When the rest of the world is basking in midsummer warmth, winter has already descended on New Zealand. It is here, amidst the frosted peaks of the Southern Alps, that Ferrari invited the Grid Asia to a most unusual engagement: driving a fleet of their newest 12Cilindri supercars not on asphalt circuits, but on sheer ice.
Our destination, the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds (SHPG), is no ordinary venue. This sprawling facility, usually reserved for European and American manufacturers fine-tuning their prototypes in winter conditions, becomes a discreet playground for Ferrari clients. Privacy is paramount: mobile phones and cameras are surrendered at the lodge. Ferrari’s own media team ensures the memories are captured, without betraying any secrets from neighbouring test programmes.
Ferrari has long curated an enviable suite of client experiences. Casa Ferrari hospitality at Grand Prix weekends, scenic Ferrari Tours, heritage-rich Cavalcades and Tribute Drives, and the competitive thrills of the Challenge Series, XX Programme, and Club Competizioni GT. The Experienza Ferrari on Ice belongs to the Corso Pilota driver-training portfolio, designed to sharpen skills and, in this case, teach the delicate art of controlling a thoroughbred on surfaces where grip barely exists.
The tool for this winter ballet could not be more dramatic: the Ferrari 12Cilindri, both in coupé and Spider form. Beneath its sculpted bonnet lies a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12, tuned to unleash 830 hp, enough to hurl the car from standstill to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and on to a top speed beyond 340 km/h. Those figures, however, apply in ideal conditions. On ice, outright power matters far less than the driver’s ability to coax, tame, and redirect it.
Rear-wheel drive super-GTs are not the obvious choice for frozen roads. Yet, rather than mothball a Ferrari during winter, owners are encouraged to confront these challenges head-on. The solution: Michelin Pilot Sport Alpin 5 winter tyres or, better still, studded rubber. Even then, grip is fleeting. Step out of the car onto the glazed surface, and your boots feel as if you’ve traded soles for ice skates.
The first lesson was to unlearn conventional steering and begin using the throttle to pivot the car. Steering with the rear, rather than the front wheels, becomes the key. Easier said than done, of course, but repetition breeds confidence. Soon, we were linking turns in slalom formations, balancing power with precision, throttle with restraint.
By midday, we returned to the warmth of the lodge, sharing stories of near-misses and graceful arcs with our instructors over a hearty lunch. A word of caution: do not overindulge. More on-ice tail-waging awaits after the break, and by 4 p.m., the New Zealand winter steals the daylight.
The afternoon’s challenges grew sterner: longer slaloms, tighter arcs, and finally a gymkhana-style timed run. Here, discipline gave way to competition. The mere mention of a “fastest lap” awakened the red mist, and any finesse honed earlier quickly unravelled into exuberant slides and fountains of ice. The 12 Cilindri, always eager to oblige, spun its 830 horses into dazzling plumes. One could not help but think: had Ferrari given us just a third of that output, perhaps the task would have been simpler. But where’s the fun in that?
Ultimately, this was never about setting records. It was about mastering control, experiencing Ferrari’s most powerful grand tourer in an alien environment, and emerging a more accomplished driver. Even in our tropical climes, where snow is little more than a holiday fantasy, the lessons of modulation, anticipation, and restraint remain valuable on any road.
For those tempted, be warned: slots for the Experienza Ferrari On Ice are limited across the Asia Pacific region. Reservations are best made through your local Ferrari concessionaire. And if ice driving feels too extreme, Ferrari’s calendar is rich with alternatives – from scenic tours to the adrenaline of the Challenge racing series. But few, if any, will leave you with memories as exhilarating as sliding a V12 Ferrari across a frozen lake at the edge of the world.
