Ferrari moved a day ahead of schedule, unveiling the 12Cilindri Manuale on July 3 rather than the July 4 date CEO Benedetto Vigna had pointed to at Tekion One 2026. Ferrari has not offered a gated shifter and clutch pedal on a V12 road car since the 599 GTB Fiorano, of which only 30 such examples were built before the configuration quietly disappeared from the lineup in 2007. That is nineteen years ago.
The car is built around what Ferrari calls the Manuale By-Wire system, developed entirely in-house at Maranello. It pairs the existing eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with a new six-speed gated gear lever and a clutch-by-wire pedal, both engineered to replicate the physical sensation of a traditional mechanical gearbox without the mechanical connection underneath. Seventh and eighth gears are reserved exclusively for automatic mode, keeping the manual experience focused on the six ratios where driver engagement is highest.
The lever employs a rotating steel block machined from solid, spring-loaded eccentric rollers for self-centering, and a profiled drum that generates the click and load variation a driver expects through the backlit knob, which, when manual mode is engaged, switches from white to amber as seen below. The whole assembly weighs less than 7.7 pounds.
The clutch pedal works on the same principle. A cam, roller, and preload spring recreate the load-travel curve a driver expects from a mechanically linked clutch, while a digital position sensor reads intent across the full range of pedal travel and translates it into hydraulic actuation of the DCT clutch pack. Get the timing right, and the shift is clean. Get it wrong, and the car will jerk or stall, exactly as it should. Heel-and-toe is explicitly supported, and if the clutch is not depressed or an unauthorised gear is selected, the system physically blocks the lever from completing the movement.
Ferrari has also removed the steering wheel paddles entirely, a detail worth noting given how rarely any manufacturer makes that decision on a modern performance car. Acoustic engineers at Maranello developed the sounds the lever produces during shifts as a standalone brief, separate from the mechanical development. The gear lever and clutch pedal are the only inputs in manual mode, which covers the first six gears and reverse. Automatic mode remains available at any time.
The powertrain remains unchanged from the standard 12Cilindri: with the 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 rated at 819 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque at 7,250 rpm. Ferrari quotes 0 to 62 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds, and a top speed in excess of 211 miles per hour, which can only be achieved in automatic mode.
The launch car seen here wears Rosso Rubino, with 24 further colors available, including Bianco Mille Miglia, Blu Pozzi, and Rosso Dino. Each car draws on Ferrari's Tailor Made personalisation programme, covering exterior color, Alcantara and leather interiors, and seat configurations in Comfort or Racing trim, both featuring six vertical grooves echoing the six gears.
The front splitter and rear wings carry a pinstripe finish paying homage to the 365 GTB4, while the embossed scudetto, exclusive to this edition, is produced using a technique borrowed from precious coin minting.
<- Gallery ->
As duPont REGISTRY reported last month, when reviewing Ferrari's 13 trademark filings submitted to Italy's UIBM, the registered names included 12 Cylinders MM and 12Cylinders GTO, among others. Ferrari chose none of them. The car is simply called the 12Cilindri Manuale, which may be the most confident name Ferrari could have picked.
Pricing starts at €590,000, which works out to roughly $675,000 at current exchange rates, representing a premium of roughly €190,000 (~$217,000) over the standard 12Cilindri. Production is limited to 1,499 units, a number referencing the displacement of the first Ferrari V12 engine built in 1947. First deliveries are expected in early 2027, and all 1,499 units will be allocated through Ferrari's own client channels, not through standard ordering, and none will be available on the open market at launch.
Images: Ferrari
