Ferrari 812 Superfast, GTS & Competizione: The Last of the Naturally Aspirated Giants

There's a particular breed of Ferrari that refuses to compromise. No turbos to muffle the soundtrack. No hybrid assistance to soften the delivery. Just a massive V12 engine mounted up front, sending ungodly amounts of power to the rear wheels through a transmission that shifts faster than human reflexes allow. The 812 family represents the pinnacle of this philosophy, and quite possibly its swan song. In an automotive landscape rushing toward electrification and forced induction, these three variants stand as defiant monuments to what Ferrari does better than anyone else: building naturally aspirated front-engine V12 grand tourers that blur the line between refined gentleman's express and track-dominating weapon.

The 812 Superfast arrived first in 2017, establishing the template. The 812 GTS followed in 2019, offering open-air thrills. Then came the 812 Competizione in 2021, pushing the formula to its absolute limit. Together, they form a trilogy that may represent the final chapter in a story Ferrari has been writing since the 1960s.

The Superfast: Where It All Begins

The name alone sets expectations. Ferrari didn't call this car the 812 Quick or the 812 Rather Brisk. They called it Superfast, and they meant it literally. Under that long, sculpted hood sits a 6.5-liter V12 producing 789 horsepower at 8,500 rpm. This is the most powerful naturally aspirated production engine Ferrari has ever built, and the numbers only tell part of the story.

What matters more is how that power arrives. There's no turbo lag to manage, no waiting for boost pressure to build. Plant your right foot and the response is immediate, linear, and utterly intoxicating. The V12 pulls cleanly from 2,000 rpm and builds fury as the tachometer sweeps toward the 8,900 rpm redline. The sound is operatic. Each gear change from the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission punctuates the crescendo with a mechanical bark that echoes off canyon walls or city buildings with equal drama.

The chassis beneath this powerplant is a masterwork of aluminum space frame construction, keeping weight low while maintaining the rigidity necessary to manage nearly 800 horsepower. Ferrari's engineers positioned the engine as far back as possible within the front bay, achieving a weight distribution that approaches 50/50 despite the front-engine layout. The result is a car that feels balanced and agile despite its size and power output.

Electronic systems play their part without intruding on the experience. The rear-wheel steering tightens the turning circle at low speeds and stabilizes the chassis at high speeds. The electronic differential manages power delivery to each rear wheel independently. The magnetorheological dampers adapt to road conditions in milliseconds. Yet somehow Ferrari calibrated everything to enhance rather than numb the driving experience. You still feel connected to the road, still sense exactly what the chassis is doing, still experience the thrill of managing 789 horsepower with your right foot and nothing but mechanical grip keeping you planted.

The GTS: Open-Air Symphony

Some purists argue that convertibles compromise structural rigidity and add unwanted weight. The 812 GTS proves them wrong while delivering something the coupe simply cannot: the full, unfiltered soundtrack of a naturally aspirated V12 engine at full song with nothing between you and the sky.

The retractable hardtop folds in fourteen seconds, transforming the car's character without sacrificing its capabilities. Ferrari reinforced the chassis to maintain torsional rigidity despite the absent roof. The weight penalty is minimal, just 75 kilograms compared to the Superfast. Performance remains virtually identical: zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.9 seconds, top speed exceeding 340 kilometers per hour.

What changes is the sensory experience. With the top down, that V12 howl becomes three-dimensional. The intake noise joins the exhaust note. Wind rushes past your helmet or through your hair. The ambient temperature rises slightly from the engine heat radiating forward. You're not just driving a Ferrari; you're immersed in the complete Ferrari experience, every sense engaged simultaneously.

In Dubai's climate, this open-air capability takes on special significance. Picture an evening drive along Jumeirah Beach Road with the top down, the setting sun painting the sky in orange and purple hues. The V12 burbles contentedly at low revs as you cruise past luxury hotels and beach clubs. Then the road opens up, you drop two gears, and suddenly you're accelerating toward the horizon with 789 horses screaming behind the firewall and salt air streaming past. These are the moments that justify the GTS's existence.

The Competizione: Pushing Beyond

Just when enthusiasts thought the 812 had reached its zenith, Ferrari unveiled the Competizione. This isn't merely a more powerful version. This is a fundamentally re-engineered machine designed to extract every last fraction of performance from the front-engine V12 formula before regulations and market forces make such cars impossible to produce.

The engine displacement remains 6.5 liters, but nearly every internal component has been revised. The redline climbs to 9,500 rpm, a figure that sounds absurd for such a large engine yet reflects Ferrari's decades of Formula 1 expertise. Peak power rises to 819 horsepower, but the real revelation is how the engine delivers that power across the entire rev range. There's even more torque in the mid-range, even more savagery at the top end, even more immediacy in throttle response.

Weight drops by 38 kilograms through extensive use of carbon fiber body panels and lighter interior components. The aerodynamics receive a complete overhaul with active elements that adjust based on speed and lateral acceleration. The rear spoiler and underbody vortex generators work together to increase downforce by 10 percent compared to the standard 812 while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency. The result is a car that feels sharper, more responsive, more willing to dance through corners despite its substantial power output.

