Used 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta

If the 731-horsepower naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12 engine under the hood of the 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta doesn’t satisfy your performance needs, we can only assume you’re used to flying fighter jets. There are faster cars, and quicker cars, but that’s not the point. The 2-seat Ferrari F12berlinetta flagship isn’t about numbers. It’s about owning and driving a car that’s for people who see the automobile as rolling art, a mechanical sculpture imbued with the spirit of this most famous manufacturer in motor racing. Competition? Sure, there are alternatives with similar price tags and performance from McLaren and Lamborghini, but none with the F12berlinetta’s classic front-engine/rear-drive layout. And while less expensive cars can match its performance, well, they aren’t Ferraris now, are they?

Is the 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta as fast as it looks? No…it’s faster. You’ll hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in a claimed 3.1 seconds, and the F12 keeps pulling until it maxes out at 211 mph. It’s all thanks to that massively powerful V12 engine. Mounted behind the front axle to improve weight distribution, the F12berlinetta impresses at the track as well with its immediate response and superb grip. That forceful thrust is always accompanied by the thrilling wail of that gloriously mechanical V12. Yet, away from the track, the F12berlinetta remains remarkably composed. It’s a credit to the car’s excellent fore-aft weight balance, but also the adjustable MagneRide suspension, and its uncanny ability to provide the correct shock damping for the given situation.

Ferrari believes your passenger should enjoy the F12berlinetta experience as much as the driver, so it has included a passenger-side information readout that displays speed, among other things. It’s a cool quirk in a purposeful 2-seat cockpit. Handsome trim in carbon fiber and aluminum complements the abundant leather. The elegant gear selector uses buttons for Forward, Reverse and Launch, and the kinds of switches you’d usually find on stalks — headlights, windshield wipers, etc. — are on the steering wheel itself. Ferrari also offers a selection of seats to fit drivers of varying sizes, so order accordingly.

The Pininfarina styling of the Ferrari F12berlinetta is pure art and borders on magical. The shape is purposeful and beautiful, with aerodynamic channels on the sides of the F12berlinetta decreasing drag and aiding downforce by channeling air away from the roof. Brake-cooling ducts also contribute to aerodynamic efficiency, opening only when the brakes are at high operating temperatures. As with the interior, there are several ways to personalize the exterior of the 2017 F12berlinetta, most notably with paint and wheel selections.

731 HORSEPOWER
The 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta’s 6.3-liter V12 engine puts out 731 horsepower, all without the aid of turbochargers or superchargers. We’re not sure how the Ferrari engineers find this power, but we’re not ruling out black magic.

COMPLIMENTARY MAINTENANCE
Owning an exotic like a Ferrari is a lot like owning an airplane: The more it runs, the more maintenance it needs. And, being a Ferrari, that maintenance isn’t cheap. If you’re rich enough to afford a Ferrari, surely you can handle maintenance, but still, this is a nice perk.

The 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta costs about $325,000, enough for a nice house, so you should expect a lot for your money. And you get it. This is a race-ready 2-seat exotic, its delectable V12 engine powering a fantastic chassis with 20-inch wheels and staggeringly powerful carbon-ceramic brakes. Then there’s the plush leather interior with custom-sized seats, an infotainment and navigation system, which, of course, features Bluetooth streaming and a USB connection. In front of the driver are color screens instead of gauges, conveying all the important infotainment and performance information the driver could want.

It’s not as though you’ll see yourself coming and going in an F12berlinetta, but Ferrari offers plenty of ways to make it uniquely yours. There are more than two dozen paint colors (including 10 historic ones), various wheel selections and custom interior stitching. There are front and rear parking cameras — get these — electrically adjustable seats, a suspension-lift system to help clear speed bumps, and even a custom-fitted luggage set. The JBL Professional sound system pumps out 1,280 watts through 12 speakers, but our favorite option is the display that tells your passenger all the thrills you’re experiencing behind the wheel.

The only engine available in the 2017 Ferrari F12berlinetta is an engineering masterpiece: a high-revving 6.3-liter V12 that sends 731 horsepower to the rear wheels via a 7-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission with manual controls. It benefits from Ferrari’s 3rd-gen E-Diff 3 electronic differential, which helps put that power to the pavement, all aided by F1 traction control and the MagneRide suspension. Fuel economy is unlikely to be a concern with the F12berlinetta’s target audience, but nonetheless the 13-mpg combined score is actually slightly better than its predecessor. Still, it’s not good enough to avoid a $3,700 gas-guzzler tax.

6.3-liter V12
731 horsepower @ 8,250 rpm
508 lb-ft of torque @ 6,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/16 mpg

Note: Due to changes in EPA testing to more effectively reflect real-world conditions, some 2017 models show slightly lower fuel-economy scores than their 2016 versions.