Terrific review. I have to say that Chris Harrris and Jethro Bovingdon are the two journalists whose reviews I enjoy the most. Loved it when both of them were on Driver's Republic.
Lovely sculptures. Does anyone know the name of the music that runs at the beginning from 0:10 to 0:30? Name of an album and/or an artist would help too...
This guy actually has really impressive driving skill, being able to throw around such an expensive car with such aplomb. I'm also very impressed that he managed to touch on all the bases you have to with a car such as this - speed, agility, comfort, practicality, sense of occasion etc., and the comparison with the 599 GTO was the icing on the cake. Watch the Autocar review to see how easily it can go wrong, and how to miss the basic ingredients for entertainment.
The F12 is my dream car and holy cow i love it soo darn much. it looks gorgeous, sounds gorgeous, and is such a brilliant display of prime engineering that i just cant get over it. I get super excited every time i think about this machine and my finest dream would be to own one. So, yes im working for a material possession, but shit, it's just that good!
Yes the F12 is definitely a direct descendant of the 599, but that's not what my issue is here. Why did Ferrari ever come out with the 599 "GTO?" GTO as in a car built and sold to homologate it for racing. The 250 GTO's racing exploits are very well known, and the 288 GTO was built for homologation purposes for a racing series that never got off the ground, but what's the story with the 599 GTO? Ferrari never had any intention of taking it racing, so the GTO name was downright used for sales purposes. Getting the Ferrari buying public to go, "Oooh, a 599 "GTO." Gotta get one of those." Going, "Whatever," to the lineage of the GTO variants and the purpose of using the GTO addition to the names of previous Ferraris in the first place. If anything, since the 458 is Ferrari's GT3 racing car of choice, they could have at least given the letters GTO to the 458, since it is a car that at least goes pro-level racing, homologation issues or not. I think it was just bad form for Ferrari to give the 599 the GTO name all willy-nilly. Just to keep the lineage of the GTO name somewhat intact, I think Ferrari should have gone with 599 "Speciale" and 458 "GTO," since, again, at least the 458 does actually go racing. It's a minor issue, I know, but one that just bugs me. It's a slippery slope situation. Next they'll be making "GTO" variants of all kinds of Ferraris to be able to up the price. I just hope I never see something like a Ferrari FF "GTO," with no intention of taking it racing, as well.
The f12 reminds me of classic ferraris like the 275 4 cam or the daytona, they produced ridiculous amounts of. Power for the times and would absolutely annihilate the competition.
+Rob S One of the biggest exclusive car dealers here in NL has a 458 Speciale Aperta for sale. It's on the dutch version of Auto Trader and it started at €380.000, they've now changed it to around €750.000 lollll
veneno fugly i like the aventador sv and the performante but f430 scuderia and 458 speciale is my favorite alltough my heart goes with f12 nlargo hahaa
When I was a kid, I thought nothing would be better than a 550/575 Maranello. Then Ferrari give us the 599 GTB, and I thought nothing would be better than that. Then Ferrari gave us the 599 GTO, and I thougnt nothing would be better than that. And now Ferrari give us the F12Berlinetta. Incredible. I need to make more money.
Ferrari's have always been special but I think the use of the dual clutch gearbox makes them that much better. The upshifts on the F12 Berlinetta are so fast and really bring out the sound of engine.
Thanks for the feedback. Sadly on a press launch when you have very limited time with a car and have to shoot a large stills feature for a magazine plus a video you don't have much time to coo over the lines or interior. In fact you do just jump in and drive. So by their very nature these videos are really just a taster of the experience - if you want a more considered and in-depth review maybe you should think about buying the magazine when it comes out. There's 16-pages of tech/description etc
Jethro has provided a very solid review with some good driving shots. The calls for a review from Chris Harris are valid as more and more people have heard about his relationship with Ferrari. Chris's reviews are the benchmark these days (mind you, audio wasn't great on the last one) resulting in people looking to him for a level of consistency. I don't believe we have a right to discredit all other reviews. Like the cars they should be judged on their own merits.
they say the world is in recession, and fuel prices are going up,people used to remind the good old and the cars, but the truth is we guys are lucky to be in these modern day in age,because in 2000s there many supercars,hypercars and sports cars than any era in motring world,eg pagani zonda pagani huayra,ferrari enzo,458,ff,f430,f12,599,612,porche 911,gt,gt3,boxster,panamera,audi r8,aston martin am310,masrati gran turimo,sls amg,mclarens and so on this is just a summary,we are blessed to be here
Sacrilegious as this is going to sound, the 599 GTO captured my heart with its visceral soundtrack in a way the F12 doesn't. I've had a long affair with GTO's starting with the 288 in my boyhood dreams, and see the 599 version as that timeless styling that isn't too outrageous. Don't get me wrong, the F12 looks fantastic, but it doesn't make me long for it like the 599 GTO. Thank you for including both in this phenomenal review!
EVO's video's have become better and better lately. Before, Chris Harris and Steve Sutcliffe were the only ones who could make a video like this. Great stuff EVO!
He was driving an FF somewhere in the mountains, and he clipped a curb when the back end kicked out a bit. You can probably search for it and it will pop right up.
With the Ferrari why do they always take them round the track, F!2 is not a track car the F12 TDF is a track car so show us what the F!2 Berlinetta is like on the roads
I would offer an excellent compromise, a full sequential box with helical cut gears to cut down the noise and a handle in the middle. Still get the clutchless up and down shifts ( if the box is configured that way ) but brings back the clutch pedal and a full mechanical connection to the car. I'd have a noisy transmission though; that V12 and a straight cut 6 speed sequential box would be out of this world.
