Ferrari 812 Competizione A open-top Ferrari 812 Competizione A is actually a targa.

Posted on May 07, 2021
Supercars
Ferrari 812 Competizione A open-top Ferrari 812 Competizione A is actually a targa.

The Ferrari 812 GTS has a retractable hardtop roof that opens and closes in just 14 seconds at the touch of a button, but the roof of its sister model, the 812 Competizione A, unveiled on Wednesday, is quite different.

The 812 Competizione is the new "hardcore" member of Ferrari's 812 family, and its open-top version, known as the 812 Competizione A, is actually a Targa.

The removable roof panel had to be removed, and instead of a metal bar like the iconic Porsche 911 Targa, Ferrari opted for a carbon fiber hoop protruding behind the seats. This concept was used by Ferrari in the 2016 J50 limited edition, which Ferrari at the time called a "blueprint" of the car's future design.

The roof panel (not shown here) is also made of carbon fiber and is designed to connect to the steering wheel to form a single unit. At the rear is a duffel compartment of the same shape as the roof panel for easy storage.

The 812 Competizione Coupé also features a distinctive design. Like the convertible, the coupé has no rear windshield. In its place are aluminum panels designed to improve aerodynamics. Several vortex generators (six in total) are built into this panel. These are often used on the bottom of sports cars (LaFerrari was the first Ferrari to do this) to increase downforce - in the case of the 812 Competizione, the vortex generators increase downforce by 10% over the 812 Superfast and streamline the car deflecting some of the air towards the rear spoiler.

To compensate for the lack of vortex generators in the 812 Competizione A, Ferrari added a bridge element connecting the flying buttresses extending from behind the seats. This bridge also directs air to the rear spoiler while compensating for the drag normally increased by the targa-style roof." [The 812 Competizione and 812 Competizione A were produced in limited numbers: 999 examples of the coupe and 599 of the Targa.

Each is powered by a 6.5-liter V12 engine producing 819 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. Ferrari claims acceleration to 62 mph occurs in 2.85 seconds, and the top speed is 211 mph.

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