Being the owner of a V12-powered Ferrari GT car has its downsides, such as fearing for your life every time you floor the throttle.
Back in the early 2010s, the F12 Berlinetta was Ferrari‘s ultimate two-seater GT car. It combined swoopy super-coupe styling with the colossal power of a massive naturally aspirated V12. But just like any sensible, plain-vanilla commuter car, the F12 has its share of high points and shortcomings.
Nobody knows those better than the people who live with the F12 on a daily basis, such as Todd Johnson, the man behind the YouTube channel tjmillionairementor and the owner of this continent cruiser.
The most obvious thing the F12 has going for it is – surprise, surprise – its looks. Johnson’s car combines a Rosso Dino body with a glossy black roof, which makes for a convenient optical illusion. As Johnson says, the dark lid “makes it look like a convertible when … you first look at it. It looks like the top is off.” The tan leather and Alcantara interior complements the exterior color scheme perfectly.
The other side of that shiny coin is that even though Johnson’s car could lay down some blistering lap times, it’s so visually stunning that he doesn’t want to take it to a track and risk marring its gorgeous bodywork. Johnson has no problem recommending it for date nights, though. We can see why.
Under the F12’s sculpted, mile-long hood is a naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12. Its 730 horsepower and 509 lb-ft of torque can put a smile on any car enthusiast’s face, but they have a dark side that strikes fear in Johnson’s heart. He nicknamed his F12 “Spooky” for good reason. It can be a scary beast, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on four wheels. Even in a straight line, its back end wants to break loose. As Johnson puts it, “It has a little bit of an attitude. It’s a GT that wants to be a sports car.”
Johnson’s F12 also has a bloodlust. The plus side is that it forces him to be a better driver…or else. “If you go out and you try to show off and you try to drive fast, this is not the car for it. This car plays no games. At all. None. Zero games at all. Period. It will kill you.”
That’s definitely not the most confidence-inspiring thing to hear about a car. On the other hand, it is one hell of a way to go.
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.
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