Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale Revives the Manual Gearshift Feel

Ferrari has found a way to bring back the feel of a manual gearbox without actually using one.

Ferrari has introduced the 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited-production version of its V12 grand tourer with the addition of a clutch pedal and a gated six-speed shifter. It is the first Ferrari road car to offer a clutch pedal since the 599 GTB Fiorano and the Ferrari California was discontinued in 2012.

A Manual That Is Not Mechanically Manual

At first glance, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale appears to have a traditional gated manual gearbox, with the classic exposed metal shift gate and aluminum shift knob seen on older Ferrari models.

In reality, it uses the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as the standard 12Cilindri. The clutch pedal and gear lever are not mechanically connected to the transmission. Instead, they send electronic signals to Ferrari’s new “Manuale by Wire” system, which shifts the gear.

When the driver selects Manual mode, pressing the clutch pedal and moving the gear lever tells the system which gear to select.

The gated shifter only controls the first 6 gears in an H-pattern. 7^th and 8^th gears are selected automatically because they are mainly used for high-speed driving. Launch control is also handled automatically by the dual-clutch system.

At higher speeds, the transmission switches to normal automatic operation. Drivers can also choose to drive the car entirely in automatic mode without using the clutch or gear lever. Because of this design, the 12Cilindri Manuale does not have paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Engine and Performance Stay the Same

The transmission technology may be new, but the engine remains unchanged. The 12Cilindri Manuale uses the same naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 as the standard car.

A Limited and Expensive Special Series

Ferrari is building exactly 1,499 units of the 12Cilindri Manuale, a number chosen to reference the 1.5-liter displacement of the company’s first V12 engine, built in 1947. Every car will go through Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization program; buyers can choose from 25 colors, along with dedicated leather and Alcantara trim options. The car will be offered only as a coupe, not as a convertible.

Pricing starts at about €590,000 in Europe, which is €200,000 more than a standard 12Cilindri. Figures in other markets will vary once local taxes and options are added.

Why is Ferrari Doing This Now

Ferrari has said that earlier V12 engines produced more torque than a conventional manual gearbox could handle, which is part of why the company moved away from manual transmissions in the 2000s.

By the time the Ferrari 599 GTB and California manual versions ended production in 2012, demand for stick shifts had already fallen, and only a small number of buyers ordered them. The dual-clutch-by-wire system lets Ferrari offer the tactile experience enthusiasts have asked for while maintaining the shift speed and reliability of its modern transmission.

Whether this counts as a true manual is a fair question, since the lever and pedal are only inputs to a computer rather than mechanical controls. But the 12Cilindri Manuale shows that Ferrari is willing to bring back the feel of an old-fashioned gearshift, even if the engineering underneath it is entirely new.