Ferrari 12 Cilindri Stubbornly Adheres to the Naturally Aspirated V12 Formula
The days of cars like the Ferrari 12 Cilindri are numbered but is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Ferrari seems to use up all their creativity in designing and engineering their cars. Because when it comes time to name them, they don’t seem to have anything left. There was the LaFerrari hypercar which of course translates to The Ferrari. And now we have the new naturally aspirated 12-cylinder Grand Touring machine that Ferrari calls the 12 Cilindri or 12 Cylinders. Clever. But who cares what it is called? It is a new 12-cylinder Ferrari. There are not many machines like this left roaming the earth. Earth witnessed something like this about 65 million years ago when the last couple of dinosaurs were wandering around. We are on the verge of another dramatic shift, but this time in the world of automobiles.
EVs are here and more and more are built every day. The combustion engines that do remain are mostly smaller, turbocharged units. So, a car like the 12 Cilindri with its naturally aspirated V12 engine is a rare breed in the year 2024. The question before us is that a good thing or a bad thing? Reducing pollution from car emissions is a top priority around the world. And you can only make a 6.5L V12 so efficient. On the other hand, nothing sounds or feels like a natural V12. A video was recently posted on the Auto Trader YouTube channel that reviews the new 12 Cilindri. Watch it and then let us know if you think this car is one of the last all-time greats. Or is it an old dinosaur that should be put out to pasture?
12 Cilindri
What is the 12 Cilindri in the world of Ferrari? There is that big V12 in the nose that spins to an unworldly 9,500 rpm and makes 819 horsepower. But it is not the most powerful Ferrari. And it is not designed to set lap records. Instead, this is the continuation of the line of legendary Ferrari Grand Tourers that began in the 1950s. It replaces the 812 and the F12 before that. It is a car you drive to cruise from state to state or country to country depending on where in the world you are driving. And it does that job brilliantly. Although perhaps not beautifully. Looks are subjective but this is not the most beautiful car we have ever seen. And noise and emissions regulations have tamed the sound a bit. But it is still a brilliant place to spend time.
Driving Experience
It’s a V12 Ferrari, so you are not going to have a bad time driving it. The engine is strong as an ox and delivers power the way only a naturally aspirated engine can. The gear changes are lightning quick. The handling is sharp and direct. If you want to push it like a sports car, you can do that. If you want to go on a 500-mile road trip, no problem. Do it in luxury and comfort. It is a big car, and it will take you a bit of time to get used to the size. But it is an experience like few others can offer.
Please Stay
We get the appeal of EVs. And one of the great things about them is their blazing acceleration capabilities. There are plenty of EVs on the market today that would destroy the 12 Cilindri in a drag race. But we would happily lose every drag race to experience the thrill of pushing that big V12 up to 9,500 RPM and back down again. No EV or even a hybrid, and that includes the Ferrari hybrids, can match that feeling.
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