths

The V12 is a force of nature. Revving it out to the red line is a genuine experience to be savoured, and the engine feels impossibly strong. Ferrari says that as long as it is allowed to keep making engines like these, it will do so.

Beyond the engine, the 812 Competizione introduces a third-generation virtual wheelbase. This time not only do the rear wheels steer, they can steer independently as well, which opens up all sorts of dynamic opportunities. The bodywork carries serious aero work too, reshaping the car visually as well as functionally.

On a brief session around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, stability through fast corners felt fantastic. The rear steps slightly under power, but it is not scary: the car really telegraphs what it is doing. It turns into corners positively without feeling as though it is perpetually on edge, and when it does slide it gives a clear indication that grip is about to run out. It would be a stretch to call an 819 brake horsepower car friendly, but it inspired more confidence than expected.

Things to Consider Before Buying

This is not a car for exploiting on the road. Opportunities to fully uncork the V12 outside a track are going to be few and far between, so buyers need to be realistic about where this engine can actually be used.

Ferrari has also switched to a 275-width front tyre, and it has done so only with the belief that the new rear axle with independent rear wheel steering can provide the support and stability that tyre choice demands. That is a reminder of how far the chassis is pushed; it rewards skill and track time.

As a low-volume, track-biased special, availability and pricing sit naturally at the very top of the market, and this kind of car always deserves a considered rather than impulsive purchase.

Buying Advice

The 812 Competizione makes sense for buyers who want the final, most focused word in Ferrari’s front-engine V12 special series. If you value an engine experience above all else, no naturally aspirated road car engine from the marque is more powerful, and the chassis technology backing it up is genuinely new rather than a cosmetic package.

Our advice: treat this as a track-capable collector’s car first and a road car second, and expect a full track evaluation to reveal far more of its character.

Conclusion

The Ferrari 812 Competizione pairs the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 road car engine Ferrari has ever made with independent rear wheel steering, serious aerodynamic work, and a meaningful weight reduction. Early impressions point to a car that is savagely fast yet surprisingly communicative and confidence-inspiring, and one that belongs to a lineage of legendary Ferrari specials.