Corvette ZR1X Obliterates Pikes Peak Hill Climb Production Car Record

Review: 2026 Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

As forced induction and electrification continue democratize horsepower throughout the automotive industry, luxury automakers have faced a growing challenge: how do you make an exotic machine feel special at a point in time when even mainstream vehicles offer jaw-dropping performance? Ferrari, to its notable credit, has answered this question in part by staying at the forefront of the latest technologies, as evidenced by cutting-edge entries like the SF90 and F80 – both of which utilize performance-tuned hybrid systems in conjunction with turbocharged engines and sophisticated all-wheel-drive setups. While those two mid-engine monsters offer truly stunning capability, there’s also a growing contingent of performance enthusiasts who yearn for the simpler days of long, curvaceous hoods, rear-wheel drive propulsion, and the banshee wail of a high-winding 12-cylinder engine at full chat. And that’s precisely where the 12Cilindri Spider stakes its claim. As the successor to the 812 Superfast, the 12Cilindri leverages clever active aerodynamics, advanced traction and stability control systems, and a trick four-wheel-steering system that manages the movement of each wheel independently to enhance cornering response, but it’s ultimately an homage to Ferrari’s storied V12 heritage. Aside from the no-nonsense name (which literally translates to “12 Cylinders”), the 12Cilindri’s exterior styling clearly takes some inspiration from the 365 GTB Daytona of the late 1960s. And rather than saddling its latest GT flagship with the complexities of bulky batteries, electric motors, turbochargers, and AWD, Ferrari has instead chosen to focus on the fundamentals that have made GT cars like the Daytona such enduring icons: elegant design, a finely honed chassis, and a truly spectacular naturally aspirated powerplant. It’s a 6.5-liter dry-sump V12 that produces 819 horsepower and revs to a searing 9,500 rpm. Ferrari only cites a deliberately ambiguous dry weight of 3,571 pounds for the Spider, which carries about 130 pounds of extra mass as compared to its coupe counterpart. But at a time when an alarming number of new performance cars are saddled with curb weights that start with a five, the potentially sub-4,000-pound 12Cilindri Spider feels lithe and unencumbered by countermeasures expressly designed to combat the laws of physics. Although its primary mission is to enable drivers to carve their way through picturesque locales at a lively pace without compromising comfort, the 12Cilindri has a notably more sports-car-like persona than the Aston Martin Vanquish – its closest rival – thanks in part to the Ferrari’s incredibly rigid chassis, dual-clutch gearbox, and earnestly performance-tuned suspension. While the eight-speed DCT occasionally takes a beat to get things going from a dead stop, and the hunkered-down stance makes the nose-lift feature a necessity when negotiating steep driveway aprons, the 12Cilindri Spider still manages to retain an admirable level of civility around town and out on the highway. Outfitted with a killer Burmester audio system, a retractable hard top that opens in just 14 seconds at speeds up to 28 mph, and sport seats that feature heating, ventilation, and adjustable bolstering as well as multiple massage routines, the 12Cilindri Spider can be a posh, effortless cruiser when called upon to do so. The only glaring deficiency in this regard comes from Ferrari’s HMI implementation, which utilizes frustratingly difficult-to-use capacitive surfaces on the steering wheel and the instrument panel to control features like adaptive cruise control and mirror adjustments, along with the various functions that are accessed via the 15.6-inch digital gauge cluster. While the infotainment system looks sharp and is quick to respond to inputs, Apple CarPlay conked out on more than one occasion during the few days I spent with the car. Nitpicks aside, one feature that definitely works as intended is the steering-wheel-mounted Manettino switch, which allows you to toggle between the available drive modes. Sport is the default, a naming decision which helps set ride quality expectations, but you can also press this switch like a button to enable Bumpy Road mode, which relaxes the adaptive dampers beyond their standard tuning for more compliance on rough pavement. Out in the canyons, I found myself more interested in the additional drama provided by Race mode. In contrast to convention, Ferrari chose to leave the steering, throttle mapping, and brake-by-wire settings the same in the Sport and Race modes for the sake of predictable response, instead heightening the driving experience when set to the latter by easing the electronic assists, ramping up the programming for the gearbox and the electronically-controlled rear differential, and – importantly – opening up the exhaust valves. While it’s still a little bit quieter than I’d prefer, even with the top down, the noise that this V12 makes while working its way past 9k is a soundtrack to your sweetest dreams. It took some conscious effort to stop myself from short-shifting the first few times I laid into the throttle with the gearbox in manual mode. The revs just seem to build endlessly. It’s also a decidedly different experience than what’s offered in the latest Vanquish. The Aston also features a 12-cylinder atomic bomb under its hood, but the crucial difference here is that the Vanquish’s lofty power figures are owed in part to turbocharging. This gives the Aston a substantial advantage in peak torque (738 lb-ft versus the 12Cilindri’s 500 pound-feet), but it also relegates its redline to a relatively pedestrian 7,000 rpm. The upshot is that not only does the 12Cilindri deliver a much more emotive soundtrack when you drop the hammer, it also feels significantly more buttoned down when called upon to hustle through a technical section of road. Its quick steering rack takes a moment to acclimate to, but it soon becomes apparent that the chassis, brakes, and powertrain have no problem keeping pace. <- Gallery -> The Manettino switch also has dedicated settings for partially or completely disabling the traction and stability control systems if you’re feeling brave (or prefer to do your grand touring sideways), but the intervention is so seamless when these systems are enabled that they rarely distract from the proceedings. While the Vanquish twists and shimmies as the powertrain and the electronics have a debate over the fastest way forward, the 12Cilindri just feels more planted and easier to trust when really hauling the mail. In an era when quadruple-digit horsepower has somehow become readily achievable for production cars, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is a reminder that character and emotion aren’t attributes that can be easily quantified on a spec sheet. There will be a time – probably in the foreseeable future – where folks will gaze into the open clamshell hood of a 12Cilindri and say, "Man, they don’t make ’em like this anymore." Like it or not, the days of the unassisted Ferrari V12 are almost certainly coming to a close. With that in mind, well-heeled traditionalists would be wise to savor the moment. View All Ferrari 12Cilindris For Sale Images: Bradley Iger

