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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta auction raises $1.5M for Hurricane Sandy relief

Zach Bowman — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ferrari, Luxury

Ferrari has managed to raise $1.5 million for victims of Hurricane Sandy during an auction in Austin, Texas for the very first F12 Berlinetta in the US. The funds will go to the American Red Cross and be earmarked for Hurricane Sandy relief. Ferrari started bidding on the F12 at $315,888, but the most powerful production model from the company fetched $1.125 million by the time the gavel fell through bids sourced both in person and over the phone. The company also managed to raise a further $345,000 in in-kind donations before the auction began, and donors gave an additional $50,000 during the event itself.

Ferrari debuted the F12 Berlinetta at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the company is set to deliver its first model to a US customer in the second quarter of 2013. The automaker reminds its fans that it is still possible to donate to the Hurricane Sandy relief fund by visiting a special Ferrari section of the American Red Cross page. You can take a closer look at the full press release below for more information.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta auction raises $1.5M for Hurricane Sandy relief originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari auctioning first F12 Berlinetta in North America for Sandy relief

Michael Harley — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ferrari

Stop lurking around your local Ferrari retailer, as the first F12 Berlinetta set to arrive on North American soil won't be sold through traditional channels. Instead, the Italian automaker will auction off its all-new flagship in Texas next weekend in an effort to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. According to Ferrari, proceeds from the special event will be donated directly to the American Red Cross (the money will be earmarked specifically to support the relief efforts).

The special Ferrari will be painted in Rosso Berlinetta with choice of black or cuoio (read: camel) upholstery. Special options will be available (e.g., the buyer may ask for its hood to be signed by F1 drivers) and the coupe will be delivered with an official letter recognizing its status as the first in North America. As an added benefit, the new owner may attend the Ferrari Corso Pilota driving course at a location of their choice (Fiorano, Italy or Mont-Tremblant, Canada).

Those looking to get in on the action should contact their local Ferrari dealership to bid in person, absentee or over the telephone. For those who can't swing the $300,000-plus price tag, Ferrari has also set up a special Ferrari-American Red Cross contribution page.

Ferrari auctioning first F12 Berlinetta in North America for Sandy relief originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta [w/video]

Matt Davis — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, First Drives

Is 700 Horsepower Enough For You People Yet?

A stock Ferrari has finally crested the nosebleed barrier of 700 horsepower, and deliveries of said Prancing Horse are slated to start at the end of February in the States. This screaming new F12berlinetta takes it all to 730 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 509 pound-feet of naturally aspirated Italian V12 torque at 6,000 rpm. It hurtles to 60 miles per hour in 0.3 seconds, we swear. Okay, it's 3.0 seconds officially, but we know in our collective heart that tests with appropriate velocimeters will record something near 2.8 seconds as it barrels toward a top speed of 211 mph. And it's 2.5 seconds quicker to 125 mph versus its 599 GTB Fiorano predecessor.

But the F12's freakish speed factor is not the whole story here. Not even the half of it.

The two-seat F12berlinetta is gorgeousness on four Michelins (or Bridgestones or winter Pirellis if you like). Pininfarina and Ferrari's ever more responsible on-campus centro stile have combined for one hell of an all-aluminum form that follows impressive aerodynamic functions. One senior company expert tells us, "You could say the front two thirds of the car are predominantly Pininfarina, while the centro stile here can take most credit for the rear end."

Maybe it depends on the color it's wearing, but this very design hit us as a little overwrought when it debuted at last March's Geneva Motor Show. Yet all appeared in sync on our test drive day, in person and on Italian asphalt. Though it may seem bigger to the eye than the 599 it replaces, the F12 is actually smaller in every dimension - 2.0 inches shorter in length, 1.2 in. less in wheelbase, 0.7 in. down in width, with a mondo 2.5 inches off the height. The coupe's all-important center of gravity has been pushed down a full inch, too, and overall dynamics take advantage of this.

Continue reading 2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta [w/video]

2013 Ferrari F12berlinetta [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta wags its tail all over Fiorano

Noah Joseph — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ferrari

Forgoing the usual succession of variants and upgrades, the launch of an all-new Ferrari is typically a momentous occasion. Particularly when you're talking about Maranello's top-of-the-line V12 supercar. And yet, since the Prancing Horse marque unveiled the new F12 Berlinetta several months ago in Geneva, we've heard and seen little of the 740-horsepower monster. Which could be why we took notice when we came across this new video clip of the F12 lapping the Fiorano test track for which its predecessor was named.

Of course, we could simply be excited because the F12's high-revving 6.2-liter 12-banger emits one of the most delicious exhaust notes known to man. Or because whatever lucky hot-shoe was anointed with the pleasure of ringing out the Berlinetta's neck got it nice and sideways a couple of times. After all, what's the point of channeling over seven hundred horsepower to the rear wheels if you can't break those fat strips of rubber loose? See what we mean in the video below.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta wags its tail all over Fiorano originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video]

Noah Joseph — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Videos, Ferrari, Beijing Motor Show

Go back just a few years ago, and you'd easily conclude that Ferrari and hybrids would go together about as well as ice cream and pickles. But a lot's changed since then, and Ferrari is making no secret of the fact that it's developing hybrid powertrains of its own.

The first system it developed is the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, a type of regenerative braking device developed with its sister company, Magneti Marelli, for use in Formula One. That lead to a similar system installed in an experimental version of the 599 called the HY-KERS concept displayed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. More recently reports surfaced that Ferrari had patented a more conventional hybrid powertrain system, leading to speculation that the KERS type had been abandoned for road-car use - most poignantly in the upcoming successor to the Enzo. But while Ferrari apparently pursues development of that more conventional hybrid system, it appears that its next mid-engined V12 hypercar will adopt an evolution of the HY-KERS system displayed on that green 599 two years back.

