The F12's look will undoubtedly inspire heated debate among Ferrari aficionados and purists, but the automaker says the form is actually functional. Active shutters on the brake cooling ducts help reduce drag, while the so-called "Aero Bridge" scoops, located between the front-wheel arches and the cowl, channel air from the front of the car to its sides. Ferrari says the F12 Berlinetta boasts a 76-percent increase in downforce, along with a surprisingly slippery drag coefficient of 0.299.

If you think the F12 Berlinetta appears a little smaller than the outgoing 599, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Preliminary specifications indicate the F12 is about 2 inches shorter, 7/10 of an inch narrower, and 2.5 inches lower than its predecessor. The F12's body is also lighter than the 599's, thanks in part to a new aluminum-intensive spaceframe. An estimated curb weight of 3363 pounds means the F12 is not only 360 pounds lighter than the 599 GTB, but it's also about 176 pounds lighter than the hard-core, performance-tuned 599 GTO. As was the case on the 599, the use of a transaxle -- a seven-speed dual-clutch unit, in this instance -- allows the F12 to shift 54 percent of its curb weight to its tail end.