THE MAGIC 12 (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Ferrari's 12 Cilindri may be the last of the great V12 Ferraris. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 43

Ferrari's 12 Cilindri is a V12 GT super sportscar that draws on the past but looks to the future. Classic Daytona cues mix with sci-fi looks and a glorious normally aspirated 12 cylinder soundtrack. It's as desirable a Ferrari as we can remember.

Backgroundword count: 194

There's something very special about a 12 cylinder Ferrari. Always has been. From the classic 250 GTO of the '60s and the flat 12s from motorsport. To this century's V12 production models, some more memorable than others; the 575 Maranello of 2002, the 599 GTB of 2006, the pretty F12 Berlinetta of 2018 and the 812 Superfast of 2017. The successor to that final model is the car we look at here, the 12 Cilindri (pronounced 'dodichi chilindri') which could be the last in the 12 cylinder line. And if it is, Maranello wants to go out on a high. Thanks to the existence of the wild SF90 Stradale, the 12 Cilindri doesn't need to offer shades of hypercar like the 812 Superfast did, leaving it free to concentrate on simply being the world's best GT sports car. As with the 812, that's a title Ferrari's battling Aston Martin and Lamborghini for, the 12 Clinidri directly up against Gaydon's new-era Vanquish and Sant- Agata's new Revuelto. So can this V12 super tourer set new standards for this dying breed of sports car? Or must it lean heavily on its famous badge? Let's find out.

Driving Experienceword count: 358

In a sportscar world full of forced induction turbocharged engines, it's refreshing to see that a naturally aspirated 12 cylinder powerplant can not only sound emotive but also be torquey too - and very, very fast. This 819bhp 12 Cilindri isn't actually any quicker (according to the main stats) than its 789bhp 812 Superfast predecessor, but it probably would be with 4WD. As it is, there's a limit to just how much torque the rear tyres can transmit to the tarmac. 62mph flashes by in 2.9s and 124mph can be crested in only 7.9s as the horizon scrolls towards you on fast forward. Aware that away from the track, there'll be hardly any opportunity for an owner to drive like this, Ferrari has modified the torque output in 3rd and 4th gears between 2,000 and 5,000rpm so the car can feel more responsive in the kind of press-on driving you'll be engaging in most. A clever 'Aspirated Torque Shaping' feature helps here too. Lots of careful engineering also aids performance; like the lightning responses of the paddleshift dual clutch transmission, which has eight ratios (replacing the 812 model's seven-speeder). As does the way the new lightweight aluminium chassis is particularly stiff around the suspension towers and the A and B-pillars. The big 6.5-litre engine has been tucked so far back under the enormous bonnet that it's behind the front axle line, so that weight distribution can be biased 52% towards the rear. The sheer size of that bonnet will take some getting used to when manoeuvring or on narrower roads. There are lots of tech tricks too, to make the car feel more agile than its size suggests it should be. Like 'Virtual Short Wheelbase 3.0' and 'Side Slip Control 8.0', made possible by 6D yaw rate sensors which better aid rotation out of corners. There's also the expected electronically controlled limited slip differential, along with active rear steering, variable stability control, slip control and a by-wire braking system. Magnetorheological adaptive dampers are controlled by Ferrari's usual mannetino dial and as usual with the brand, they can be configured with a useful 'Bumpy road' setting for secondary routes.

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