I read somewhere that when they updated the California for 2012 (2013 in America), they quietly removed the manny tranny from the range because nobody was buying one. If so, there are now zero manual cars in Ferrari's current range... They did sell manual 599 GTBs, but there aren't that many around.
Well it was the international press launch at Maranello. So cars were, of course, very well prepped. All press cars always are. The GTO was an owner's car in the UK. I think everyone is right to be suspicious of 'support teams' for press cars but I guess it's also up to magazines to decide what is acceptable.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you using two different F12's in this video? @ 1:04, you clearly see carbon trim on the dash vents, yet on the dash @5:10, there is none. Did you guys get a different trim level for the track?
I couldn't agree with you more about what "something perfect" is. And if we talk about dream cars, we talk about something irrational that you love for reasons you can't explain. When It comes to cars, for me, Pagani is today the closest thing to perfection, because everey car they made is almost as charming as the Ferrari 250 GT California SWB, which is my absolute favourite car. But despite our opinions are different, It's nice to share them with another people with manners and intelligence.
The F12 has the compression ratio of a F1 car, so high that the spark has to ignite petrol three times, otherwise it will explode. This only particular is enough to show how old the 599 is, and how revolutionary the F12 is. This car is so well designed it doesn't need an active spoiler to handle at speed. The result? 1,9 seconds faster around Fiorano than a Enzo. They managed to give a FR layout car the same balance of a mid engined one. Do you realize how hard this is?
Car magazine, Auto car magazine all agreed that the super-sharp steering wheel set-up is a big fault of F12, in Jethro video, he mentioned this problem too. When Chris reviewed F458 for EVO, he said he dislike the steering feel of 458, because its too quick too sensitive (thats why he loves GT3).....so i dont think Ferrari carefully chooses car journalists for their car tests.
i agree look at the reliability and the maintenance costs of the nissan and porsche too. They can all perform right with the ferraris and lambos. I also agree that you do not need to own or drive a car to have a well formed opinion. It helps to drive them but is not the only criteria for a well informed opinion. This is coming from a guy who has been lucky enough to have owned some awesome cars and grow up with them most of his life.
28 years after the Ferrari 288GTO Ferrari finally designs a beautiful vehicle that is is so stylish, classy and timeless with flowing lines that it is actually worthy of wearing the Ferrari badge. Thank you Ferrari for taking the styling pen back from the windtunnel's exclusive grasp and ending the Enzo-like aweful styling cues and finally bringing soul back into the equation. It is really refreshing to see a Ferrari that looks like a Ferrari after all these years... Good job, Ferrari!!!
you have to understand the fact that there are people who actually enjoy manual gear boxes more than Semi-Auto....so yeah it does make it Slower (in terms of shifting) but it maybe be a bit more fun with manual!
I kind of agree with your comment. F12 is a GT car, Aventador is a Hypercar. But the Ferrari F70 will be packing around 900bhp. Some 200 horsepower more than the Lamborghini Aventador, the F70 will be more expensive too. The F70 will be more of a competitor to the Porsche 918 and a new Mclaren hypercar which is due in 2013/2014.
The 250 gt California and Paganis have two things in common, they look like a jewel for the road, i mean, their desing is very elegant but without being pompous like a Rolls Royce, so i would enjoy them even when i'm not driving, and they're properly exclusive and special cars. I know that as a car, they're very different, the Ferrari is a convertible grand tourer and all Paganis are mid-engine supercars, but the things they have in common is what really matters to me in a dream car.
This car deserved a longer, deeper review, 15 minutes at least, especially if they're going to compare it to a GTO. Jethro needs to give more description, more aesthetic, sensory appreciation. You don't just hop in a F12 and go. You savor it, examine the lines and interior. I don't know if it's him or the producers but I think that's why people prefer Harris. Harris was more entertaining and engaging to watch, without being over the top like Clarkson, who is also very entertaining.
Thanks Evo/Jethro for an excellent comparison & review of 's Ferrari's F12!!! Your competitors reviews road & track & daily telegraph those guys should be reviewing pencils not cars
This car raises the bar for all Front engined RWD supercars that follow. But there's something about the 599 GTO that makes me want one more than any other Ferrari.
I see. I thought things seemed somewhat rushed and with the GTO addition I'm sure it cut into the overall time as well. With that added to the equation and after viewing a few other reviews that were similarly abbreviated, I have to say yours was the longest and the best especially the camerawork and GTO addition. Next time they need to give you a longer review so we can have more of your overall thoughts on these cars and your personality as well. You can clearly handle these cars. Thanks..
Great review, but I love the looks and sound of the 599 so much more than the F12. I can't afford either, but I hope to someday. Thanks for the review!
he appreciates the cars. just didn't like how they were programming them to be faster for journalists. which is a fair point. there is a video of him reviewing his 599. look it up.
Great review of both cars; the GTO is an absolute screamer!! Got a couple of points to make though; Would a single clutch gearbox for the F12 be equally as good or better than the current double clutch one? For pure enjoyment, would you take F12, GTO or F40? For me I'd take either GTO or F40 and I'd be perfectly happy
must easier to drive compared to 599 GTB? If I stand corrected the GTO is way faster and costed a lot more but in term of driving performance it is hard to handel and hard to drive as compared to its old 599 GTB
I get the impression that EVO lured back Jethro to replace Chris Harris. He's NOT Chris Harris (who is?), but he brings his own unique, thoughtful, viewpoint on things. Like Chris though, he clearly shows that he's passionate about cars and is damn good at drifting!
hotshot1240 They will soon enough. Though they're abit bias towards aston martin and ferrari...i love the TDF...though as with most ferraris its almost impossible to get. even if you have the money
