New Ferrari 12Cilindri Coming Soon: Specs, price and release info

If you are after a soulful two-seater with impressive performance figures, a Prancing Horse badge and a nod to Ferrari’s heritage the 12Cilindri could be the car for you. However, it won’t come cheap and, in Ferrari’s own words, the 12Cilindri will be an exclusive car for the few.
• The 12Cilindri is aimed at fans of classic Ferraris • Available as a coupe or a folding hard-top convertible • Its V12 engine produces 830 horsepower • Likely to arrive in the UK next year • Prices not confirmed but expected to be from £350,000

Ferrari has a rich history of creating beautiful sports cars and a strong emotional connection to big, V12 engines, so it had plenty of inspiration to draw from with the new 12Cilindri. Ferrari’s latest grand tourer takes design cues from the 1950s and 60s and there’s a clear resemblance to the 365 GTB4 ‘Daytona’ in the shape of the band between the headlights. Flowing lines take the eye to the flared rear wheel arches at the back of the car where the taillights have also been integrated into one strip. There’s a striking chevron shape created across the roofline as the body colour zigzags between contrasting glass with black surrounds. Ferrari uses the word muscular repeatedly when describing the 12Cilindri’s design, and from the pictures the muscular, sculpted bodywork certainly has presence. While it might not be as elegant as the Roma, beauty will be in the eye of the beholder.

The inside of the 12Cilindri has been designed to create a separate cocoon for the driver and passenger. They’ll both be swaddled in Alcantara made from 65 per cent recycled polyester, aiming to blend sportiness with comfort. There’s a glass roof to create a sense of space and this has been tinted to avoid creating a greenhouse on wheels when it’s warm outside. The 12Cilindri has three screens; a large 15.6-inch driver display, a central 10.25-inch infotainment screen supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 8.8-inch screen for the passenger. There’ll be wireless phone charging as standard, and you can upgrade to a fancy sound system created in collaboration with Burmester at an extra cost. The steering wheel will be the same as the one used in the latest Ferraris, with indented buttons intended to make them easier to use.

The engine is sure to be the highlight of the 12Cilindri, the name describing exactly what lies within. There’s no turbocharger or fancy hybrid system, instead there’s a high revving V12 capable of producing 830 horsepower. This uses the latest technology carried over from Formula 1, minimising weight and increasing efficiency. The 12Cilindri uses the same eight-speed gearbox as the SF90 Stradale and the exhaust has been tuned to make the whole car sing. Ferrari says it has specially designed the cabin so you can make the most of the sound. The car’s aerodynamics have been optimised with a rear flap adapting to the car’s speed. Independent steering on all four wheels with systems to calculate the level of grip should make for precise handling. All features combined ought to make for a fantastic driving experience, so we look forward to trying it out.

UK prices have not been released, but in Italy the 12Cilindri will start at nearly €400,000, which is just under £350,000 and we can expect cars to arrive here early next year.

In addition to the coupe, Ferrari will also be bringing us an open-topped version of the 12Cilindri. The 12Cilindri Spider will lose a storage bench in the interior to accommodate the folding hard-top roof, but the rest of the cabin space will remain the same. The roof can be operated up to 30mph and fold in around 14 seconds. There’s a height-adjustable rear screen to improve refinement when the roof’s down and Ferrari claims this allows conversation without raising your voice, even at high speeds.

There aren’t many cars capable of rivalling a Ferrari, but Aston Martin has just announced it has a new V12 up its sleeve too. We expect to hear more later in the year and believe there’s a strong possibility of a new Vanquish arriving soon.