Ferrari also revised the transmission software to deliver even faster shifts, recalibrated the electronic systems for more aggressive intervention thresholds, and fitted Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires as standard equipment. The Competizione isn't comfortable in the same way the Superfast is. It's firmer, louder, more demanding of your attention. But for drivers who want the absolute maximum from a naturally aspirated V12 Ferrari, nothing else comes close.

Three Philosophies, One Soul

These three variants serve different purposes while sharing fundamental DNA. The 812 Superfast is the everyday supercar, capable of crossing continents in comfort while delivering explosive performance when desired. The 812 GTS adds sensory immersion for those who want wind and sound as part of the experience. The 812 Competizione sacrifices some daily usability for ultimate performance and collector appeal.

Yet all three share that essential Ferrari character: the instantaneous throttle response, the melodic V12 soundtrack, the steering precision that lets you place the car with millimeter accuracy, the confidence-inspiring brakes that haul massive speed down to corner entry velocity without drama. These are cars that reward skill and punish complacency, that deliver genuine thrills rather than synthetic approximations, that connect driver to machine in ways modern turbocharged, all-wheel-drive competitors cannot replicate.

The Dubai Experience

In a city that celebrates automotive excellence, the 812 family occupies rarefied air. These aren't cars you drive to be seen, though they certainly command attention. These are cars you drive because the experience itself justifies the occasion. Every journey becomes an event, every acceleration run becomes a memory, every tunnel becomes a concert hall for that V12 symphony.

The long, sweeping curves of Emirates Road late at night provide the perfect environment to explore what 789 (or 819) horsepower feels like when delivered through the rear wheels alone. The chassis balance lets you carry tremendous speed through corners, the rear-wheel steering tightening your line, the electronic differential optimizing traction as you feed in power on corner exit. Modern supercars might be faster in ultimate lap time terms, but few deliver the same sense of occasion, the same feeling that you're piloting something genuinely special.

For those seeking variety in their exotic car experiences, the 812 family offers a compelling alternative to mid-engine Italian exotics like the Ferrari F8 or 296 GTB. The front-engine layout creates a different character, more grand tourer than pure sports car, yet the performance envelope is equally impressive. You sit further forward, the hood stretching out ahead like the bow of a ship. The engine note originates from in front of the cabin rather than behind it, creating a different acoustic signature. The balance and handling characteristics feel unique, rewarding smoothness and precision over raw aggression.

The End of an Era

Here's what makes the 812 family particularly significant: these are almost certainly the last naturally aspirated V12 front-engine Ferraris we'll ever see in series production. Future models will embrace hybridization or move to different engine configurations entirely. The next generation of Ferrari grand tourers will be faster, more efficient, more technologically advanced. But they won't sound like this. They won't respond like this. They won't deliver power with this same linear, predictable, endlessly thrilling character.

This isn't nostalgia or resistance to progress. It's recognition that something genuinely special is coming to an end. The naturally aspirated high-revving V12 engine represents pinnacle internal combustion technology, the result of decades of refinement and racing experience distilled into production form. When Ferrari's engineers designed these engines to spin to 8,900 or 9,500 rpm while maintaining durability and emissions compliance, they were solving problems that most manufacturers gave up on years ago.

The 812 Competizione, in particular, stands as Ferrari's final statement on the matter. This is the ultimate expression of what the front-engine V12 formula can achieve when cost and compromise are secondary considerations. It's a car built for collectors and purists who understand its significance, who recognize they're buying a piece of automotive history rather than simply transportation.

An Experience Worth Having

Whether you choose the Superfast's balanced excellence, the GTS's open-air drama, or the Competizione's track-focused intensity, you're accessing something increasingly rare: a supercar that prioritizes driver engagement over lap time supremacy, that values emotional impact over efficiency metrics, that delivers an experience impossible to replicate through synthetic means.

The Ferrari 812 family represents engineering and passion in equal measure. These are cars that existed in your dreams before you ever saw one in person, machines that somehow exceed those dreams when you finally slide behind the wheel and fire that V12 to life. The throttle response is instantaneous. The steering is communicative. The brakes inspire absolute confidence. Everything about the experience feels calibrated by people who understand what driving should be at its absolute best.

In a world rushing toward electric propulsion and autonomous driving, the 812 family stands as proof that the internal combustion engine still has magic left to deliver. This is Ferrari at its purest, building cars that stir emotions and create memories that last long after you've returned the keys.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to experience a naturally aspirated V12 Ferrari, that moment is now. These cars won't be replicated. The formula won't be repeated. The opportunity to understand what Ferrari spent decades perfecting is available today, but it won't be forever.

The 812 Superfast, GTS, and Competizione aren't just fast cars with evocative names. They're the culmination of everything Ferrari learned about building front-engine V12 grand tourers across six decades of production. They're goodbye letters to an era, thank you notes to customers who appreciated what naturally aspirated engines could deliver, and monuments to the idea that some things are worth preserving even when market forces push elsewhere.

Drive one while you still can. You'll understand immediately why enthusiasts consider these among the most significant Ferraris ever built.