A Ferrari is a fine specimen of automobile engineering, performance, and luxury any day of the week. It’s a marque that automobile enthusiasts aspire to, with every vehicle wearing the prancing horse becoming a legend in its own right. Yet the 2017 Ferrari F12tdf exceeds these expectations, proving what a truly lustworthy car it is.
Currently up for auction as one of only 799 models made, the F12tdf is Ferrari’s foray into taking the high-performance legend of the F12 Berlinetta a step further. With this particular example finished in the extraordinary Italian Azzurro La Plata color scheme, the vehicle is an homage to the Tour de France endurance races of the 1950s and 1960s. Yet the F12tdf distinguishes itself from the fabled F12 Berlinetta, with an increased horsepower of 769 bhp in a model that has lost more than 240 pounds. This high-performance engine and diet regime propels the Ferrari from zero to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds before reaching a speed of 124 mph only five seconds later.
In the same way the Tour de France rewarded cars that were benchmarks for performance and driveability, the F12tdf has been designed to enable drivers to race for hundreds of miles a day over uncertain terrain and winding tracks. This is a Ferrari that is at home on the track as it is on the road.
It’s also a thing of beauty, with the full treatment of Ferrari’s factory Atelier and Tailor Made program which created its unique “Extra Campionario” Azzurro La Plata Livrea in ice blue with tri-color blue, white, and red stripe. The color scheme is a direct reference to the Tour de France winning 250 GT Berlinetta with the same shade of blue and hand painted Scuderia Ferrari fender shields. Inside, the interior boasts luxurious Alcantara trim and premium carbon fiber accents.
Scheduled to hit the auction block in early 2018, this ultra low-milage example with less than 200 miles on the clock is expected to fetch somewhere north of $1,200,000.