“A V8 turbo could make it better in terms of performance. But from an emotional point of view, it’s the best you can have.”
The firm has not given any details of the 812’s replacement, but a source at the company recently hinted to Autocar that it will be launched this year: “If you look at the lifetime of the cars gone previously, that will give you a good idea to speculate when we will deliver a new car.”
Ferrari launched the 812 in 2017, with the F12 arriving five years before and the 599 six years before that, suggesting the next instalment in the front-engined V12 GT lineage is due an imminent unveiling.
Heavy camouflage has so far kept the design largely under wraps, although early signs indicate it will be an all-new proposition, rather than a major update of the 812.
Visible cues include new-look headlight designs and reshaped quad-exit exhausts. But Ferrari will no doubt seek to make its GT an obvious relation to the new Purosangue SUV with a similar treatment at the front and rear ends, and muscular, elegant styling that points to its dual billing as a luxury GT that’s engineered to perform on track.
Ferrari has announced no plans to electrify its V12 engine, with the 296 GTB and SF90 hybrids using a V6 and a V8, respectively.