Ferrari F12 TdF: review

That’s probably no more than about a fortnight’s wages to potential buyers. So an F12 TdF can be viewed as the equivalent of an indulgent pair of shoes.

But what a pair of shoes. The standard F12 is already a bit of a tool, but this version packs an extra 40bhp. It’s a bit more than 100kg lighter, too, courtesy of a stripped-out cabin and lashings of carbon where once there was alloy.

A good pair of shoes looks great, and if you’ve even read this far you’ll probably agree that so does the TdF. Those of us who get a buzz from the sound of artisan cobblery going crunch crunch crunch over a snow-white gravel path will also appreciate the banshee wail of that mighty V12 at full chat.

Actually, if you can’t appreciate the noise this engine makes you should check to see that your ears haven’t fallen off.

More power and less weight could be embarrassing, were you not already an experienced Ferrari driver – which you are, remember? Still, the front tyres are wider than standard just to be sure, and they’re countered by rear-wheel steering to maintain the vehicle’s pin-sharp stability.

Apparently, in order to achieve the ultimate level of handling, you have to build in an underlying level of instability – then counter it. Ferrari’s people explain that this is how fighter jets are designed, and so is the F12 TdF.

Expect fine things in the right hands, then. And the other kind of things in the wrong ones.

Even by Ferrari standards, the TdF is staggeringly quick – but it’s got the handling to match. It’s not the sort of handling you expect, though, if you’re familiar with prancing horses (which, of course, you are). The unusual steering means the rear wheels follow the fronts the way a trailer full of sheep follows an old Land Rover. A trifle faster, of course, but it’s not the urgently biddable back end you might expect.

It’s very much a car you need to keep on top of. You can push it unbelievably hard into bends and it’ll turn in without a fuss, but if you want to get any mid-corner adjustment out of it you’ll have to push your car, and your luck, right to the limit. And even at the limit, it responds to the throttle with absolute venom.

It takes work to drive this Ferrari fast, to be frank. Hard work, and real skill. It’s incredibly rewarding, but that engine note isn’t the only thing that’ll make your hair stand on end.

So maybe Ferrari isn’t just playing on its customers’ cravings for exclusivity after all. Maybe it knows this is a car only a seasoned punter should be trusted with.

Ferrari F12 TdF

On sale: Now

Price: £339,000

Engine: V12, 6262cc, petrol

Power: 770bhp at 8500rpm

Torque: 520lb ft at 6250rpm

Gearbox: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto

Kerbweight: 1415kg (dry)

Top speed: 211mph

0-60mph: 2.9secs

Economy: 18.3mpg

CO2/tax band: 360g/km/37%