Today, the (still provisional) rules of Euro 7 scare manufacturers less but four years ago the anti-pollution legislation that will take the place of Euro 6 and its derivatives (we are at E) left no escape for numerous splendid engines internal combustion engine, forcing many mechanical works of art into early retirement, including the Ferrari V12. In Maranello, however, they had the courage to continue investing in this engine, probably the best from a mechanical point of view and the most fascinating from the point of view of intake and exhaust sounds. Precisely to underline what is under the front bonnet, the heir to the 812 Superfast was named 12 Cylinders; a project that could have represented a financial catastrophe and which, instead, will represent the launch pad for the new naturally aspirated V12, which has not been combined with batteries and electric motors. The Ferrari 12Cilindri is not a hybrid platform but a combination of mechanics and electronics, blended to create emotions, while containing weight: 1,560 kg (dry) for the Coupé version, 1,620 kg (dry) for the Spider version. Not bad for cars that are 4,733 millimeters long, 2,176 millimeters wide and characterized by a wheelbase of 2,700 millimetres. We are certainly far below the weights of the various hybrid and electric grand tourers of the latest generation.
DESIGN AND AERODYNAMICS
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The lines of the new Ferrari 12Cilindri are less extreme than those of the 812 Superfast, which had a grand touring DNA but quite angular, sports-like shapes. On the 12Cilindri there was a clear change of direction. Flavio Manzoni (Ferrari’s head of design) and his team created a modern style, characterized by softer curves, black screen elements and a frontal area that pays homage to the 365 GTB4; therefore, a retro element. To avoid altering this stylistic balance, it was developed very sophisticated aerodynamics. As on all latest generation Ferraris, the bottom plays a very important role; through flow diverters, the hot air from the brakes is conveyed outwards, while the cool air is directed towards the rear extractor. At the end of the truncated tail there is a nolder (a lip, a profile) of 25 mm, which has the task of keeping the flow clean below 60 km/h and generating load above 300 km/h (both versions of the 12Cilindri exceed 340 km/h). At the ends of the rear hood there are some movable appendages, which allow the car to take on two configurations: Low Drag (LD) and High Downforce (HD). In the LD position, the moving elements are aligned with the body so that the air flows over them, making them invisible; this configuration is maintained up to 60 km/h and above 300 km/h. In the remaining speed range, the spoilers are in the HD position and their movement depends on the longitudinal and transverse accelerations of the car.
ENGINE AND ELECTRONICS
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The F140HD engine has been the subject of evolutions, partly already adopted on the 812 Competizione, which, unlike the 12Cilindri and the 12Cilindri Spider, is a special series. Maranello’s new grand tourers are equipped with a 65° V twelve-cylinder, 6496 cc, with dry sump lubrication; is capable of delivering 830 HP at 9250 rpm (with the limiter positioned at 9500 rpm) and 678 Nm at 7250 rpm. Just 2″9 to go from 0 to 100 km/h and just 7″9 to go from 0 to 200 km/h. The connecting rods are made of titanium, a material that guarantees a mass saving of 40% compared to steel, with the same mechanical resistance. A special aluminum alloy was used for the pistons, while measures such as the opening and closing of the valves via finger rockers with DLC coating on the surface guarantee increased resistance to fatigue. Furthermore, the crankshaft has been lightened by 3%. The filling of the torque curve is guaranteed by a variable geometry trumpet system, for the first time on an aspirated engine the Ats (Aspirated Torque Shaping) software strategy has been developed, capable of modifying the maximum torque available depending on the gear inserted, and to obtain an exciting sound, the resonators have been repositioned. The gearbox is of the double clutch type (DCT), with eight gears, combined with a new (shorter) bevel gear pair, which has allowed the availability of torque on the ground to be increased by 12%. The introduction of the system brake by wire allows you to adopt the latest range innovations, such as the Evo ABS presented on the 296 GTB and the 6D sensor, which guarantees maximum precision to the Virtual Short Wheelbase (Pcv) 3.0 and Side Slip Control (Ssc) 8.0 systems, as well as reduced stopping distances and greater repeatability of the braking action. The SSC 8.0 concept, a new evolution of the Ferrari controller, allows the systems to communicate with each other using a common language.
FRAME AND SUSPENSION
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The LaFerrari 12Cilindri has a wheelbase that is 20 mm shorter than that of the 812 Gts. Particular attention was paid to the geometry of cast components such as shock towers and struts, to improve torsional stiffness and reduce weight. For the first time on a Ferrari road car, a secondary alloy obtained 100% from recycled material was used to create the shock towers of the gearbox sub-frame: its introduction, together with the use of hollow castings, allowed a saving of 146 kg of CO2 for every single frame produced. As for the Spider, the body features aluminum reinforcement connections between the roll cage behind the occupants and the B pillar, a solution that guarantees weight savings and a consequent lowering of the center of gravity. The retractable hard roof (Rht) takes 14 seconds to complete the opening or closing operation, up to a speed of 45 km/h. To complete the soft top area, there is the glass rear window, electrically adjustable in height. It should be noted that the 12Cilindri Spider has 200 liters of boot space, compared to the 270 litres of the Coupé version. Finally, the suspensions: mechanical springs and anti-roll bars, electronically adjustable shock absorbers. Given that the cars are low and not excessively heavy, it was not necessary to use the suspensions mounted on the Purosangue, which allow many parameters to be managed but are also much bulkier and heavier than those of the two versions of the 12Cilindri.
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prices and availability
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The Ferrari 12Cilindri and 12Cilindri Spider were presented in Miami, both to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari North America and because the USA represents a very important market for the Maranello company. The 12Cilindri will be available in the fourth quarter of 2024 at a price of 395,000 euros. The 12Cilindri Spider will arrive in the first quarter of 2025 and will cost 435,000 euros.
