FERRARI 812 SUPERFAST
TOPGEAR.COM → JULY 2019 035
transform itself into a Rolls Royce at the push of a button,
a fraction softer would have done wonders to the overall
effectiveness of that mode. Thankfully, the rough patch didn’t
last for long and soon, I was at the start of what was supposed
to be one of the best driving roads in the world.
As I’ve realised over time, Jebel Jais needs no introduction.
The twisty three-lane (two up, one down) mountain road
has witnessed many a super- and hypercar burning some
precious rubber before reaching its peak. I’m sure even the
812 I’ve brought to the party would have been here numerous
times before, and now, it was my turn to unleash the beast. I
reminded myself to go a bit gentle at first, but with the engine
shifted to ‘Race’ mode, the 812 doesn’t recall what gentle
means. The V 12 is now in a league of its own, and teamed
with the 7 -speed dual-clutch ’box with F 1 -like shift times, the
whole experience is something that needs to be had firsthand.
The corners were approaching faster than my brain could
comprehend, cogs were swapped even before I could think of
the paddle shifters, and the massive brakes cut down speed at
the rate of knots even at the slightest of dabs. The Superfast
felt a bit twitchy and difficult on my first run. I wasn’t really
fighting the 812 , just that I couldn’t keep up with the speed
and the intensity of the whole package. But not for long. The
second and third time, my brain seemed better connected to
the V 12 and I no longer felt like a guest at my own party.
The thing is, there’s so much tech wizardry going on with
the Superfast, I barely got time to understand what hit me the
first time around. There’s a fast steering rack that’s linked
to the rear-wheel steering, throwing you into the apex faster
than you’d imagine. No matter what speeds you’re carrying,
the turn-ins are razor sharp, and I did take some time to get
used to it. Even the tyres offer leech like grip — screechy,
but grippy as hell. And then there’s the whole power delivery
game. It’s the most brutal force I’ve experienced until date.
This naturally-aspirated monster has a power band of almost
8000 rpm – it can pull right from 900 rpm all the way to its