The Ferrari 12Cilindri carries the tradition of the Gran Turismo forward without electrification.
When it comes to gran turismos, few brands come close to matching Ferrari’s heritage and reputation. The formula has always been the same since 1947 – big V12 up front behind the front axle, sumptuous cabin, large footprint. Despite looming legislation outlawing the sale of non-hybrids in Europe, Ferrari have managed to keep the formula going another generation with their latest gran turismo, the Ferrari 12Cilindri. This new name also carries forward a new habit of Ferrari’s – naming cars for their defining characteristic.
The Ferrari 12Cilindri was unveiled in both coupé and spider form. The vehicle is powered by a naturally-aspirated 65-degree 6.5L V12 that marries the 12-cylinder legacy with the latest developments in Formula 1 technology. The power unit, which was developed from the one found on the 812 Competizione, produces 830PS and 678Nm of torque and revs as high as 9500 rpm. It features titanium con rods, aluminium alloy pistons, variable geometry inlet tracks and a new plenum.
The engine is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and also gets four-wheel steering. Other performance-enhancements come in the form of an advanced electronics system with aspirated torque shaping, ABS Evo and Side Slip Control 8.0. The 12cilindri goes from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds and 0-200km/h in 7.9 seconds. The top speed is 340km/h.
Keeping with many other Ferrari models of late, there’s a bit of a retro-inspired feel to the car’s design with some design language from the Roma clearly coming through here. There’s a clear throwback to Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona with the black panels on the front of the hood between the taillights. It’s also worth noting that the hood is hinged at the front, which is not something we’ve seen in cars since the 1980s.
The cabin is a lot like the Purosangue and features the kind of things you can expect from most modern Ferraris including a touch-capacitive Engine Start-Stop button on the steering, along with many other controls mounted there.
There’s also a fully-digital instrument cluster and infotainment unit plus an additional display for the passenger. The Ferrari badge shaped key makes a return here too. The most unique looking items in the 12cilindri’s cabin are the seats.
The difference in weight between the coupé and spider models is something like 50kg, and before taxes, the coupé costs 395,000 euros versus the spider’s 435,000 euros. Overall it’s a positive upgrade over the Ferrari 812 Competizione and looks to be a solid way to send off the 12-cylinder Gran Turismo format for the brand.
