This car, Lot 132, sold for $1,467,500, including buyer’s premium, at RM Sotheby’s Dubai, UAE, auction, on March 9, 2024.
The new “exclusive”
Ferrari’s current production features nine standard models, four Special Series, one Icona Series and two production race cars. Ferrari also makes its Formula 1 car and the SF90 XX Stradale track-focused hypercar. It’s difficult to keep up with all the variations, so I recruited my friend Hank Carpenter at Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale for a tutorial on the 812 Comp. “You have to sit in the car,” he immediately advised. We went to one of the three they had at the dealership, and after admiring the exquisite and obviously expensive interior options, he had me start the car, awed me with the mirror, and took me on a tour. From the H-pattern motif surrounding the three small shift toggles in the center console to the impeccable detail throughout, I was duly impressed.
Looking at the rear-view mirror of an 812 Competizione, you see nothing unless the car is powered on. The 812 Competizione does not have a rear window. The mirror is actually a screen for a rear-mounted camera. The camera does not operate unless the car is in the accessory or running mode. While previously seen on its race cars, this was the first time Ferrari used the feature on a road car.
When asked what made the 812 Competizione special, Hank replied, “Exclusivity.” This is a wonderful example of “new-school” versus “old-school” Ferrari logic. Many of Ferrari’s A-list clients have standing orders for whichever model Ferrari makes next. There are enough Ferrari A-listers and A-list wannabes to sell out the production of most new models for a couple of years. Ferrari projects a total production of 999 closed-top 812 Competiziones and 599 of the 812 Competizione A versions (A for “Aperta,” or “open”). New limited-production models like the 812 Comp are sold out before they are introduced. A new client has no hope of getting on the list to buy one. In that context, the model is certainly exclusive.
Historically, though, this is a lot of 812 Competiziones. The combined production of open and closed cars will exceed the total production of Daytona and Daytona Spider, themselves not known as particularly low-production models. Ironically, the exclusive car we were examining would be going to a stable of Ferraris with at least two vintage Ferraris that were built in quantities of fewer than 40.
End of an era?
Internally the 812 Comp was known as the F152 VS. VS signifies Versione Speciale, Ferrari’s coveted line of race-inspired variations of production models. We’ve covered the Speciale series in the past, so I’ll just note the 812 Comp replaces the F12tdf as the flagship of Ferrari’s 12-cylinder VS production cars.
Along with exclusive, I’d call the 812 Comp extreme. The former rear-window area and the front bumper both feature patented aerodynamic design. The space where rear glass would sit now hosts three pairs of profiled elements which act as vortex generators, increasing downforce. Other aerodynamic aids improve radiator hot-air extraction, brake cooling and engine-air intake.
The 812 Comp borrows its powerplant from the 812 Superfast, its extreme performance coming from tweaks worth 30 hp, now totaling 818 hp in the Competizione. The exhaust received special attention, ensuring the engine screams all the way to its 9,500-rpm redline. Top speed is over 218 mph, with 62 mph reached in a scant 2.85 seconds. The F1 gearbox shifts nearly instantaneously, and the brakes can slam your face into the windshield.
There is nothing subtle about the appearance either. The lack of a rear window highlights a design that is enhanced with enough scoops, vents and spoilers to validate the Comp’s Versione Speciale status. Optional yellow-line Pirelli P Zero tires add a finishing touch.
Ferrari is currently migrating to an electronic future. Hybrid-powered models now make up 51% of Ferrari’s production, with a fully electric model expected soon. Future ICE models will likely be powered by turbocharged V6s; however, rumors that the 812 Competizione was the passing bell for purely ICE-powered V12 Ferraris are greatly exaggerated. A new model will soon be introduced and though few details are known, it will be V12-powered and probably have some Daytona styling cues.
Pay to play
Not many 812 Competiziones have hit the resale market. That’s undoubtedly due in part to Ferrari’s clause disallowing resale of new models for the first year. Even after the embargo has expired, reselling a special-series model can endanger a client’s A-list status. When weighing a significant windfall against being banished by Ferrari, the devil sometimes wins.
The consensus of the dealers I consulted valued 812 Comps at about a million dollars over sticker. Our subject car was the second one RM Sotheby’s has sold, and these are the only two public auction sales we are aware of. The first brought nearly $1.8m, right around a million dollars over its $600k base price, plus its $150k in options. There are two 812 Comps on the market today, one at $2.1m and one at $1.7m. This 812 Comp brought $1.5m, a bit under the million-dollar profit target, but a bit more than the auction house’s $1.3m top estimate.
When it comes to predictions of the 812 Competizione’s value, I’ll just stick to the facts. This is one wicked ride that looks like a bully and performs like one too. The buyer paid dearly to get an 812 Comp before many of the A-list clients got theirs. They didn’t get to build the car to their personal specification, but there wasn’t much to not like about the way this car was ordered. The seller might have been shorted a bit, but they pocketed around half-a-million dollars profit after fees, so they have little to complain about. If Ferrari blackballs them, Bugatti, Pagani or one of the other supercar builders will likely be happy to take their money. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.)
