Just ahead of the Miami GP weekend, the Prancing Horse of Maranello has unleashed the long-awaited replacement for the 812 series. Baptized 12Cilindri, with the latter word being Italian for cylinders, the super grand tourer uses a rather familiar engine.
Hiding under a front-hinged hood, the 6.5-liter V12 is a free-breathing lump known as F140HD in Ferrari vernacular. It builds on the F140GA of the 812 Superfast and 812 GTS, with the Prancing Horse quoting 830 cavalli vapore at 9,250 revolutions per minute and 678 Nm at 7,250 revolutions per minute. That's 819 horsepower and 500 pound-feet. Maximum revs? Rather than the oft-rumored 10,000 rpm, the 65-degree V12 spins to an 812 Competizione-matching 9,500 rpm.
The F140HD matches the F140HB of the 812 Competizione in terms of power, but is down on torque. In the most extreme version of the 812, the screaming V12 makes 692 Nm or 510 pound-feet. Instead of the old seven-speed transaxle, 12Cilindri uses an eight-speed transmission produced by Magna. The dual-clutch box was introduced a few years ago by the SF90, and thus far, the Prancing Horse deployed the quick-shifting eighter in the Roma and 296 as well.
Speaking of which, the 296 uses a plug-in hybrid 3.0L twin-turbo V6 setup with a 12Cilindri-matching 819 horsepower. The V12-engined gran turismo is devoid of electrical assistance, with Ferrari refraining from giving it a 48-volt motor generator or something a little more serious. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions are under homologation at the moment of reporting, but Ferrari did confirm a top speed in excess of 340 kilometers per hour (211 miles per hour) for both the coupe and the retractable hard-topped spider.
Photo: Ferrari
The 12Cilindri Spider's electrically-operated roof can be operated at up to 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour) and takes 14 seconds to retract or close. An electrically operated rear screen joins the aluminum roof panel. With the roof down, Ferrari claims that said rear screen allows normal conversations to be held even beyond 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour). If you ask me, I would be a helluva lot more focused on driving than small talk at that kind of speed.
Straight-line performance specs wouldn't be complete without acceleration figures, beginning with 2.9 seconds from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) for the coupe and 2.95 for the spider. The stint to 200 kilometers per hour (322 miles per hour) takes less than 7.9 seconds in the coupe and 8.2 in the slightly heavier open-top sibling.
Dry weight ranges between 1,560 and 1,620 kilograms, respectively, meaning 3,439 and 3,571 pounds. The fine print of the press release attached below further states "with optional lightweight content." Pictured on 21-inch wheels fore and aft, 12Cilindri flaunts 398-millimeter front brake discs and 360-millimeter rears. From the standpoint of exterior design and dimensions, it's hard to describe this fellow as anything other than an 812 with a front end that harks back to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona.
The rear is pretty wild in and of itself, especially how the black-painted deck lid and active aero flaps on the rear haunches contrast with the body-color panels. Although not apparent, 12Cilindri features a 20-millimeter shorter wheelbase compared to the 812 Superfast and the 812 GTS. Ferrari says the aluminum chassis is completely new, yet the rear track measures the very same 1,645 millimeters.
Photo: Ferrari
No Ferrari is complete without hi-po driving aids, and the 12Cilindri is no exception. The 12Cilindri boasts the 4WS four-wheel steering system introduced by the 812 Competizione, Side Slip Control 8 rather than the 812 Competizione's Side Slip Control 7, the ABS Evo controller that debuted on the 296, and two active aero settings: Low Drag and High Downforce. Instead of an active rear spoiler à la Roma Spider, the 12Cilindri employs two flaps (i.e., the black-painted areas of the rear haunches).
They articulate at speeds higher than 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour) and come back down at more than 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour). The aero package further comprises a front splitter, three pairs of vortex generators up front, an underbody that channels air to the rear diffuser, and two more vortex generators between the rear wheels.
A strict two-seater with a 15.6-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and an 8.8-inch display for the passenger, the 12Cilindri comes with comfort seats as standard. Carbon-shelled sports seats are available as well, and options further include a 1,600-watt premium audio system from Burmester.
First deliveries for the 12Cilindri are slated for the latter part of 2024 in Europe, with prices kicking off at €395,000 in Italy. The retractable hard top starts at €435,000. At the moment of writing, those retail prices convert to $423,950 and $466,860.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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