Ferrari has just lifted the veil on its latest masterpiece, the 12 Cilindri. An Italian name that needs no translation, but above all sounds like a last tribute, before a planned disappearance… But take heart, this mechanical cathedral is still very much alive, with 830 horsepower and a red zone perched at 9,500 rpm! The 12 Cilindri is available in Coupé and Spider versions. Prices start at just under 400,000 euros.
For more than 10 years now, we have heard specialists repeating the same refrain, each time a new Ferrari GT is released: “It will certainly be the last naturally aspirated V12 in the history of the brand”. We were entitled to it for the F12 Berlinetta and for the 812 Superfast. Two options are then possible. Either these people only have specialists in name, or the Italian manufacturer is stubborn. Regardless, Ferrari has just lifted the veil on the replacement for the 812, which once again features a V12. What a surprise !
Her name ? The 12 Cilindri. Make an effort, pronounce it the Italian way: Dodici Cilindri, and not Douze Cilindri. A name which, beyond its disconcerting simplicity, has a bitter flavor of last homage. After all, after more than 10 years of hearing the famous specialists announce the end of the V12 at Ferrari, it had to happen one day… But we won’t fall into that and therefore won’t say that it is certainly of the latest GT V12 from Maranello.
Given its design, we could almost take it for a one-off
830 horses in a setting full of nods to the past
Visually, the Ferrari 12 Cilindri is an ode to the history of the Italian brand. Some references are obvious, such as the wide transverse strip which connects the two headlights at the front, which is an evocation of the legendary 365 Daytona from 1968. The designer is very keen on this design element. This is why customers will have no choice but to have it in black. For the rest, the lines are clearly evolving and are different from anything currently found in the range. The headlights and lights consist of simple LED edges, the front fenders are curved, the hood is ultra-flat and the stern is scooped up.
But this innovative design actually hides active aerodynamic elements. At the rear, the two black painted body parts, above the lights, can be raised by 10° from 60 km/h, thus generating 50 kg of additional downforce.
The black elements, above the lights, are in reality active aerodynamic appendages
The interior is reminiscent of that of the Purosangue, in its layout. The dashboard includes 2 caps, one in front of the driver and one in front of the passenger. Each houses a screen, including the instrumentation behind the steering wheel, while the central part sports a third dedicated to the infotainment part. Between the seats, we find the gearbox selector, which uses the famous H-shaped grid, for the design at least.
If we had to find a small flaw, it would seem that there are too many screens…
But this 12 Cilindri wouldn’t be called that without what’s sleeping under its front hood. It features a naturally aspirated 6.5 V12 with 830 horsepower and 678 Nm of torque, associated with an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Music lovers will appreciate the red zone perched at 9,500 rpm! In terms of performance, Ferrari announces a 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, a 0 to 200 km/h in 7.8 seconds and a top speed “greater than 340 km/h”.
Ferrari offers its new 12 Cilindri as a coupe, but also as a Spider like here!
Two versions will be available at launch, a coupe and a Spider. For now, we simply know that you will have to pay a whopping 395,000 euros to afford the coupe, with the hair dryer version certainly well over 400,000 euros. Ferrari should also, logically, release a radical version of this 12 Cilindri at a later date.