If you're willing to name one carmaker that manages to keep many of its prototypes hidden from spy shooters, you can't go wrong with Ferrari. However, while the Prancing Horse is much more secretive than, say, Porsche, some of its test cars still get spied from time to time and we're here to bring you the freshest such machine.
We're talking about the F12berlinetta's successor, which has been recently spotted testing in Maranello. The automaker's home town isn't a large one, so, as you'll be able to notice in the piece of footage at the bottom of the page, the camera people had to get creative, playing in the grass along the way.
The model we see here can be considered the F12's mid-cycle update, following the scheme that saw the GTC4Lusso replacing the FF.
As it happened with the said Grand Tourers, don't expect the newcomer, which reportedly wears the F12 M codename, to go hybrid - that story seems to be reserved for the next-generation of Ferrari V12s and will probably see a moderate gas-electric setup being introduced rather than a full plug-in one.
Returning to the F12 M, this should be a bit of an F12 Tour De France (only 799 being built) for the masses. This means the naturally aspirated V12 up front, which, by the way, dates back to the Enzo, could get the bump to 770 hp (780 PS), while the rear steering system of the TDF may also join the party, albeit with a less aggressive setup.
And since the GTC4 Lusso recently got a T version that borrows the 488 GTB's twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8, we could expect the upcoming F12 successor to follow the same route.
The Prancing Horse is expected to introduce the F12 M at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. And if anybody wonders why the stunning F12berlinetta needs a refresh, it might be because the 488 is faster (here's a standing kilometer drag race involving the two Fezzas).
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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