Overview

If you fancy experiencing the Ferrari 812 Superfast in a slightly different way, this GTS offers sun-seeking thrills with its flagship supercar thanks to the addition of a folding metal roof. As long as you drive below 28mph, you can simply press a button on the centre console and welcome the outside world into the cabin in 14 seconds.

The two-seater supercar package otherwise remains largely the same. You’ll find the identical high-revving V12 engine from its sister coupe, and from a styling perspective, the two rear buttresses behind the occupants are the biggest giveaway when the roof is up.

16

But is there more to the GTS than just that trick roof? Or have Ferrari compromised on the 812’s supercar formula?

What’s it like inside?

The interior of the 812 GTS is the pretty much identical to the Superfast, meaning a comfortable seating position that’s easy to adjust, with plenty of space for two. The seats could do with a little more padding, but long distance comfort shouldn’t be a big issue when the frequent fuel stops will introduce breaks for you.

16

The steering wheel is nice and thin but could do with a bit more reach adjustment to allow taller drivers to sit a little further back. All the wheel-mounted controls can require a double take at first just to make sure you’ve activated the right one, but they become second nature surprisingly quickly.

Practicality has taken a dip over the Superfast, with boot capacity down to 210 litres. Unsurprisingly, this has made way for the folding roof mechanism and the coupe’s hatchback tailgate is replaced by a smaller, saloon-like one.

Access is still good, however, so fitting luggage bags for a weekend away won’t prove to be challenging.

What’s it like to drive?

Despite the folding roof mechanism and additional structural bracing, the 812 GTS remains exhilaratingly fast. This isn’t a particularly heavy car in the first place, so the 6.5-litre V12’s performance over the coupe has barely been affected.

With 800hp and 718Nm of torque to deliver to the rear wheels with your right foot, you may expect the GTS to bite as soon as you touch the throttle, but it’s far more approachable than some may think. The heavy throttle pedal means you need a surprising amount of application before the engine responds at low speeds, making this quite easy to modulate in stop-start conditions. Parking can be a little tricky at first, especially if you’re trying to avoid kerbing the £5,000 wheels fitted to our test car, but it’s not proved to be bothersome.

16

The 0-62mph time is almost identical to the Superfast coupe, taking an estimated 2.9 seconds (rather than 2.8), with a top speed of 212mph. This is an incredible turn of pace, but there’s so much more to those on-paper figures – it’s the dizzying way the engine revs so quickly to the 8,900rpm red line that leaves a lasting impression.

Factor in the incredibly smooth and quick-shifting seven speed automatic and you’re very quickly engrossed as you head towards a speeding ticket.

16

Accompany this with the high-pitched wail from the exhaust pipes, especially when the roof is down, and it’s extremely difficult not to smile or giggle. It’s almost infectious.

If this all sounds a bit frantic, you can take solace knowing this also translates into a relaxed driving experience when you want to turn down the pace by several notches. That high torque figure means the 812 really has little trouble driving at low speeds, allowing you to gently accelerate in high gears with barely a grumble.

Likewise, the ride on the 20-inch wheels remains surprisingly calm, without the need to preemptively wince as you approach lumps and potholes on rougher road surfaces.

Handling

Compared to the Superfast coupe, the 812 GTS feels like it’s on your side for more of the time.

The slightly softer edge to the chassis helps the GTS feel a little more forgiving, helping you build into a rhythm much sooner. In comparison, the Superfast’s spikier response feels a little more twitchy and demands your full attention and commitment before rewarding you.

16

Make no mistake, the GTS will easily light up the rear tyres with little provocation, so you still need to approach the controls with respect, but it’s easier to manage your inputs, while the electronic safety systems feel like they look after you and intervene just at the right time.

The steering is typically light but pin-sharp from the centre, and the rear wheel steering helps maximise agility, despite the 812’s size. The engine is pushed far back behind the front wheels to even out the weight distribution, so the 812 feels balanced with high levels of grip.

This might be a little less hardcore than the Superfast but the GTS manages to blend both the roof-down grand tourer role with supercar response, depending on your mood. You’d also have to be really dedicated to sniff out that slight difference in behaviour between the two.

Running costs

The stop-start system is pretty effective and eager to cut in at low speeds, but this seems like homeopathic treatment for a car you’d buy where good fuel economy is deemed a bonus, rather than necessity.

16

Maintenance won’t be cheap either, but the 812 does come with a seven year servicing package with yearly intervals or every 12,000 miles. There’s also a four year warranty.

MPG and CO2:

• 812 GTS: 17.2mpg, 373g/km of CO2.

During our time of testing, we saw figures as low as 12mpg after spirited driving, but also managed to beat the claimed figure on motorway cruising with just over 20mpg.

The 92-litre fuel tank does equate to full fill-ups costing over £100, though.

Click to find out whether we think the Ferrari 812 GTS is worth going for…