Ferrari takes an old-school approach to performance

Beyond 250km/h, no-one can hear you scream. Not with the roof down in the Ferrari 812 GTS, the most powerful convertible ever sold in Australia.

You can’t hear the piercing wail of a V12 spinning at almost 9000rpm on the approach to the first corner at Sydney Motorsport Park, only the wind’s hurricane roar and a growing voice inside your head demanding you brake. Now.

The long bonnet of Ferrari’s latest convertible hides the most spectacular engine on sale today.

Shunning turbochargers or hybrid electric motors, the 6.5-litre monster is a free-breathing masterpiece with enviable heritage. It isn’t Ferrari’s fastest or most innovative car (that role is played by the new SF90 hybrid) but the big motor serves up an unmatchable high-pitched howl, sounding like a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo spliced with Schumacher-era Formula 1 effects.

That free-spinning V12 has an intoxicating appetite for revs unlike just about anything else on the road, surging toward its redline like an unhinged superbike.

The Ferrari responds instantly to throttle changes or the pull of a gearshift paddle. Downchanges from the seven-speed automatic are particularly dramatic, quickly dispatched with a percussive whap of revs as you approach the next bend.

Slowing down allows you to drink in the spectacular aural character of the motor, the cabin swirling with rare music. The lack of a roof amplifies the V12’s voice at sensible speeds, though you won’t hear much at all at the end of a long straight. That’s the $65,000 question: whether to choose the convertible option when buying a V12 Ferrari.

It’s not a cheap premium over the hardtop Ferrari 812 Superfast, though it does grant closer access to the star of the show. As an added benefit, you get to tell friends the shiny Fandango parked outside is a “GTS” as opposed to the ever-so-slightly immodest “Superfast”.

Then again, as any Holden fan will tell you, GTS is essentially Australian for “super fast”.

Officially priced from $678,888 plus on-road costs in Australia (to which you can add a huge whack of stamp duty), the 812 GTS is effectively a blank canvas for Ferrari’s Atelier and Tailor Made customisation that can push its price into seven figures.

Company founder Enzo Ferrari is reputed to have said his customers buy an engine, and that the rest of the car comes for free. That’s not the case anymore – our test car had 30 extras including extensive carbon fibre jewellery – even a carbon steering wheel with LED shift lights in its upper rim. The brand politely declined to say exactly what the car was worth.

But you won’t feel short-changed by a thoroughbred twelve-cylinder engine capable of delivering 588kW and 712Nm to the rear wheels.

That’s enough to reach 100km/h in less than three seconds. And the GTS will double that in another five ticks of the clock on the way to a 340km/h top speed.

Ferrari’s lighter, turbocharged F8 Tributo is slightly quicker in a straight line and easier to drive at speed, with better balance from its midengine layout. But owners are unlikely to care, as it sounds anonymous compared with the open air amphitheatre hosting petrol-fuelled Pavarotti.

Not that you could accuse the 812 GTS of being unwieldy.

Surprisingly quick steering and huge Pirelli tyres work with an active differential and clever rear-wheel-steering to help the big roadster change direction with rare agility.

It’s a confidence-inspiring machine, aided by enormous carbon-ceramic brakes with eyewatering stopping power.

Sophisticated electronics also do their part – the car’s traction and stability control systems work with the front and rear steering to help keep the car pointed straight – even guiding you through the tricky art of powerslides, should the opportunity arise.

Though it is clearly athletic, the 812 GTS isn’t pitched as a track star. Comfortable seats, a sensible driving position and lovingly finished cabin suggest this roadster is intended for sunny weekends away.

It’s luxurious without overwhelming occupants though heavy-handed tech or ostentatious indulgence.

There is no central infotainment screen (though satnav and Apple CarPlay feature on a small display next to an enormous tacho) and you can forget about overbearing safety systems (but auto emergency braking, active cruise control and blind-spot monitoring are available).

Instead, the 812 GTS is an anachronism, a charming throwback to simpler times before electrification and the push for driverless cars.

And it’s utterly magnificent.