Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Manuale Restores the V12 and a Gated Manual

Ferrari has unveiled the 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited-edition V12 grand tourer that revives the feel of a gated manual gearbox through a new by-wire system called Manuale by-Wire. Production is capped at 1,499 units globally and prices start at €590,000, the equivalent of about $675,000. The car pairs Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 with the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox used elsewhere in the 12Cilindri line.

It is the first car with a gated manual shifter to leave Maranello since the 599 GTB Fiorano ended production in 2012. Ferrari engineered the system in-house and aimed it at replicating the metal clink between gates and the possibility of stalling. Drivers can let the gearbox run as a fully automatic eight-speed dual-clutch when they want. The launch lands a few weeks after Ferrari’s first electric car, the Luce, drew a divided reception that included stock pressure and public criticism.

What the 12Cilindri Manuale Is

The 12Cilindri Manuale is a limited-production derivative of the 12Cilindri coupe. It carries Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 mated to the brand’s eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Drivers operate it through a clutch pedal and a physical gear lever; the steering-wheel paddle shifters found on the standard 12Cilindri have been removed.

All 1,499 cars go through Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalisation programme. Pricing starts at €590,000 in Europe, which Car and Driver put at roughly $675,000 at current exchange rates. That puts the Manuale about €190,000 above the standard 12Cilindri, which Top Gear sized at around €400,000. The premium covers the bespoke bodywork, the by-wire system, and the seven-year Genuine Maintenance programme that comes with every car. Detailed spec sheets and option lists sit on Ferrari’s 12Cilindri Manuale product page.

How the Manuale by-Wire System Works

The Manuale by-Wire system integrates a clutch pedal and a gated gear lever into a car whose underlying transmission is still the eight-speed dual-clutch used across the 12Cilindri range. Both the clutch and the lever are electronic interfaces: signals from each pass directly to the dual-clutch’s clutch pack and gear selectors.

The gear lever uses six of the eight DCT ratios, mapped onto an H-pattern with first to the left and up. Manual mode is activated by pushing the clutch pedal in at any speed below 62 mph. Reverse sits further left of the H, and the seventh and eighth ratios are reachable only by exiting manual mode for fully automatic driving.

Ferrari has removed the steering-wheel paddle shifters from the Manuale, leaving the clutch pedal and the gear lever as the only ways to change gears. P, R, N, and D buttons sit behind the shift plate for use when the driver wants the standard automatic behaviour. The top of the gearstick carries an LED that glows amber in manual mode and white in automatic. The system is calibrated to mimic the tactility of the 599 GTB Fiorano, the last manual Ferrari with a V12, which ended production in 2012.

Ferrari says the algorithms are precise enough that a wrong clutch input produces a real jerk or a stall, which the company treats as part of the experience. Top Gear, which tried the controls on a stationary example, called the system the world’s most realistic sim rig.

Why It Lands Weeks After the Luce

Ferrari unveiled the Luce, its first fully electric car, at Maranello in late May. By the end of the month, the Luce launch had become a backlash story in which memes mocked the design, with investors selling the stock. CNBC had framed the same weeks as a PR crisis unfolding for Ferrari.

The 12Cilindri Manuale was revealed in early July, and Ferrari has framed the launch as an answer to owners who had never stopped asking for a manual gearbox. An earlier supply chain piece on the Luce’s OLED cabin ran the same week.

Mere weeks after making the world groan with the debut of the Luce, Ferrari’s first EV, the brand is shifting our attention away with what is known in the public relations world as a diversionary tactic. We welcome the diversion because the manual transmission is back at Ferrari, sort of.

Tony Quiroga, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver, in a first-look piece on the car.

Ferrari had earlier told Top Gear that no manual gearbox could handle the V12’s power and torque, a position the Manuale’s launch has now changed. The system is calibrated to replicate the 599 GTB Fiorano, Ferrari’s last V12 manual, which ended production in 2012.

The V12 and Its Numbers

The 12Cilindri Manuale keeps the 12Cilindri line’s powertrain unchanged. The engine is Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12, producing 830 hp at 9,250 rpm and 678 Nm of torque at 7,250 rpm. It revs to a 9,500-rpm redline, the same ceiling the standard 12Cilindri coupe carries. Ferrari lists the same headline performance: 2.9 seconds from rest to 100 kph and a top speed north of 340 kph. The Manuale is around 11 pounds heavier than the standard 12Cilindri, the manufacturer has said.

