The Italian language is very clever – molto bene – when it comes to translating car names into lyrical poetry. “Four Doors” becomes “Quattroporte. ” Red Head” becomes “Testarossa”. This new Ferrari ultra-GT is called a 12-cylinder. But Maranello would prefer you to wrap your lips in the way he speaks. . . and he called him Dodici Cilindri.
It’s a birthday party on the nose of Ferrari’s signature dish: a big V12. A sturdy 6. 5-litre orchestral instrument, securely attached to the front axle under a gigantic ‘cofango’ bonnet designed to highlight the engine bay more spectacularly than the 812 Superfast or F12.
It avoids turbochargers or any form of hybrid boost, but lighter titanium connecting rods and forged pistons mean it’s now even faster. The horsepower matches the 820 hp of the wild 812 Competizione. Three-quarters of that overtaking power is obtained from 2,500 rpm. The red line is 9,500 rpm: kiss the limiter a few times and position yourself doing 0 to 62 mph in 2. 9 seconds, 0 to 125 mph in 7. 8 seconds, on your way to more than 217 mph.
No, those aren’t big innovations over the 812 Superfast. It looks like Ferrari has had enough. Its ultra-GT V12 doesn’t want to get any faster. Do you want a distortion factor? Buy an SF90 and a vomit bag. Here, the main task was to keep the cornerstone of the V12 alive.
Engineers admit that it has been difficult to comply not only with emissions legislation, but also with increasingly stringent noise limits that reduce exhaust sound by up to 72 dB. Apparently, more attention has been paid to spreading the rich sounds of the V12 in the cabin, deafening everyone outside. A more self-centered car, perhaps, one that appeals less to the public.
And then you have what it looks like. There’s an ambitious design here, very ambitious, more radical than the 812 or the F12, of course. The dark “mask” front stripe evokes the wedge-shaped front finish of the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”, and no, you can’t have it in the frame color. It’s just black. The head of design, Flavio Manzoni, said he would allow the owners to paint it “on his dead body”.
The same goes for the black roof segments around the “hang glider” style and the outer edges of the tail. These are actually active aerodynamic devices, which are raised ten degrees between 60 km/h and 300 km/h to allocate 50 kg of downforce to the rear axle. If you’re wondering why the middle segment stays flat. . . so do we. As it turns out, Ferrari was concerned that the full-width ducktail engine had eaten up too much of the 270 of the 12 Cilindri. One-liter boot, which swallows a golf bag.
The wheels are forged from a single piece of aluminum and measure 21 inches in diameter. The brakes and suspension hardware come largely from the 812 Superfast, but all of its software is carefully remapped and prevention is now provided by electric braking.
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Ferrari engineers admit that there has been a slight increase in weight from the 812 of 1,525kg, due to the larger wheels, bonnet and active aerodynamics, but with all carbon requirements ticked in, the claimed dry weight is 1,560kg, very close to average. -1600, in working condition.
Meanwhile, the 812 Competizione’s rear wheel guide has been redesigned to accommodate a 20mm shorter wheelbase, and the tech arsenal includes the eighth generation of Ferrari’s side-skid control system. You could rotate that tantalizing little transfer from manettino to red. Then send the rev counter in red as well. And let your back hang down.
While you wait for the crane to pull you out of a hedge, you’ll have plenty of time to gaze out into the cabin. It’s not as radical here as it is on the outside: a tool screen similar to that of a 296 or SF90. , as well as the terribly responsive and tactile guide wheel interface.
The passenger has its own cabin with a smaller secondary screen, but unlike the Purosangue SUV, also a giant central screen which, as you might have guessed, is where all the heating and seat comfort controls are hidden. Design chief Manzoni insists that this tactic makes the cabin more futuristic and cleaner. Hmm. Ni once did he find a fingerprint, huh?
Prices (before messing around with paint, leather and carbon) start at €395,000 for the coupe. For €435,000, you can have your 12 Cilindri with a folding hardtop that disappears into the trunk in 14 seconds. Yes, we’ll have it Spider styling throughout the coupe from day one. What would be your choice and how do you pronounce this name?
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