Throughout the months, we have been wondering what the new Ferrari will be called. While some suggest the ‘GTO’ moniker to be slapped onto this new F12, nothing was confirmed back then as Ferrari was keeping a tight lip about it. But the question of its name and looks are finally answered as Ferrari had finally taken the covers off to unveil the new F12tdf!
Yes, to those who do not know what the name stands for, this ‘tdf’ moniker might be a bit weird. But ‘tdf’ here actually stands for Tour De France, and it pays homage to the legendary endurance road racing that Ferrari once dominated back in the 50’s and 60’s where cars like the 250 GT Berlinetta won in four consecutive editions.
What is so special about this new F12tdf? For starters, Ferrari had focused on three key areas in developing this new Stallion: the engine, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. The 6.3-liter V12 engine now produces 770-horsepower, 40 more than what one will get in the Berlinetta. With a maximum torque figure of 520 lb-ft at 6,750rpm, the engine is mated to a specific version of the F1 DCT that delivers 30-percent faster upshifts and 40-percent faster downshifts.
The ratio of the front tires has also been increased by 8-percent for an even more dynamic behaviour, as well as fitting an innovative rear-wheel steering system called Virtual Short Wheelbase.
The F12tdf was also given an extreme diet, resulting a loss of 110kg by replacing a lot of parts with carbon fiber and a radical redesign of the bodywork, interior, engine, transmission and running gear. This allows the F12tdf to do a zerotohundred in just 2.9 seconds, and a 0-200 in 7.9! Ferrari also tested this new model around the Fiorano test track and clocked a 1 minute 21 seconds.