Corvette ZR1X Obliterates Pikes Peak Hill Climb Production Car Record

With hybrid all-wheel drive, 1,250 horsepower, and JR Hildebrand behind the wheel, the Corvette ZR1X rewrites the production car record at Pikes Peak

At the 104th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this Sunday, to the surprise of almost nobody on the mountain, a nearly stock Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X demolished the production car record.

Pikes Peak might just be the most unpredictable motorsport event in the world, given the challenges of oxygen deprivation, weather fluctuations, and even wildlife sightings on the race up to the 14,115-foot summit. And yet, the ZR1X’s combined 1,250 horsepower and hybridized all-wheel-drive traction proved beyond a reasonable doubt just how much performance GM baked into America’s new flagship hypercar.

Chevrolet tapped IndyCar and Pikes Peak veteran JR Hildebrand to pilot the ZR1X, which featured modifications only as necessary to meet the mountain’s stringent safety standards. Hildebrand’s program spanned weeks of testing ahead of race day, and the ZR1X immediately started logging impressive times on practice portions of the 12.42-mile course. Every launch tended to clear out team tents in the pits, as the enthusiast within every other driver, engineer, and mechanic clamored to catch a vision of the brutal acceleration from the top-spec ’Vette.

“This is just the right tool for the job to come to a place like this,” Hildebrand told duPont Registry. “You've got the front drive unit literally pulling you out of the corners, right up into the RPM band of the ICE powertrain behind you. And it’s all just completely seamless… I'm just sitting here, locked in, enjoying the ride.”

