Ferrari has unveiled the 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited-series version of the 12Cilindri that pairs the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 with a new gated manual gear lever and clutch pedal. Production is capped at 1,499 cars, a figure referencing the displacement of Ferrari’s first twelve-cylinder engine from 1947.
The car is built around what Ferrari calls the Manuale By-Wire system, developed at Maranello. Rather than a conventional mechanical linkage, the system layers a gated six-speed manual lever and a clutch-by-wire pedal on top of the existing eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the engine and gearbox themselves unchanged. The lever runs through a mechanical module machined from solid high-strength steel, with kinematic mechanisms that replicate the loads, clicks and feedback of Ferrari’s traditional manual gearboxes, and the assembly weighs less than 7.7 lb (3.5 kg). Two Hall-effect angle sensors read the lever position, a solenoid physically locks out engagement if the clutch is not depressed or an invalid gear is selected, and the aluminum knob carries a backlit shift pattern with reverse at the top left. The clutch pedal uses a preload spring, cam and roller to recreate the load-travel curve of a mechanically linked clutch, and its position is translated into hydraulic actuation of the DCT clutch pack.
The driver can run the car manually through six gears and reverse, or switch to fully automatic operation using the dual-clutch transmission’s standard logic. Ferrari says the system behaves consistently with a traditional manual: heel-and-toe downshifts are possible, mistimed inputs produce jolts or stiffer shifts, and the engine can stall if the clutch is not operated correctly. The steering wheel paddles have been removed, the first Ferrari in many years without them. In automatic mode, the lever can pre-select a gear, with the instrument cluster displaying how the rev counter will respond.
Mechanically, the 12Cilindri Manuale carries the same 6.5-liter V12 as the standard car, producing 818 hp (830 cv) at 9,250 rpm and 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) at 7,250 rpm, with a 9,500 rpm redline. Ferrari quotes a top speed above 211 mph (340 km/h), 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds and 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in under 7.9 seconds, with a dry weight of 3,450 lb (1,565 kg). Braking from 62 mph takes 103 feet (31.4 meters). Tires are 275/35R21 front and 315/35R21 rear.
Inside, the center tunnel, gear shift gate and three-pedal assembly are redesigned around the manual layout, with the steel gate plate set into an anodized aluminum surround housing the control panel and key. Each car carries a dedicated Tailor Made specification with details including a laser-etched side badge, a pinstripe finish on the front splitter and rear wings referencing the 365 GTB4, an embossed scudetto exclusive to this edition, specially designed five-spoke forged wheels in four finishes, engraved aluminum door sills and seats trimmed with six vertical grooves echoing the six gears. The car is offered in 25 colors, led by the Rosso Rubino launch shade, with heritage-inspired options including Argento Nürburgring, Nero Daytona, Giallo Montecarlo and Verde Zeltweg. An optional livery honoring the six-speed gearbox is available in multiple color schemes, and the car is covered by Ferrari’s seven-year Genuine Maintenance program.
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