Ferrari’s hottest V12 is coming . . . with a scorching price tag

Will it be GTO or will it be Speciale? That's the question on the lips of all Ferrari enthusiasts as the Italian supercar maker gets ready to unveil its last "pure" V12. Don't be afraid – Ferrari isn't going to stop making bent-dozens, but the engine in this hot update of the F12 Berlinetta coupe will be the last Ferrari V12 to just be an engine by itself. In the interests of keeping emissions under control and the EU off its back, Ferrari will never again make a V12 engine that doesn't have some kind of hybrid electric assistance.

So that makes this car, pictured here in an image that leaked on social media, something rather special. The last in an unbroken line stretching back all the way to the original 166 Ferrari road car. Say what you like about Old Man Enzo, he knew something about making great engines.

And that makes it rather more likely that this car will be called F12 GTO rather than F12 Speciale. The Speciale badge has been used to denote hotter, lighter versions of the 458 and new 488 but surely, for its last "proper" V12 Ferrari will resurrect one of its most storied names.

We do know something of the technical specification though. The 6.2-litre V12 will get a major power boost, bringing it from the standard car’s 730hp to at least 760hp, although as much as 800hp has been rumoured (to enable the F12 to go toe-to-toe with Aston Martin’s track-only Vulcan).

Kerb weight will drop by about 200kg, bringing it to as little as 1,230kg – or about as much as a very basic VW Golf. That should give you some idea of the eye-watering power to weight ratio. That reduction has been achieved by lightweight body panels, perspex glass and magnesium wheels, as well as stripping such comforts and conveniences as sat-nav, heavy leather seats and possibly even air conditioning from the cabin. The suspension and electronic engine and chassis controls will also get a good going over to bring them up to speed with the engine’s prodigious power.

And the price? Well, oddly it seems as if Ferrari will be selling this car not as a strictly limited edition but a how-many-do-you-want-guv? regular production model, which should help to keep the price down to almost-sane levels. Still, expect to have to pay at least €600,000 to land one here.