Ferrari Unveils First Front-engined V12 Spyder in Five Decades
All-new 812 GTS packs 789 horses from its 6.5-liter V12, joins legacy established by the 166 MM and Daytona 365 GTS/4.
The last time Ferrari made a front-engined V12 spyder, the Daytona 365 GTS/4, it was around the transition from the Swingin’ Sixties to the hangover the Seventies would become. The Daytona itself (in coupe form) took on the first-ever Cannonball Run in 1971, and was the star car on the cover of The Carpenters‘ fifth studio album, 1973’s Now & Then (Richard Carpenter owned said car, only to sell it years later, then acquire a similar car in 1995).
For Ferrari fans who want to hear the siren song of the V12 up front while also greeting the sun will now have a new spyder to consider, in the form of the 812 GTS.
Aside from limited editions like the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, Superamerica, SA Aptera, and F60, there’s a 50-year-gap between the last GTS/4 and first 812 GTS, and Ferrari is making up for it in a big way with a 6.5-liter V12 packing 789 black stallions and 530 lb-ft of torque to the 11.5-inch wide, 20-inch rears via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. This combo delivers a zero to 62 mph time of under three seconds, crosses 125 mph in 8.3 seconds, and tops out at 211 mph, making this one hell of a sunchaser.
But it’s not all about destroying tires in sick burnouts for the 812 GTS. The Ferrari has a retractable hardtop, capable of delivering the sun in 14 seconds at speeds up to 28 mph. The wind will be skipping your hair, though, as the gang in Maranello made sure to minimize the usual hair-flying disturbances found in other convertibles with tons of aero tricks, including a couple lifted from the LaFerrari Aptera.
Of course, the overall aero package Ferrari made for the 812 GTS is designed for both function and good looks. The flying buttresses give the spyder “a sense of forward thrust,” contributing to the “two-box design with a high tail” pulling from the pagebook of the last front-engined V12 spyder, the aforementioned GTS/4.
As for how much it will cost to bring a new 812 GTS home, consider that the 812 Superfast can be had for a base price of close to $364,000; this one could be more pricey. For the few who want to call this piece of Ferrari history theirs, though, it’ll be worth the price.
Photos: Ferrari
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