Ferrari 812 GTS revealed – open-top V12 with 789 hp

The rumours were true all along, as Ferrari has revealed the new 812 GTS ahead of this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, which is the open-top twin to the 812 Superfast.

Mechanically, the 812 GTS shares the same naturally-aspirated V12 powerplant as its hardtop sibling, with the 6.5 litre unit producing 800 PS (789 hp) at 8,500 rpm and 718 Nm at 7,000 rpm – the mill is paired with a F1 DCT seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Ferrari claims a zero to 100 km/h time of under three seconds, while 200 km/h is achieved in just 8.3 seconds – the latter is 0.4 seconds slower than the berlinetta due to the additional 75 kg that comes with the folding roof. The 812 GTS shares the same top speed with the 812 Superfast: 340 km/h.

To accommodate the retractable hardtop mechanism, the aero ducts found on the 812 Superfast have been omitted and compensated for by adding flaps to the rear diffuser. Meanwhile, the entire rear deck has been redesigned, and now features integrated rollover protection humps and new shutlines. As a result, the buttresses are much larger and more prominent on the convertible, at the cost of some luggage space.

Of course, that’s a small price to pay to hear the V12 more clearly when the roof is brought down, a 14-second process that can be completed at speeds of up to 45 km/h. Owners can also deploy an electric powered rear screen as a wind stop to protect their hairdo, and it can even be left open with the top up to “continue to luxuriate in the naturally-aspirated V12’s unique soundtrack,” as Ferrari explains.

All the technical wizardry and acronyms from the 812 Superfast are present here too, so the 812 GTS comes as standard with the Virtual Short Wheelbase 2.0 system (PCV 2.0), E-Diff 3, F1-Trac, SCM-E and Side Slip Angle Control 5.0 (SSC 5.0).

Ferrari says the 812 GTS ends a 50-year wait for a V12 convertible model from the carmaker that isn’t a limited edition model, with the last of such a model type being the 1969 365 GTS4 (or Daytona Spider). Unlike past Ferrari flagship V12 cars that were made into convertibles like the F60 America and SA Aperta, the 812 GTS won’t be built in limited numbers, so customers won’t have to beg the Italian carmaker for an allocation.

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