Ferrari F12 TDF

The garden variety F12 was basically a rabid dog. This one's been given a shot of adrenaline. The result? Ironic, but it could bite off pieces of an Aventador. And then shred a 675 LT. All for fun. 

The F12 Speciale we were waiting for is called the Ferrari F12tdf in homage to legendary Tour de France endurance car race of the 1950s

A lightweight Ferrari F12 Speciale always seemed a possibility, even though the mind-blowing performance served up by the standard car scarcely warranted it.  The Ferrari F12tdf (Tour de France) is that car, a searing hardcore supercar named in homage to the endurance road race that Ferrari dominated in the 1950s and 60s.

The F12tdf uses the existing naturally aspirated 6.3-litre V12 as the standard Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, albeit with power uprated from 731bhp to 769bhp(comfortably increasing the gap from Ferrari's own blistering 488 GTB). That shaves two tenths of a second off the standard F12’s 0-62mph time (now 2.9 seconds), while Ferrari claims a top speed ‘in excess of 211mph’.

Peak torque is up 15Nm to 705Nm, and is available from 6,750rpm. Impressively though, 80 per cent of this is available from just 2,500rpm – with the F12tdf redlining at 8,900rpm(!).

Not only can it accelerate as fast as a LaFerrari, it’ll stop as quickly, too. The one-piece brake callipers have been lifted from the £1m hypercar, and can stop the tdf from 124mph in just 121m.

The gearbox has been tweaked to make the ratios six per cent shorter and 30 per cent faster on the upshift. Downshifts are also quicker, with response rates improved by 40 per cent.

In terms of technical innovations, Ferrari engineers have installed a rear-wheel steering system to compensate the car’s natural tendency to oversteer. Known as the Virtual Short Wheelbase, it is integrated with the other vehicle control systems, which improves steering response and high-speed stability.

The rear spoiler is now 60mm longer and 30mm higher, while the rear screen is more steeply raked. It now generates 230kg of downforce at 124mph – 107kg more than before. At the rear, there’s an active diffuser, with the same centrally-mounted foglight – inspired by the company’s F1 car.

Just 799 will be built, but prices have not yet been announced. That said, we’d expect a premium of at least £30,000 – meaning a price tag in the region of £275,000 seems likely. As ever, a few choice options could send this spiralling, well past the £300,000 mark.

It’s 110kg lighter than the standard F12 thanks to a radical redesign of the body and extensive use of carbon fibre. From the front the F12tdf gets a lower, wider stance and sharp front splitter, as well as fins in the bumper and bonnet. There are slats in the rear haunches, too, helping double the car’s aerodynamic efficiency over the standard car.