A revised HY-KERS system has just been announced by Ferrari at the Beijing Motor Show, where the Prancing Horse also marked the Asian debut of its new F12 Berlinetta. Ferrari says the new system - installed on a V12 engine mounted amidship - is more effective than the one that preceded it, bringing emissions down to 40 percent of what a conventional engine with the same output would produce (compared to a 30 percent reduction from the previous incarnation), all while bringing engineers closer to their target of producing one kilowatt of energy for every kilogram of weight the system adds.

As for the F12, Ferrari has revealed that its latest supercar set a lap time at Fiorano of one minute, 23 seconds, making it the company's quickest road car yet: a full second quicker than the 599 GTO it replaces, and about two seconds quicker than the Enzo, the 458 Italia and the 430 Scuderia. With that kind of progress, we can count on the new hybrid V12 hypercar to set an even quicker time still. Scroll down for the press release and video clip.

Continue reading Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video]

Ferrari previews Enzo successor's V12 HY-KERS powertrain [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari F12 roadster gets fan-rendered, factory releases new video

Noah Joseph — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Ferrari

Since the ink on the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta press release has barely had time to dry yet, speculating on a convertible variant is entirely premature. But with 740 horsepower on tap, we can hardly fault artist E. Milano for doing so, even if he went over the top with the Tolkienesque backdrop.

The artist also appears to have beefed up the design a bit, topping it off with a deep red leather interior and roll hoops that we'd be inclined to specify on the options list ourselves if we had a small fortune to spend. Like the extant coupe version better? We've got you covered with a couple of fresh stock images in the gallery below and some new video after the jump.

Continue reading Ferrari F12 roadster gets fan-rendered, factory releases new video

Ferrari F12 roadster gets fan-rendered, factory releases new video originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta smiles on us all with 740 horsepower

Zach Bowman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Luxury

Ferrari yanked back the sheets on the company's F12 Berlinetta at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, and the grinning horse has plenty cause to smile. It boasts a ludicrous 740 horsepower V12 under its hood that's capable of launching the vehicle to 62 mph in 3.1 seconds. Hesitate for another 5.3 seconds, and you'll waltz through the triple-digit barrier with ease.

Ferrari took the time to let the F12 Berlinetta loose for a few blistering laps around Fiorano, and the coupe managed to snatch the lap record from the 599 GTO. The newcomer did the deed in a scant 1:23, besting the previous champ by a full second, and the mighty Ferrari Enzo by two seconds.

Engineers positioned most of the vehicle's weight toward the hind quarters, with 54 percent of the vehicle's curb weight pushing on the rear rubber. While the styling certainly isn't for everyone (see below for a gallery of the car's styling buck from Pininfarina), there's no denying the performance on tap. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta smiles on us all with 740 horsepower

2012 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta smiles on us all with 740 horsepower originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari releases F12 Berlinetta microsite with configurator

Chris Paukert — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Luxury

Let's face it. This is probably the closest you're ever going to get. Unless you count yourself among a rarified percentage of the world's one percenters, chances are you'll never get the chance to park a new Ferrari in your garage, let alone this one, the just-introduced F12 Berlinetta. So why not take a virtual spin in the 740-horsepower, V12 grand tourer on Ferrari's website?

The Italian dreamweavers have just activated a new microsite for the F12, and in typically (and appropriately) indulgent Ferrari fashion, it opens with a lengthy video presentation of Chairman Luca di Montezemolo inviting you to experience the company's new car.

The configurator will eventually load, though, and you can twiddle with exterior paint colors, wheels, brake caliper finishes and interior trims to your heart's content. The website also features a number of special features, including sound files, technical notes and so on.

With the most horsepower and highest top speed of any production Ferrari ever, we're guessing Montezemo and Co. already have a rather hefty list of deposits down for the F12 Berlinetta. Thus, if you have the means and you're still on the fence, you might want to get on the phone to your local Ferrari dealer... before waiting for the whole website to load.

Ferrari releases F12 Berlinetta microsite with configurator originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta gallops to Geneva [w/videos]

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Videos, Ferrari, Design/Style

Three words: Fastest. Ferrari. Ever.

While the ~~"F12berlinetta"~~ F12 Berlinetta may have a name seemingly designed to drive English teachers (and website editors) insane, the 740-horsepower V12 is just plain demenziale. Making 509 lb-ft of torque, it's enough to propel the 3,362-pound car from 0-62 mph in just 3.1 seconds and 0-104 mph in 8.5 seconds, according to Ferrari. Of course, the true measure of any Prancing Horse is the lap around Fiorano, which the Maranello automaker says can be completed in just 1:23. (The previous record-holder was the 599 GTO at 1:24, while the Enzo clocked in at a leisurely 1:25.)

Ferrari says the new F12 Berlinetta has a lower and more rearward center of gravity thanks to a redesigned suspension and gearbox, with 54 percent of the weight resting over the rear tires. A 0.299 Cd and 76 percent more downforce allows a top speed of over 211 mph.

The F12 Berlinetta will be shown for the first time at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and we'll be on hand to chronicle the festivities for your viewing enjoyment. While you wait, click past the jump to watch a pair of official videos and read the full press release.

Continue reading Ferrari F12 Berlinetta gallops to Geneva [w/videos]

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta gallops to Geneva [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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