Ferrari 812 Competizione

Ferrari’s 53 cars in the Dream Car Garage catalogue create a broad view of one marque, but the 812 Competizione shows a particular corner of that story with unusual clarity. It sits inside the top 7% of all 600 cars for power, ranking 42nd, with 819 bhp from a naturally aspirated 6.5 litre V12. Those figures place it among the catalogue’s serious performance machines, but its distinction comes from the way several defining choices meet in one car.

The 812 Competizione combines a V12, naturally aspirated power and rear wheel drive, a combination found in 54 of the 600 catalogue cars for the engine and aspiration pairing, and in 68 for V12 with RWD. It is not simply a high output entry in Ferrari’s collection. It represents a specific formula within the wider catalogue, one where the character of a V12 is paired with a drivetrain layout that remains part of its identity.

Its performance position reinforces that focus. A 0 to 100 km/h time of 2.85 seconds places it faster than 525 cars in the catalogue, ranking 75th overall, while its 340 km/h top speed ranks 67th. The 812 Competizione therefore sits in a group where outright speed is exceptional, yet the numbers also show that it is not defined by a single statistic alone. The 819 bhp and 692 Nm of torque come from a naturally aspirated 6,496 cc engine, creating a specification that separates it from many other cars in a 600 car collection.

The price position adds another dimension. At a used price of £750,000, it ranks 71st most expensive, making it more costly than 529 catalogue cars. Its cost per bhp is £916, a figure that places the purchase beyond simple performance calculation and into the territory of selecting a very specific kind of machine.

For a Ferrari collection, the 812 Competizione contributes a focused expression of the marque’s catalogue presence. Italy provides 118 cars in the collection, and Ferrari’s 53 entries offer many interpretations of performance and design, but this car occupies its own place through the combination of a naturally aspirated V12, rear wheel drive and supercar credentials. Whether it becomes the centrepiece of a dream garage depends on what the collector wants the Ferrari section to represent: the broadest possible range of experiences, or a precise statement built around one particular mechanical idea.