In this alpine setting, the F12 is remarkably beautiful. Every angle is a testimony to the maturity of the Ferrari-Pininfarina partnership. The technical mastership required to integrate the technical challenges resulting from such a performance envelope in such a pure and elegant design is awe inspiring. The heritage of a 275 GTB or 365 GTB/4 is not a designer school exercise, it is intrinsic, genetic, blended with innovative accents. The 599 had its C-pillar winglets, the F12 has this meandering canyon flowing from front to rear, bonnet to doors. The surrounding alpine torrents which dug their way through rock over millenniums , the mountains carved by glaciers, everything in this environment provides the most fitting metaphors. Nature inspires man with is its relentless force. In this alpine theatre, the F12 is about to do just the same.

The southern side of the Gotthard pass seems ideal for a car of this class. Leaving aside the cobblestones of the Tremola and the snow patches that still cover it, we head for the section we had selected for this morning’s work. Safe turnouts, a robust acceleration from first gear, a couple of sweepers, a tight hairpin, a gallery. What I did not know is that I would enter into communion in this open air temple.

Driven hard, the F12 shows a completely different side. Pulling deep on the first, second and third gears, the acceleration is radical, impressive. The car does not squat as much as a 599 Fiorano would, but I have the distinct feeling that it settles very quickly on the rear axle, prompting a heightened awareness for the grip reserves under the rear wheels. With the manettino in Race mode and this tidal waves torque, I instinctively soften my inputs to avoid any surprise. Hard breaking, downshift to second, tight hairpin approached with caution and massive acceleration into the gallery. The V12 revs in an insane crescendo , the 5 LEDs on the steering wheel rim bringing welcome indication of the ideal shift points. I don’t want to hit the limiter, but I don’t want to leave a crumb of this feast. More than the sound amplitude, it is its richness and complexity which are the core of this incredible experience. Beauty has taken a savage and breathtaking form, the kind normally associated to great predators or extreme weather.

The Ferrari 458 had set – imposed ! – new benchmarks in terms of engine delivery. The F12 is in a league of its own, adding to ferocious acceleration and sensory overload a new dimension, both familiar and completely inaccessible. To associate road cars and Formula 1 is all too often a mix of clichés and platitudes. The F12 deserves it. I had never heard before a car reproduce with such fidelity and richness the acoustic signature of an F1 under full load. The ignition cycle of the 65 degree V12 provides a complex texture, doubled a couple of octaves higher by a strident wail. The acoustic engineers at Ferrari have signed a masterpiece, with particular attention to the balance between induction and exhaust noise. Two ducts link the V12’s lung – two enormous airboxes – with the interior, under an analog principle to Porsche’s system on the 991.