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Ferrari 12 Cilindri: The Not So Pretty but Powerful V12 Mammoth!

Ferrari has unveiled the Ferrari 12 Cilindri. Ferraris, you can love them, you can hate them, but you sure can't ignore them. Be it their masterpieces in design, their unique strategies in F1, or even their suing customers. Ferrari knows how to grab the limelight, and I think they've done it again. How? I present to you the newest member of the Ferrari family – the 12 Cilindri. 12 Cilindri sounds like a mispronounced 12 cylinder, right? It is not, that's how the Italian automaker likes it.

The Mighty V12

Let's talk about the monster that gives the car its name. It is a 6.5-litre V12 engine that can put some hypercars to dust. It produces 820 Bhp and around 678 Nm of torque at 7000 rpm. You can push it to the 9500 rpm redline, and by doing that, you will find yourself achieving a 0-100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds while 0-200 km/h in a mere 7.9 seconds. You can continue this madness until you reach its max speed of more than 340 km/h. While they sound wild, these numbers close it to the 812 Superpower.

As you would expect, the engine is not friendly to the environment. But it has another enemy, too: your ears. In its raw form, the engine can produce 72 dB of sound from the exhausts. Ferrari has tried to make the passengers in the cabin hear it more and give the passersby some peace. 

Design 

I know Ferrari has made one of the most beautiful cars before, but would I say this is one of them? Not quite. (Please don't sue me, Ferrari). While looks are a personal choice, I am not a big fan of the ambition's dark 'front mask'. This is an unchangeable black part in the model. In complete Ferrari style, their design chief has claimed that owners can get this painted 'over his dead body'. There is a similar black element at the back and on the absolute ends of the car. This one is a functional bit, unlike the front, which only functions to worsen the car's design. It can lift by 10 degrees at a speed ranging from 60 km/h to 300 km/h, leading to a 50kg boost in downforce. Both these black bits and the overall shape seem to find inspiration in the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. The wheels are classy 21-inches made from a single piece of aluminium. These wheels, along with the bonnet and aero upgrades, make it heavier than the 812, standing at 1560 kg when dry.. 

The Upgrades

While there is no change in the brakes and suspension, Ferrari says they have entirely re-done the software, and you also get brake-by-wire. The wheelbase is now 20 mm shorter after some work being put on the rear-wheels steering of the 812 Competizione. You will find an instrument screen from a 296 or SF90 for all your driving needs, with the passengers getting a separate screen for themselves and talking about a car in 2024 without a large centre screen. Not possible. This Ferrari gets it, too, with functions like seat and HVAC controls. 

Prices

Ferraris aren't cheap, are they? This one will set you back at least 4.14 Crore before you decide on your favourite paint, leather, or carbon. Spend 4.55 Crore, and the roof will fold into the boot in 14 seconds. 

What is your take on this radical behemoth by Ferrari?

TopGear Magazine December 2024