As the first light of dawn spills over the Italian Alps, Lake Maggiore sits peacefully beneath a blanket of fog. The water shimmers like glass, while its residents lay peacefully in bed before another day gets underway. It’s Autumn, and while the area has enjoyed its summer of fun, the leaves transform the paths and surrounding areas into a riot of colours. An area dominated by sky blue and rich greens during the previous months, now gives way to fiery reds, golden yellows, and deep oranges, adding another palette entirely to what is already one of Europe’s best locations. The tranquility is unrivalled, with the gentle sound of birds chirping and smooth waves breaking as they reach the jagged coastline. That silence is broken by a faint, but increasing rumble. That rumble is as unmistakable as it is grin-giving, and as it becomes ever louder and clearer, you’d be half right if you guessed it had 12 cylinders, but this was no ordinary engine.
With that, a flash of blue enters and exits the frame in an instant, and the encyclopaedic knowledge of engine sounds so many of us car lovers possess kicks into overdrive. Before the confirmation can be made, the noise returns, and the Flat-12 of a Ferrari 512 BB from Loris Kessel making the most of a tourist-free autumn morning is perhaps the best shot of coffee Lake Maggiore could ever ask for.
As jaw-dropping as this was to some, this was something of an everyday occurrence in the Lagos that thread their way between Italy and Switzerland, as many locals love nothing more than to take a winding lap around the hills and lakes before getting the day started. There are plenty of good, hell, fantastic cars to drive through areas such as these, but for sheer driving joy, the 512 BB stands taller than the rest. Taking Strada Statale 34, the scenic highway that hugs the edge of Lake Maggiore, the 512’s exhaust is preparing for its solo. Whining and backfiring at every chance, the car lets everyone around it know its enjoying the drive as much as its occupants, with speckles of orange leaves being caught up in the car’s wake.
Bursting onto the scene in 1976 as a successor to the 365 GT4 BB, it featured the same Leonardo Fioravanti-designed lines and Scaglietti-made coachwork, albeit with a larger and now dry-sump 5.0-litre V-12 engine tucked away behind the seats. The engine, a true thoroughbred, similar to that of the later F50, it was taken from a Formula-One car, the 312 used by Niki Lauda and Jody Scheckter. This mighty heart, combined with vastly improved torque and a smoother delivery than the earlier version in the 365 GT4 BB, Ferrari really had struck gold when it came to ensuring their newest model was a worthy addition to their line up.
Visually, only true experts would be able to differentiate between the 512 BB and the model before it. While introducing a series of small visual enhancements, most notably the triple tail lights and new chin spoiler, these amends ensured the car looked and felt different to the 364 GT4 BB, even before that mighty flat-12 was fired up. During its short but impactful life span between 1976 and 1981, just 929 examples of the 512 BB left Maranello, a whole 376 examples less than the F40 that would arrive in 1987.
As the autumnal blast continues, each turn of the wheel reveals a new panorama. Charming towns with terracotta roofs, vineyards spilling over with grapes, and cypress trees standing tall against the skyline, the air was filled with the scent of burning fuel and the lingering woodland scents from the trees that formed a natural tunnel. A concoction of all these sights, sounds and smells only adds to the simply unforgettable driving experience.
Heading towards the village of Stresa, the Blu beauty has a chance to catch its breath, swapping smooth tarmac for cobblestone streets that would cause a healthy amount of stress if the 512 BB was as wide as its modern-day siblings. As with many classic cars, size was insignificant, and the BB is a petite car, allowing a true connection to be made between all aspects of the car. Sure, the steering may be a little heavy while navigating the narrow streets flanked by charming shops and cafes, but for the amount of turned heads as it cruises by, the pain is more than worth it.
As supercars become more and more uncontrollable on beautiful roads such as these, it’s hard to imagine a better car to enjoy them on than a Ferrari such as this one. Even while maintaining cruising speeds, the 512 BB feels alive and hungry for more, allowing you to feel every element of its race-derived engine. Without the 512 BB, Ferrari may never have made it to the iconic 288 GTO, and models like the 308 GTB and 328 GTS all took inspiration from what the BB was able to achieve, and for that, this car deserves its place among the best in Maranello’s stable. Many compared it to the Lamborghini Countach, mostly due to the two cars being launched relatively close to each other and both featuring a punchy V12, but on an beautiful autumnal morning such as this one around one of Italy’s finest natural vistas, there’s only one stallion we’d be driving!