• 830 hp from a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 at 9,250 rpm
• 678 Nm of torque at 7,250 rpm
• Redline at 9,500 rpm
• 2.9 seconds from rest to 100 kph
• Top speed north of 340 kph

Top Gear, which handled a static example, said Ferrari’s 2.9-second claim holds for a ‘skilled driver.’ A badly timed shift leaves the car slower than the dual-clutch option, the same outlet reported. The clutch pedal weighs about 15 kilograms, Top Gear said, matching the clutch fitted to the 599 GTB Fiorano. The clutch pedal carries a position sensor so that takeup and release feel consistent, Car and Driver reported.

The 1,499-Unit Tailor Made Edition

Every 12Cilindri Manuale is sold through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme, the company’s bespoke personalisation operation in Maranello. Buyers choose exterior finishes, interior trims, and livery details through the same channel used for the brand’s other special-series cars. Top Gear noted that with all 1,499 cars passing through Tailor Made, no two will leave identical.

Ferrari lists a set of standard Manuale touches on top of the bespoke work. These include a laser-etched side badge, unique forged wheels, and exterior detailing that picks up cues from the 365 GTB4 Daytona.

• Five-spoke forged wheels unique to the 12Cilindri Manuale
• Laser-etched Scudetto on the front wheelarch
• 365 GTB4-inspired pinstripes on the front mask and rear spoiler
• Bespoke exterior finishes and an optional heritage-inspired livery
• Aluminium door sills engraved with the model logo

Inside, the cabin mixes the 12Cilindri’s main architecture with a new centre console built around an open-gate H-pattern. Ferrari added the round aluminium gear knob and the three-pedal layout that defines the driving position. The console and surrounding cabin are then personalised through Tailor Made for each buyer.

The 1,499-unit cap is itself a reference: it matches the 1,499cc displacement of Ferrari’s first V12 engine, which the company introduced in 1947. Each car ships with the standard seven-year Genuine Maintenance programme, covering scheduled servicing across the global dealer network.

What the Early Reviews Say

Top Gear, in its first-look coverage, called the price premium ‘the only real red flag’ on the car. The outlet sized that premium at around €190,000 over a standard 12Cilindri. In return, buyers receive a 1,499-unit limited run, the Tailor Made personalisation programme, and the seven-year maintenance cover. Ferrari has not posted a US price; Car and Driver put the dollar equivalent at about $675,000.

On the driving feel, the early responses are broadly positive. Top Gear called the cabin installation ‘the world’s most realistic sim rig.’ Car and Driver wrote that shifting through the gates is accompanied by ‘a clink-clink of metal shaft striking the aluminum gates,’ the same sound older Ferrari manuals used to make.

Both outlets reported that the algorithms refuse to mask a bad input, so a poorly timed shift still produces a real engine jerk or stall. Ferrari, through Top Gear, has framed the new system as a gearbox option that could one day be applied to other models in the range. The Manuale’s existence, Car and Driver noted, is owed to owners who never stopped asking for one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale?

The 12Cilindri Manuale is a limited-production derivative of the 12Cilindri, Ferrari’s naturally aspirated V12 grand tourer, that returns a clutch pedal and a physical gear lever to the cabin for the first time since the 599 GTB Fiorano ended production in 2012. Production is capped at 1,499 cars worldwide, and every car goes through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme.

How does the Manuale by-Wire system simulate a manual gearbox?

The system keeps the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox underneath and routes the driver’s clutch and gear-lever inputs through electronic actuators. The lever uses six of the eight DCT ratios laid out in a six-speed H-pattern with reverse at the far left; pushing the clutch at any speed below 62 mph enters manual mode, and the D button returns the car to fully automatic.

How many 12Cilindri Manuale units will Ferrari build?

Ferrari is capping the run at 1,499 cars worldwide and every car goes through the brand’s Tailor Made personalisation programme. The figure matches the 1,499cc displacement of Ferrari’s first V12 engine, which the company introduced in 1947.

How much does the Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale cost?

European pricing starts at €590,000, which Car and Driver put at roughly $675,000 at current exchange rates. That puts the Manuale about €190,000 above the standard 12Cilindri, which Top Gear sized at around €400,000. Ferrari has not published US pricing.

What does the Tailor Made programme include on the 12Cilindri Manuale?

All 1,499 cars go through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme in Maranello, with bespoke exterior finishes, interior trims, and optional heritage-inspired liveries chosen per car. Standard Manuale touches include laser-etched badging, unique forged wheels, and detailing inspired by the 365 GTB4 Daytona. Each car also carries Ferrari’s seven-year Genuine Maintenance programme covering scheduled servicing.