The F12, with its look-at-me lines and liberal sprinkling of logos, is, perhaps even more than most Ferraris, meant to advertise new money. Like a Duesenberg in 1920s America, it’s an object that primarily will be used to show off wealth without subtlety. And these days, the new money is in the Middle East, Russia and China — which has surpassed the United States to become the world’s largest market. These markets are the big, fat bull’s eye every luxury automaker is aiming at, and designing cars for. It’s little wonder Ferrari’s massive theme park, with its snap-your-neck roller coaster, is not in the forests of Monza but the sands of Abu Dhabi.

Then again, when were supercars supposed to be quiet and understated? The F12 Berlinetta’s grandfather, the 550 Maranello, is very much the exception to the “more is more” ethos with its softly flowing, almost whispering, lines. And compared to boutique supercars like the Pagani Huayra and Koenigsegg Agera, the F12 is an exercise in moderation.

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