Photo: S.Baldauf/SB-Medien
Usually, pre-production prototypes used by carmakers to test future vehicles are pretty much drenched in swirly black and white camouflage if they’re hiding a production body, or various matte black pieces of plastic if they’re early development mules.
The 812 Superfast-based Ferrari in the adjacent spy photos obviously falls in the latter category, with Maranello’s engineers showing little regard to how dirty the prototype has become after so many days testing on public roads.
There is an air of mystery surrounding the car, mainly because Ferrari has been as tight-lipped as ever about a replacement for its only two-seat, front-engine model with a V12 up front.
Some say that the car is a mule for next generation of the model, but we’re more inclined to believe that we’re looking at a return of the infamous Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO) nameplate, which was last used on a Prancing Horse model back in 2006.
Coincidentally, the last GTO was also a V12 Ferrari with the engine up-front, in the shape of the 599 GTO. At the time, it was the fastest road-going Ferrari in history, which should also be expected from the potential 812 GTO.
Then again, the spied model doesn’t appear to sport any electric augmentation and the 812 Superfast engine is already pushing 800 PS (789 hp), being at its unveiling not only the most powerful V12 in a Ferrari but the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engine in road car history.
Codenamed F140 GA, the 6.5-liter V12 could be massaged to deliver a tad more than that but the torque figure would be limited by the double-clutch transmission, unless Ferrari switches to the more modern 8-speed DCT that it already uses in the Roma, which can handle a lot more abuse.
Either way, we are at least a year away from seeing pre-production prototypes using their final bodies on the road, so everything about the car’s looks and name is pure speculation at this point. What we know for sure is that the car looks to need a lot more cooling compared to a standard 812 Superfast, so we can definitely expect some good amount of extra oomph.
There is an air of mystery surrounding the car, mainly because Ferrari has been as tight-lipped as ever about a replacement for its only two-seat, front-engine model with a V12 up front.
Some say that the car is a mule for next generation of the model, but we’re more inclined to believe that we’re looking at a return of the infamous Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO) nameplate, which was last used on a Prancing Horse model back in 2006.
Coincidentally, the last GTO was also a V12 Ferrari with the engine up-front, in the shape of the 599 GTO. At the time, it was the fastest road-going Ferrari in history, which should also be expected from the potential 812 GTO.
Then again, the spied model doesn’t appear to sport any electric augmentation and the 812 Superfast engine is already pushing 800 PS (789 hp), being at its unveiling not only the most powerful V12 in a Ferrari but the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engine in road car history.
Codenamed F140 GA, the 6.5-liter V12 could be massaged to deliver a tad more than that but the torque figure would be limited by the double-clutch transmission, unless Ferrari switches to the more modern 8-speed DCT that it already uses in the Roma, which can handle a lot more abuse.
Either way, we are at least a year away from seeing pre-production prototypes using their final bodies on the road, so everything about the car’s looks and name is pure speculation at this point. What we know for sure is that the car looks to need a lot more cooling compared to a standard 812 Superfast, so we can definitely expect some good amount of extra oomph.
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