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New for 2025, Ferrari adds a Spider variant to the 12Cilindri grand tourer.
Ferrari and the V12 engine go hand in hand, an historical connection that stretches back to 1947 and the 125 S, the very first car to bear the iconic company’s name. Now, the new 12Cilindri harks back to those decades of V12 propulsion, with a nameplate almost as evocative as the LaFerrari hypercar. The focus, then, must be on that powerplant, a 6.5-liter V12 rated for 819 horsepower and capable of revving to 9,500 rpm. New for 2025, the 12Cilindri adds a convertible Spider variant to better enjoy the engine’s soundtrack during drop-top driving.
The first time I climb behind the 12Cilindri Spider’s steering wheel, I hold the convertible roof’s button for about 14 seconds to drop the hardtop immediately. The exhaust burbles, almost restrained and classy on a cold morning, before I pop the right paddle shifter into first gear and pull away. Wanting to let the car warm up, I take a few minutes acclimating to the long hood, responsive steering, and incredible brakes. Then I can push a bit harder, waking up the 12Cilindri enough to unleash an entirely new character above 6,000 rpm.
The 12Cilindri gets its name from the 6.5-liter V12 shoehorned entirely behind the front axles.
A Naturally Aspirated V12 for the Modern Era
Through the next few thousand revs, the V12 pulls with a thrilling urgency that begs for more with each additional second of thrust. This is the Ferrari we know and love, as the 12Cilindri’s grand touring identity refers back more to the 275 GTB/4 and 365 GTB4 of the 1960s and 1970s. The angular front end with futuristic cues on the sides, trim, and tail helps to transition the 12Cilindri’s clear stylistic heritage into the modern era, yet the Spider hardtop never breaks up the design, either.
Advance aerodynamic concepts work to shuttle air into a bubble over the rear decklid, while preventing intrusion of sound and wind into the cockpit. The system works wonders, keeping driver and passenger comfortable with the roof open, even at high speeds. Meanwhile, the suspension tuning further emphasizes comfortable cruising, finding a perfect middle ground with the MagneRide dampers to keep the chassis tight without losing too much compliance or creating reverberations that might interrupt the reverie.
Start to push a little harder, though, and the 12Cilindri legitimately borders on supercar performance. The magic of electronically adjustable suspension and fine-tuned steering allows for much greater confidence when cornering than I expected. The brake-by-wire system even works well enough to fade into the background, too. Meanwhile, the engine and eight-speed transmission work together best from second to fourth gear, even if actually committing to hitting redline above second requires far exceeding legal speed limits anywhere but the unrestricted autobahn.
Classy wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S tires help the 12Cilindri Spider ride smoothly, yet ... [+] also handle as well as most supercars.
