Ferrari 812 Competizione? This Is What It Takes To Qualify! 19 Sep 2021
This week we have the fantastic opportunity to take a look at six special edition Ferraris, all in the same colour. Starting with the Ferrari Scuderia 16M to the 458 Speciale, Speciale Apart, 488 Pista and Pista Spider and the Ferrari F12 TDF, each of these special Ferrari's are icons of the brand and all spec'd in yellow!
Starting with none other than the iconic 16M, with only 499 of these were ever made, the whole idea of this car is to turn the Ferrari Scuderia experience up to 11. The significance of the ‘16’ is to symbolise the fact that this car was developed and manufactured in order to celebrate Ferrari’s 16’s constructor championship. Coming in at 500hp, even with the roof removed and extra strengthening added into the chassis, this car incredibly weighs in at 80kg lighter than the Scuderia. A significant aspect of this car is that Michael Schumacher had his input in developing this car, more specifically, what is now known as ‘bumpy road mode’, to enhance the driving experience.
Looking on to the 458 Speciale, this car holds a special place in my heart; having my best man drive it to my wedding and flying it out to Dubai to explore the region during the winter are two experiences I’ll never forget. One of the reasons that the engine response in this is so impressive is that, not only does it have 600hp, but also boasts a 14:1 compression ratio. This car truly stands above the rest in terms of driving theatre and engagement, and the response of it is sublime.
Similarly, with the Speciale Apart, these were made in limited numbers with just 499 ever made. With a removable roof, it looks phenomenal, and lets all of the light cascade into the car’s interior.
Transitioning genres over to the 488 Pista and Spider, we now move on to what is arguably the biggest evolution in recent Ferrari times, introducing turbo charged engines. The 488 Pista is diaphragm bending in terms of acceleration, achieving 0-60 in around 2.8 seconds, with 710hp. The Pista Spider is limited edition, which was never actually given a production number. With a hand-painted badge on the side, this detailing actually requires the shape of the wing to be a completely different shape, which makes it really pop and stand out.
The F12 TDF, short for Tour de France, with only 799 of this limited edition created, this car features beautiful blue carbon fibre elements around its exterior, including a F1-inspired rain/fog light. However, where this really gets interesting is the interior, which is truly a space to behold as a sea of blue carbon. Each of these additions has been specifically requested and designed to the needs of the client, and the attention to detail all ties together perfectly. At almost 9000rpm, with 771hp and a naturally aspirated V12 engine, this car has been taken to a completely different level.
A huge thank you to the owner of these beautiful cars and to Maranello Ferrari for organising this remarkable fleet of all yellow Ferraris and letting us take a look.