Ferrari first emerged as a premiere force among sporty performance-driven automobiles in the 1950s and ’60s, thanks in no small part to the legendary F12TDF’s unrivaled dominance in the prestigious yearly Tour de France road race. The 1956 250 GT Berlinetta alone brought home four consecutive championships, an iconic early instance of the Italian automotive artists making their presence with peak performance and creamy smooth driveability good for hundreds of daily kilometers carving fast, fearsome roads and circuits.
Truly pivotal history never really dies or fades away. That’s why Ferrari has unveiled the extremely limited-edition F12tdf, a tip of the cap to the Ferrari that changed motoring forever after.
When we say “limited”, we mean that four digits is too many, and five is right out. Only 799 owners will feel all 769 hp of automotive engineering virtuosity driven by a naturally aspirated V12 descendant of the F12 Berlinetta’s own acclaimed engine. The F12tdf is a thoroughly modernized permutation of Ferrari’s changeless commitment to immaculately balanced aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, and world-class power under the hood. For example, upping the F12tdf’s front-to-rear tire ratio by 8% lends this Ferrari breathtaking lateral corner acceleration.
Ferrari introduced a groundbreaking rear-wheel steering system that offsets the F12tdf’s natural over-steering due to the shifts in tire sizes. Dubbed the Virtual Short Wheelbase, this system Ferrari has integrated with its companion vehicle dynamic control systems optimizes a competition car’s turn-in and steering responsiveness at higher speeds while actually improving overall stability. The widespread carbon-fiber throughout the bodywork, engine, transmission, running gear and interior and the F12tdf’s overall reshaped form torched 110 kg from the vehicle’s overall mass, a weight-cut playing no small part at all in the 87% down-force increase that hsa given the F12’s cornering speeds an evolutionary toss forward unheard-of for a front-engined V12 Berlinetta.
The finished product F12tdf scorches Fiorano in a brisk 1’21” lap befitting its 2.9-second sprint from 0-62 mph and 0-124 mph leap in 7.9 seconds. Beyond its penchant for ridiculous speeds, the newly added Extreme Design one-pice brake callipers borrowed from their home on the LaFerrari guarantee incredible 62-0 mph braking in a mere 100 feet and only 369 feet to halt from 124-0 mph.
Source – Ferrari
