2014 Ferrari F12 TRS
One of the 90 cars taking part in the third edition of the Ferrari
Cavalcade was the F12 TRS, a one-off custom design making its public debut on
Sicilian soil.
Based on the F12berlinetta, the car was developed at a client’s request as
an extreme, two-seater, open-top sports barchetta. One of the initial
inspirations for the project was the 1957 250 Testa Rossa. In fact, the F12 TRS
is Flavio Manzoni and the Ferrari Style Centre team’s modern, innovative take
on that legendary car’s spirit and pays homage to it in its moniker.
Like all one-off Ferraris, the F12 TRS is the product of Ferrari’s
now-classic approach of creating a truly integrated design. It thus has the
same exceptional performance figures as the F12berlinetta including 0-100 km/h
acceleration in 3.1 s and 0-200 km/h acceleration in 8.5 s, thanks to the
massive 740 cv and maximum torque of 690 Nm at 9,000 rpm unleashed by its 6262
cm3 V12 engine.
From the leading edge of the typically sharp Ferrari nose, aggressively
sculpted forms flow back over the bonnet, while a low, wraparound windscreen
forms a long dark band of glass in contrast to the car’s body. The V12 engine’s
signature red cylinder heads are visible through a window in the engine lid, a
concept inspired as much by the front-engined Ferrari sports cars of the 1950s
as our more recent mid-engined berlinettas. The aerobridge, introduced on the
F12berlinetta, has been given a new treatment in this car, resulting in a
sculptural design that runs back from the flanks along the entire length of the
car.
The design of the rear marks an evolution of the T-shaped graphic that
characterises the F12’s truncated tail and is influenced to some extent by the
cabin shape with long fuselage fairings running behind the headrests into the
rear spoiler. A smooth ramp runs from the central tunnel too, linking interior
and exterior and creating a longitudinal aerodynamic channel to deliver an
innovative Venturi effect completed by a vent under the spoiler.
The cockpit is light and pared-back to the barest driving essentials,
creating a sense of powerful, uncompromising sportiness with no concessions to
superfluous comfort. Even some of the controls for the likes of the air
conditioning, for instance, have been cut back, while the glove compartment,
central air vents, mats, audio system, window controls and odds-and-ends
holders have all been removed. Most of the materials used aboard, such as black
matt carbon-fibre, leather and Alcantara, are technical, while the same multi-layer
red paint developed specifically for the exterior adorns the central tunnel and
the door panels.
Although inspired by the traditional Rosso Corsa, the new bodywork colour
was developed using multi-layer and micalised paint technologies.
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