New Ferrari 12Cilindri is a purist, V12-powered two-seater Berlinetta
The new Ferrari 12Cilindri, available as both a coupé and a Spider, pares back the brand’s classic design tropes to bare essentials to create a timeless luxury GT
This is the Ferrari 12Cilindri, the new flagship model in Ferrari’s line-up. Replacing the 812 Superfast (which in turn replaced the F12berlinetta), this model occupies a rarefied niche at the top of the Ferrari tree. It’s ostensibly a gran turismo in the longstanding tradition of elegant two-seaters, but Ferrari has continuously upped the ante to make this model a ferocious performer and ultimate status signifier.
Launched today (3 May 2024) at Miami Beach, the 12Cilindri and 12Cilindri Spider can trace their heritage all the way back to the very first Ferrari of 1947. Mid-front-mounted V12s were the Italian manufacturer’s stock in trade from the outset, back when this format was used for both road and track.
These days, the 12Cilindri’s stomping ground is more likely to be London’s Knightsbridge than the French Riviera, and if you were hoping to be an early customer and haven’t already been in talks with Ferrari, you’re probably out of luck. Ferrari ownership is a loyalty club for the ultra-wealthy, allowing the company to operate an extremely refined kind of supply and demand economics; repeat customers get first dibs on new models.
So what will the lucky few be stepping into? For a start, this is an unashamed, pure fossil-fuel-powered machine. In common with other luxury sports car makers, possession of a bespoke V12 engine brings together a number of unique signature elements: sound, speed, racing heritage, even smell. According to the Ferraristi, these are things no electrically driven car can ever hope to imitate.
Ferrari is happy to dabble with hybrids, as are its rivals, but when it comes to the crunch, 12 snarling cylinders will always win out for now. It’s in the name, after all. There’s an exhaustive list of technical innovations and enhancements that hone and fettle every facet of the driving experience, from the speed of the gear shifts, to the increase of engine power, to the sonic characteristics of the exhaust.
New Ferrari 12Cilindri marks a design departure
In terms of design, the Ferrari 12Cilindri marks a point of real departure from the past. Ferraris of late have been chaotic but expressive automotive sculptures, with an abundance of curves and vents. Design chief Flavio Manzoni and his team at the Ferrari Styling Centre have cleaned up the visual signature, maintaining the long bonnet proportions and aggressive rear haunches.
There’s a strong visual connection to the iconic 1968 Ferrari Daytona, especially in the clean front-end treatment and relationship of the low bonnet to the position of the windscreen. Both coupé and Spider maintain the same purity of line, with the latter incorporating a folding hard-top that stows behind the cockpit.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Seen alongside its sibling, the Ferrari Roma, the 12Cilindri looks even more refined; we’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the prettiest Ferraris of the modern era. The way the bodywork and glass panels of the roof and boot intersect evokes mid-period Bertone concept design, with active aerodynamics elements at the rear keeping the lines pure and simple.
The interior is similarly refined, although the scattergun ergonomics of earlier models seem to have been consolidated by a larger central 10.25-inch touchscreen and an absence of physical buttons. A darkened glass roof improves the sense of space, and the strict two-seater has plenty of stowage space should you be lucky enough to take the 12Cilindri on the kind of journey it was built for.
Ferrari 12Cilindri and 12Cilindri Spider, more details at Ferrari.com, @Ferrari
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool again
The NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Playful new furniture from Aspesi and Vetsak is dressed to impress
The ‘Transformation’ collection includes a chunky, modular Vetsak sofa, pillows and blankets clad in Aspesi outerwear fabrics
By Simon Mills Published
-
The new Beetle? PIX Moving’s Robo-EV is an insectoid concept car for urban travel
Melding generative design, 3D printing and an onboard AI, the Robo-EV crams as much future tech as possible into a tiny four-wheeled footprint
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Ferrari 12Cilindri is the ultimate expression of the marque’s greatest engine
We sample Ferrari's latest, the mighty front-engined grand tourer that bears a simple descriptive name, 12Cilindri
By Rory FH Smith Published
-
The Ferrari F80 continues the company's tradition of using supercars to showcase tech
Just 799 examples of Ferrari’s ferociously complex and high-tech styled F80 will be made, helping give shape to the sports cars of tomorrow
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A 90s icon of Italian sports car design is reborn as the Veloce12 by Touring Superleggera
Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera have transformed the Ferrari 550 Maranello into an all-analogue, carbon-bodied GT for the modern era
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Meet two new Maserati MC20 supercars, the Leggenda and the Icona
These Maserati MC20 special editions honour the company’s racing heritage and the 20th anniversary of the Maserati MC12 hypercar
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
In memoriam: automotive designer Marcello Gandini (1938-2024)
As the man behind the form of the modern supercar, Marcello Gandini was hugely influential. We look back at some of his most accomplished designs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Maserati Grecale Modena hits the middle ground, an SUV for the badge-conscious
The Maserati Grecale Modena shows just how far a brand has to go to make an impact in the contemporary car market. How does it reflect on the Italian company’s long heritage?
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Restomod Italian cars: Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and more classics reborn for modern roads
In the world of restomod Italian cars, everything from 1960s race cars to cult city vehicles can be restored, reshaped and updated for modern driving and fastidious collectors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Zagato’s design language defines the new AGTZ Twin Tail bespoke sports car
The AGTZ Twin Tail by La Squadra and Zagato is a limited-edition grand tourer inspired by an iconic 1960s racing car
By Jonathan Bell Published