Of course, inclement Colorado weather can roll in any time of day or night and render Pikes Peak a nightmare for teams, drivers, and cars. On race day last year, high winds at the summit dictated finishing at the ranger station nestled into Glen Cove, at just 11,440 feet of elevation. European Hill Climb Championship driver Simone Faggioli won King of the Mountain on that shortened course with a time of just 3:37.196.

This year, any remaining cloud cover burned off at sunrise as balmy temperatures graced the entire mountainside. In qualifying, which by coincidence almost perfectly matches the distance of 2025’s race, Hildebrand managed a time of 3:57.504 – good enough to start 13th overall on race day. This allowed a new cadre of Ultra4 cars, as well as a fleet of GT4 Trophy racers, to clear dust off the road and ensure ideal traction for the ZR1X. But first, longtime Pikes Peak denizen David Donner, who has claimed eight class victories over the years, looked to cement his 000 Magazine-liveried 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S with an official production car time on an official race day.

Previously, Donner had driven the Turbo S to a wintry raceday time of 10:34.053 amid damp and foggy weather in 2022, and then on a non-race day attempt, logged a PPIHC-certified time of 9:53.541. Those times straddled the official race day record of 10:18.488 which Rhys Millen set in a Bentley Continental GT in 2019.

Amid this year’s ideal conditions, Donner very nearly matched that prior record with a time of 9:53.740 – or good enough to elicit applause from the pits and fans as the announcers explained the new standard. By then, two places back, Hildebrand had already set off from the starting line.

Shod in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber on the stock carbon wheels, with a livery celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, the ZR1X roared off with all four tires churning. The Pikes Peak leaderboard then struggled a bit, and Hildebrand’s sector times never flashed until the third out of four, where he handed Donner a solid five seconds. By the summit, his finishing time of 9:30.104 firmly shut the door for any potential challenges from the remaining drivers.

On hand to witness the record-setting run, Executive Chief Engineer for Global Corvette and Performance Cars Tony Roma erupted into an exuberant cheer when Hildebrand’s record finally flashed on the leaderboard.

“When JR and I first started talking about this program and what the car was capable of,” Roma said. “We knew the car would be fast. We did a little bit of analysis to know it should easily break the record, but I mean, he just crushed it!”

“This is basically a production car with the alignment and tire pressure set,” Roma continued. “We've added only the things required for the rules: safety equipment, fuel cell, roll cage, seat belts, fire system, cutoff switches, things like that. There's nothing performance enhancement-wise, everything is bone stock and legit, right down to the DOT tires that you can buy on your ZR1X.”

The rest of the day’s results played out with minimal drama, at least for Pike Peak standards. Ford returned with overall record-holder Romain Dumas behind the wheel of the Super Mustang Mach-E and set the third quickest time ever, at 8:18.202.

Briton Robin Shute, meanwhile, debuted an all-new SendyCar V1 and claimed a class win against second-place Faggioli, good enough for the rear-wheel drive record at 8:29.497. And Emelia Hartford in a “base” Corvette ZR1 without the benefits of electric power or all-wheel traction can now claim the title of fastest woman on four wheels up the hill, beating out the former Queen of the Mountain Laura Hayes by more than six seconds.

A noticeable buzz surrounded Pikes Peak this year, at the popular fan fest in downtown Colorado Springs and among the fans lining the race course up the mountain. Chevy and the dual effort certainly contributed to the excitement, and Hildebrand in the ZR1X in particular likely set a time that may deter any other automakers from even attempting a competing program at all in the near future.

Only a Czinger 21C, perhaps, or a McMurtry Spéirling might come anywhere near the ZR1X’s capability. Each might, in their own right, challenge the production “class” that’s not an actual class on race day – Hildebrand technically competed in the Time Attack 1 category, something the Pikes Peak organization certainly needs to define more specifically.

More clearly delineated regulations would help to clarify exactly what constitutes a production car record, now that the ZR1X as the world’s most attainable hypercar has set a new benchmark for racing up the world’s most iconic hill climb.

PHOTOS COURTESY: Michael Van Runkle, Larry Chen

Michael Van Runkle