Ferrari 812 Superfast review

It feels very purposeful in here. All the toys are given to the driver, and really, they only have time to concentrate on one: the gorgeous central rev counter. There is no central infotainment - instead all those functions are locked away in the twin screens that flank the rev counter. Pity the poor passenger who has nothing to do but cling on – you can’t specify the passenger display from the GTC4Lusso and Portofino in the 812.

Is it luxurious? No exactly, but it is beautifully made from wonderful materials. Mostly. Considering they cost so much, the harness straps don’t slide anything like as well as they should and not having a cover on the passenger sun visor mirror seems cheap. But the carbon steering wheel (admittedly a £2,880 option) feels solid and fantastic to hold, and having all the instruments and dials a fingertip away does give this a very driver-orientated feel. The interior comes to you, if you like, keeps you occupied – this is not an environment where you’re going to be wanting to reach for your phone all the time. Other than the fact you will be wanting to use it for your satnav – it’s a damn sight easier to use than Ferrari’s own.

The driving position sits you low if you opt for these aggressive fixed-back carbon seats. They’re not uncomfortable, but nor are they conducive to long-distance lounging. Think about how you’re going to use your 812 before you start speccing it.

Grand touring is perfectly possible from a practicality viewpoint. The boot is big and there’s a sizeable parcel shelf behind the two seats. These can be linked together by flipping up a sprung-loaded divider. A word of warning. If you put your briefcase or other modestly weighty bag on the parcel shelf and proceed to accelerate with vigour, your briefcase will promptly relocate itself to the boot, the divider having sprung opened like a magician’s trap door.