Talk to almost any petrol head, and they’ll tell you that 12-cylinder engines have been teetering on the brink of extinction for what feels like a decade at this point. Clearly nobody in Maranello got the memo, because they just unveiled this absolute belter of a V12 grand tourer; meet the beautiful Ferrari 12Cilindri, or as they would prefer you call it, the “Dodici Cilindri”.
That’s right: out goes the 812 Superfast, in comes a grand tourer with a much more mature aesthetic. Clearly encouraged by a universally warm reception to the Roma’s simple yet elegant looks, the 12Cilindri adopts a far more minimalist design language than the somewhat busy 812, incorporating elements of the one-off KC23 track special from last year.
Of course, the 12Cilindri draws a great deal of inspiration from the iconic 365 GTB/4 of the late 1960s, even adopting a black full-width front “mask” strip reminiscent of those oh-so-lovely “Plexi” Daytonas.
From the side, the 12Cilindri’s Daytona-aping silhouette and frankly ludicrous dash-to-axle ratio become immediately apparent. However, as you move to the rear, it’s mostly a grown-up Roma, which is no surprise as the Roma played a key role in development as the 12Cilindri’s test mule. As for active aero, the 12Cilindri’s rear flanks feature two wings that raise by up to 10 degrees to help keep the tail planted.
As the name suggests, though, the 12Cilindri is built to honour the church of the V12, placing a dozen of Ferrari’s latest and greatest cylinders in front of the driver, just as Enzo intended. Under that enormous carbon fibre clamshell bonnet, you’ll find the 12Cilindri’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre front-mid-mounted V12 with no hybrid systems whatsoever. Power sits at a 812 Competizione-matching 820bhp, 0-62mph is dispatched in 2.9 seconds, while the 1,560kg 12Cilindri tops out at over 217mph.
However, despite those blistering numbers, emissions legislation means the 12Cilindri will be a more reserved beast than its predecessors, with Ferrari’s engineers putting in the work to ensure that V12 symphony can still be enjoyed from within the cabin. Speaking of which, the 12Cilindri’s interior is just as futuristic as Maranello’s other recent creations, albeit more spacious than that found in the Roma, no doubt giving it an edge in the grand touring department over its little sibling.
In a surprising twist, Ferrari are debuting the 12Cilindri Spider alongside the coupe, with prices sitting at 395,000 euros for the standard version, and 435,000 euros for the folding hard top. While Ferrari isn’t known for sticking to naming conventions, if the F8 Tributo was anything to go by, this could very well be the last mass-production V12 from Ferrari. That said, we’d be delighted to be proven wrong!
