In a stunning redemption arc, just over a month since the oddball Luce EV crawled out of its silicon womb, Ferrari has revealed the 12Cilindri Manuale, with a little ‘inspiration’ borrowed from Koenigsegg.
Maranello is officially bringing back the three-pedal setup and the iconic open-gate shifter for the first time since the 599 GTB bowed out in 2012. But before purists start celebrating a return to pure mechanical purity, there is a significant catch; the gearbox is a complete simulation.
Much like the Koenigsegg CC850, the 12Cilindri Manuale doesn’t actually have a traditional manual transmission bolted to its rear end. Instead, Ferrari has engineered a cutting-edge ‘Manuale By-Wire’ system. It retains the standard car’s highly effective eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, but overlays it with a physical clutch pedal and an H-pattern shifter that have absolutely zero physical connection to the powertrain.
When the driver pushes the clutch pedal, the system enters manual mode. A dedicated mechanical module, loaded with sensors, springs and digital actuators, artificially generates the friction, mechanical weight, and load variations of a classic analogue gearbox. Ferrari claims it perfectly mimics the tactile resistance of a traditional gated shifter, complete with the distinct metallic clink-clink as you row through the first six gears (and reverse).
The clutch pedal features a precise position sensor to map natural take-up, meaning if you botch the engagement, you will stall the 610kW 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 just like a teenager in a Corolla. Get it right, however, and you can dump the clutch at the engine’s screaming 9500rpm redline. If the novelty wears off in heavy traffic, tapping a button reverts the car back to a seamless automatic. It matches the existing automatic variant’s blistering performance, dispatching 0-100km/h in just 2.9 seconds before charging onto a top speed of 340km/h
Beyond the transmission trickery, the 12Cilindri Manuale remains mechanically identical to its standard sibling, though the active aerodynamic package has been recalibrated with a specific focus on underbody surfaces to better handle the altered power delivery.
The privilege of pretending to shift gears won’t come cheap. Ferrari is strictly capping production at 1499 units globally, all built exclusively as coupes through the bespoke Tailor Made program. European pricing kicks off at an eye-watering €590,000 (roughly AU$960,000), representing a massive 50 per cent premium over the standard 12Cilindri for what is, ultimately, a brilliant party trick. More of this please, Ferrari. Pay attention, McLaren and Lamborghini.
