10 Things You Need To Know About The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta

It's not often that Ferrari releases a brand new car, so when it does occur, it's a cause for celebration for automotive enthusiasts the world over.  The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta is designed to be the spiritual successor to the 599, a car that provides outstanding performance without edging over into the hardcore dimension embodied by past supercars like the Enzo.  That being said, the march of technology has pushed the F12berlinetta grand tourer into territory formerly occupied exclusively by million-dollar cars, with the new Ferrari's envelope expanding to offer nearly unmatched acceleration and handling in a far less punishing package.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta.

01. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Is an All-New Design

The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta adopts the traditional long-hood and sleek, sloping roof of past Ferrari grand touring cars, with the engine mounted in front of the driver instead of behind, as with several of its smaller sport models.  From a visual standpoint, the Ferrari F12berlinetta is very much in keeping with the Ferrari 599 that it replaces, resisting the urge to split with the past and adopt an edgier look like the recent Ferrari FF.  Approaching the two-seat coupe from the front or the rear reveals a number of styling cues (round tail lights, egg crate grille, downward-pointed nose) that tie it firmly to the company's extensive grand touring heritage.

02. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Provides Fantastic V-12 Power

The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta ups the ante in the supercar arms race by way of its raucous 6.3-liter, V-12 engine.  This piece of modern art has been tuned to provide an outrageous 730 horsepower and 509 lb-ft of torque, with the latter figure available at 6,000 rpm.  Fear not, however - screaming the Ferrari F12berlinetta all the way up to its redline will see the engine spin at an F1-worthy 8,700 rpm.  The V-12 delivers an increase of well over 100 horsepower when compared to the Ferrari 599, and it puts the F12berlinetta near the pinnacle of the Italian sports car food chain from a power production perspective.  As an added bonus, Ferrari claims that the coupe is 30 percent more fuel efficient than the model it replaces in the automaker's lineup.

03. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Features A Dual-Clutch Transmission

Power is nothing without the ability to carefully dole it out and make sure as much of its as possible makes it to the pavement, and the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta has been carefully engineered so as to make the best use of its potent output.  In this vein, the car has been outfitted with a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.  Running the car through its gears occurs with lightning speed, as the paddle shifters activate the Ferrari F12berlinetta's clutches faster than a human being could ever hope to achieve, and the computer controlling the transmission is capable of delivering even more aggressive shifting if it detects that the car is under full throttle.  A set of LED lights mounted on the top of the coupe's steering wheel illuminate when the redline has been reached in order to prod the driver into a much-needed upshift.

04. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Delivers Freakish Speed

With 730 horsepower and 509 lb-ft of torque on tap, it would be reasonable to expect that the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta is capable of snapping one's head back on throttle tip-in.  In fact, the Ferrari F12berlinetta's acceleration could be righteously labeled as 'neck-breaking,' taking just a tick over three seconds to make the sprint to 60-mph.  The slippery shape of the coupe's body work, combined with the sheer thrust produced by its engine, also ensures that the F12berlinetta can easily crest 200 miles per hour on its way to its top speed of 211 miles per hour.

05. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Comes With Outstanding Handling

Although the 2013 Ferrari F12belinetta is a grand touring, and not a pure sports car, it would be a mistake to think that this coupe has been destined for anything other than the pole position on the race track.  The F12berlinetta has seen its center of gravity set as low as possible, and its weight distribution has been skewed slightly to the rear in order to negate the effects of the large 12-cylinder engine sitting just ahead of the driver.  A magnetically-controlled suspension system is on hand to deal shifting conditions, the steering system takes only two turns to move from lock-to-lock, and an electronically-locking rear differential and enormous carbon ceramic Brembo brakes are also provided to help keep the Ferrari under control.

06. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Is A Lighter And Smaller Grand Touring Car

The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta doesn't boast a carbon fiber tub like some of its equally exotic competitors, but it does manage to check in with a curb weight that is lower than that of the outgoing Ferrari 599.  The Ferrari F12berlinetta tips the scales at 3,594 lbs, a feat achieved by the extensive use of aluminum (which Ferrari says is easier to repair than carbon fiber), making the car 165 lbs lighter than the 599.  It also helps that when looking at its height, its length, and its width, the F12berlinetta is also smaller than the 599, with its shorter wheelbase tossing additional handling chops into the mix.

07. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Features Startling Aero Improvements

No car gets past 200 miles per hour without having been massaged for hundreds of hours inside a wind tunnel, and the 2013 Ferrari F12belineta is no different.  Ferrari engineers have drawn much attention to a pair of 'aero bridges' that have been incorporated into the bottom of the coupe's front fenders and which serve to channel air from the hood down along the sides of the car.  Unmistakably eye-catching, the aero bridges are also quite functional, and help to make the F12berlinetta almost 100 percent more efficient when cutting through the slipstream than the 599.  In fact, even without a rear spoiler the Ferrari generates more than 270 lbs of downforce when traveling at triple-digit speeds.

08. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Is A Daily-Drivable Supercar

After reading so much about the additional performance that has been packed into the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta compared to the 599 of old, some fans of the brand might be a bit worried that too much comfort and compliance has been sacrificed in the pursuit of faster lap times.  Fear not, for although the F12berlinetta is unmistakably a track terror it is also quite livable on a daily basis.  Ferrari has seen fit to tame some of the wilder aspects of its personality with a range of different electronic driver's aides (electronic traction control, stability control, launch control, etc) that can be set to the level of intervention appropriate for the circumstances one will be driving under.

09. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Is Outfitted With A Tastefully Minimal Interior

Despite its GT status, the 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta hasn't been stuffed with a heavy load of luxury features to slow it down.  Much of the Ferrari's interior, from its easy-to-read gauges to its race-look steering wheel, have been designed with the intention of providing a compromise between all-out performance and daily comfort.  This means supportive yet well-padded seats, excellent visibility out of the front of the car, a range of premium, but not over the top convenience features, and clean styling throughout the passenger compartment that calls to mind the origins of the F12berlinetta.

10. The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta Will Cost More Than Your House

The 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta isn't priced anywhere near the stratospheric MSRP worn by past supercar efforts from the Italian brand like the Ferrari Enzo, but it will still require extremely deep pockets in order to purchase it.  The Ferrari F12berlinetta costs $315,888 in the American market, which is in keeping with other cars in its segment and much less than all-out performance models like the Lamborghini Avendator.  Of course, it's always possible to pay more than list for a Ferrari, as is evidenced by the $1.125 million that was forked over at auction for the very first U.S.-delivery F12berlinetta in order to benefit those who had suffered due to Hurricane Sandy.

Photo by Ferrari