New Ferrari supercar uses a variety of visible and concealed parts to stay planted on the road (or track) at high speeds.
What’s something that automatically comes to mind when you think of automotive aerodynamics? If you were thinking, A big wing in the back, that’s OK. A part like that has its place…but not on the Ferrari 812 Superfast.
The 800-horsepower supercar uses a less obvious, more sophisticated approach to managing the forces of drag and downforce. To increase the airflow to its underbody and decrease drag, it keeps a pair of ducts under its front end closed below 112 mph, then opens them once the 812 Superfast exceeds that speed.
Vanes in the front air intake section can turn to direct wind around the 812 Superfast’s carved, slippery body. All-important downforce goes up thanks to air from the radiators running to the sides and the underbody. The air intakes next to the headlights also help by sending air through the wheel compartments, which then make the air exit around the sides of the car. Channels in the flat underbody that route air from the radiators and a kicked-up rear spoiler do their parts to boost downforce as well.
Most rear diffusers function by staying stationary, but the 812 Superfast’s diffuser has flaps in it that open up to 17 degrees to cut down on high-speed drag.
All of these features (and others) combined make the 812 Superfast what Ferrari calls “the most aero efficient Ferrari V12 sports car.” We can see why…even when we can’t.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
