Ferrari has just pulled the covers off a fascinating new take on its 12Cilindri supercar, and this one comes with something the brand hasn’t offered in years: a proper gear lever and clutch pedal. Built under Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme and capped at just 1,499 examples, the 12Cilindri Manuale is less a return to old school mechanics and more a clever piece of engineering theatre that recreates the feel of three pedal motoring without actually giving up the benefits of a modern dual clutch transmission.
What Makes the Manuale Different
At the heart of this special edition sits the same eight speed dual clutch gearbox found in the standard 12Cilindri, mounted on the rear axle exactly as before. Ferrari hasn’t swapped in a mechanical manual transmission at all. Instead, engineers have added a new layer of tactile hardware that uses by wire technology to mimic the sensations of rowing your own gears.
Between the seats you’ll find a proper gear lever housed in a steel gate with an open six speed pattern, along with a clutch pedal. Neither is physically linked to the actual gearbox or clutch mechanism. What they do instead is translate driver input into signals that make the car behave, and feel, like it’s being shifted manually.
How the System Actually Works
Under normal conditions, the car starts up in its familiar automatic mode, controlled by the usual reverse, neutral and drive buttons on the centre console. Press the clutch pedal, though, and the transmission switches into manual mode, confirmed by an amber glow around the gate atop the aluminium gear knob.
The manual setup only covers the first six of the transmission’s eight ratios, plus reverse, so drivers will still want to flick back into auto mode for motorway cruising to access the two tallest gears. Ferrari has gone to unusual lengths to make the experience convincing too. The system will let you stall the engine or botch a gearchange, and there’s even a simulated clutch bite point built in.
There’s no rev matching function to smooth things over, and Ferrari has ditched the steering wheel paddles entirely for this variant. A lock out mechanism still prevents anything dangerous, like selecting a gear far too low for your road speed, and drivers can jump straight back to full automatic mode at any time simply by hitting the D button.
Performance and Powertrain
Despite the elaborate new shift experience, nothing has changed under the skin in terms of outright pace. The Manuale uses the same gear ratios and identical engine mapping as the standard 12Cilindri, meaning the naturally aspirated V12 still produces a substantial 818 hp (610kW) and spins all the way to 9,500rpm.
Ferrari quotes 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds flat, with a top speed of 338 km/h (210 mph), figures that put the Manuale firmly in supercar territory despite its old school shifting antics.
Styling Touches Unique to the Manuale
Alongside the reworked transmission experience, Ferrari has added a handful of exterior details to set the Manuale apart. There’s a laser etched Manuale badge on the front wings, silver Ferrari crests, and a bespoke five spoke forged wheel design. Look closely at the black strip across the nose and the active rear winglets and you’ll spot fine pinstripes, a subtle nod to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona that inspired the 12Cilindri’s overall shape.
Inside the cabin, the biggest change is obviously the addition of the gear lever and clutch pedal, but buyers also get access to the wider colour and trim options available through the Tailor Made programme.
Why This Matters for Ferrari
Coming shortly after plenty of debate around the fully electric Luce, the 12Cilindri Manuale feels like a deliberate reminder that Ferrari hasn’t forgotten its roots. It’s a clever way of keeping the emotional connection of a manual gearbox alive without sacrificing the performance benefits of a modern dual clutch unit, and it hints at how similar systems could eventually find their way into electric performance cars too. Ferrari certainly won’t be the only manufacturer exploring that idea.
