POWERTRAIN
The engine is the F12berlinetta’s 6262cc 65° V12 on which Ferrari engineers
worked to boost maximum power output from 740 cv to 780 cv at 8,500 rpm,
yielding a specific power output of 125 cv/l. The engine’s sporty response is
assured by a maximum torque figure of 705 Nm (up from 690 Nm) at 6,750 rpm
with 80% already available at 2,500 rpm, resulting in unparalleled, progressive
pick-up all the way to the red-line at 8,900 rpm.
Numerous modifications have been developed for this engine, starting with the
use of race-inspired mechanical tappets and variable-geometry intake trumpets
used on Formula 1 cars which help boost volumetric efficiency at high revs.
The F12tdf is equipped with a specific version of the F1 DCT with 6% shorter
gear ratios that delivers 30% faster upshifts and 40% faster downshifts.
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Ferrari’s engineers sought to create an extremely agile and powerful car which
could also be driven by less expert drivers. They drew on the wealth of
experience built up in the XX programmes which are dedicated to developing
extremely high performance cars driven by non-professional drivers.
Extraordinary chassis dynamics, in terms of maximum lateral acceleration and
responsiveness, are in part achieved by the increase in the front tyre
dimensions, which jump from 255 to 275, along with the front channel size – up
from 9.5” to 10”. This modification guarantees higher lateral acceleration
generated by the front axle but, alone, this would have caused oversteer on the
limit, making the car more challenging for less expert drivers.
To enable even gentlemen drivers to make full use of the performance, Ferrari
developed its new Virtual Short Wheelbase system. Debuting on the F12tdf, the
rear axle is active, allowing the rear wheels to pivot around a vertical axis.
Using model-based control logic developed entirely in-house by Ferrari, the rear
axle steering automatically adjusts the rear wheels, working out the optimal
steering angle as a function of the steering wheel angle, speed of steering
inputs and vehicle speed.
The Virtual Short Wheelbase improves the car’s responsiveness to make it feel
more agile, with instantaneous turn-in that can be best appreciated on twisty
roads and on more technically challenging tracks while, at the same time,
improving stability at high speeds.
AERODYNAMICS
The F12tdf’s aerodynamic performance is nothing short of record-breaking – its
aerodynamic efficiency figure is 1.6, almost double that of the F12berlinetta.
Downforce is 230 kg at 200 km/h, which is an impressive 107 kg more.
Development affected every area of the car’s surface, producing striking
elements that lend its forms a unique sleek power. At the front, a highly complex
bumper contributes to downforce generation. It features a radically scooped
lower section and incorporates a competition car-inspired splitter, dive planes,
floor wings and louvres to boost the efficiency of both the sides and the
underbody.
The Aerobridge on the car’s front flank has been redesigned to increase the
energising effect of the air flow along the top of the sides, while at the rear,
louvres on the wheelarch create a depression that extracts air from the inner
wheelarch, thereby increasing the efficiency of a section of the underbody that is
usually little used in generating downforce.
The rear spoiler is now 60mm longer and 30mm higher, while the rake of the
rear screen has been made more vertical to extend the surface area over which
the spoiler can generate downforce and to capitalise on its advantages more
effectively. The concave curvature of the rear luggage hatch either side of the rear
screen further enhances the solution.
Three pairs of GT-racing-derived strakes have been adopted on the
aerodynamic underbody and are responsible for 30% of the increase in
downforce compared to the F12berlinetta. The rear diffuser has been completely
redesigned and now sports a system of three active flaps. It has been split into
three channels and features curved fences and vertical splitters to boost the
power of the vortexes and enhance the expansion of the flow in the horizontal
plane. This radical aerodynamic design work essentially created a whole new
car that also marks a major stylistic departure from the F12berlinetta.
STYLING
Designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre, the new F12tdf has particularly imposing
yet sensual forms, the product of Ferrari’s continuous commitment to melding
sculptural beauty with functional demands.
All of the bodywork panels, from the chiselled nose to the tail, have been revised.
Wider front and rear tracks also give the car an even more aggressive stance.
In terms of the formal design language, the objective was to create a
sophisticated interaction between the sculptural surfaces of the F12berlinetta
and a more graphic treatment of the various new aerodynamic features. The
best testament to this intent is the evolution of the Aerobridge, the design of
which is further enhanced by the use of bare carbon-fibre. Developed in such a
technical manner, this component combines with the other details in creating a
coherent aesthetic approach to the whole car.
The car’s uncompromising sportiness is expressed with the same degree of
purity in the deliberately Spartan cockpit. The wrap-around effect that embraces
the driving position is intensified by the use of carbon-fibre housings for the
instruments and satellite pods. The door panels have been pared back to a
single carbon-fibre shell, while the glove compartment has disappeared to be
replaced by simple knee padding. Alcantara rather the traditional leather was
chosen for the cabin trim, technical fabric for the seats and patterned aluminium
instead of mats for the floor, once again with the aim of saving every last ounce
of weight.
The F12tdf’s specification is completed by lightweight alloys with five twinned
spokes that are designed to have the narrowest section possible to reduce
unsprung weight.
F12tdf Technical Specifications
Engine
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