Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale Revives the Manual Gearbox With 830cv V12 in 1,499-Car Run

Ferrari has brought the manual gearbox back to its front-engined V12 flagship. The new 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited run of 1,499 cars, pairs the naturally aspirated V12 with a gear lever and a clutch pedal, though the setup works differently from the manuals Ferrari sold two decades ago.

The car is a special series of the existing 12Cilindri, unveiled from Maranello on 3 July. It targets drivers who want the involvement of changing gear themselves without giving up the usability of a modern grand tourer.

A Manual Ferrari, Reinvented

Ferrari phased out manual gearboxes around 2012, moving its whole range to dual-clutch automatics for faster shifts and lower emissions. The 12Cilindri Manuale answers years of enthusiast demand for a third pedal, but it does so with a twist. Rather than a traditional mechanical linkage, the car uses what Ferrari calls a Manuale by-wire system, developed in-house at Maranello.

The result sits somewhere between old and new. Purists have long argued that a stick shift is central to the classic Ferrari experience, and the brand has clearly listened, while stopping short of returning to a purely mechanical gearbox. The Manuale badge marks the first time in years that a new Ferrari V12 can be driven with a clutch pedal underfoot.

How the By-Wire System Works

The driver still moves a gear lever and presses a clutch pedal. Behind the scenes, those inputs become electronic signals that operate the same dual-clutch hardware found in the standard 12Cilindri. Ferrari says the approach keeps the physical feel and consistency of a mechanical shift while retaining the reliability and repeatability of its automatic. The engineering team drew on Ferrari’s Hypersail sailing project, which uses a similar by-wire solution for the water.

Drivers can row through the first six gears and reverse by hand, or leave the car in automatic mode when they would rather cruise. The clutch pedal, gear lever and accelerator work together to recreate the rhythm of a classic manual, and Ferrari points back to its Gran Turismo models of the 1950s, 60s and 70s as the inspiration. Getting a downshift right, matching revs on the way into a corner, once again becomes the driver’s job rather than the software’s.

The V12 Stays Naturally Aspirated

Under the long bonnet sits the same naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 as the standard car, producing 830cv (about 819bhp) and revving to 9,500rpm, with 678Nm of torque. Ferrari quotes 0 to 100km/h (0 to 62mph) in 3.0 seconds and a top speed of 340km/h (211mph). Keeping a large-capacity V12 without turbochargers is increasingly rare, and Ferrari argues the free-revving engine suits the manual shift, rewarding drivers who chase the top of the rev range.

That high rev ceiling is the point. A turbocharged engine delivers its muscle low down and encourages short-shifting, whereas this V12 pulls hardest near 9,500rpm, giving a reason to hold each gear and work the lever. Pairing that character with a clutch pedal is meant to slow the experience down and put the driver back at the centre of it.

Built on the 12Cilindri Grand Tourer

The Manuale shares its bodywork with the standard 12Cilindri, Ferrari’s front-mid-engined grand tourer launched in 2024 as the successor to the 812. Its long bonnet, wide haunches and full-width black visor across the nose nod to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona of the early 1970s, tying the car to the same era Ferrari cites for its manual revival. A Spider version with a folding hard-top also sits in the 12Cilindri family for those who want open-top V12 motoring.

Inside, the twin-cockpit dashboard splits the space between driver and passenger, each with a display of their own, and the new gear lever becomes the centrepiece of the console. Ferrari has kept the details of the Manuale’s cabin close for now, but the mechanical selector and clutch pedal give the driver a tactile focal point that the standard paddle-shift car simply does not have.

Limited to 1,499 Cars

The 12Cilindri Manuale is capped at 1,499 units, and buyers can personalise their cars through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme, which opens up a deep choice of colours, materials and detailing. Ferrari has not published a UK price, though the standard 12Cilindri already sits well into six figures and the limited-run Manuale is likely to command a premium over it.

For collectors, the appeal is obvious: a strictly limited V12 Ferrari with a feature the brand walked away from more than a decade ago. For the wider enthusiast world, the more interesting question is whether by-wire manuals catch on. If buyers embrace the idea, the 12Cilindri Manuale may prove to be the car that quietly reopened a door Ferrari had closed. Full UK details and deliveries should follow closer to launch.