Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider First Drive: Put The Roof Down And Rev The V12 Up

Once upon a time in Italy, three automotive journalists walk into a bar. But this time around, instead of foolishly butchering beverage orders, they simply stand around surreptitiously practicing how to perfectly pronounce the name of Ferrari's latest and greatest. Phonetically, then: Ferrari asked me to sound out 12Cilindri as "Doe-dee-chi-chi-leen-dree" repeatedly. Now one more time, but let me really hear the music in it.

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More seriously, the new 12Cilindri and its Spider hardtop convertible variant seem perfectly appropriate for enjoying what might very well might wind up as the last road-legal, naturally aspirated Ferrari V12 ever. That's one big if, though the name surely must signify something in this liminal era when even the groundbreaking new F80 flagship hypercar shockingly emerged with hybrid V6 power.

That 6.5-liter V12 obviously serves as the 12Cilindri's highlight, and the Spider arguably does the highlighting better than the base coupe by offering the ability to drop the convertible top back and listen to the engine slam out 819 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque on the way up to a 9,500-RPM redline. 

How on earth can a naturally aspirated V12, of modest if not egregious displacement, possibly create 819 horsies? Well, Ferrari insists the powerplant is entirely different from the V12s of the preceding 812 Superfast and the Purosangue SUV, specifically with lightened titanium connecting rods, lightened pistons and crankshaft, plus fuel injection at over 5,000 PSI with three injection and ignition events per cycle.

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Even without turbo torque, though, the 12Cilindri also uses torque-by-gear programming to smooth out acceleration in second and third, the drivetrain's happy place. I've never heard of a naturally aspirated engine needing to rein in the beef, but then again the 12Cilindri and Spider cater more to a grand touring ethos almost in a similar fashion as the four-seater Purosangue. On the other hand, the fact that Ferrari now sells two front-engined cars with V12s, but not a mid-engined car with a V12, blows my mind.

Specifically for the Spider, which adds a few pounds without losing any of the style and comfort of the coupe, that more nonchalant attitude seems key. I'm a coupe guy, generally, but in person the 12Cilindri Spider looks so much better than in photos. The more muscular and smoother lines lose much of the angularity that false perspective creates, and what appeared to be black trim is actually finished mostly in carbon fiber. 

The aero details also coalesce nicely, as fairings feed air over the roof (or lack thereof) and work in partnership with active rear fins to create a bubble over the rear trunk decklid.

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The interior trends toward the rest of the lineup's modern and minimalist designs, though thankfully adds a center touchscreen to help compensate for the steering wheel controls—again, bafflingly, unlike the Purosangue and more similar to the Roma Spider that I so thoroughly enjoyed. That twin-turbo V8 in the Roma thumped, too, and yet even from the first inkling of a dip into the 12Cilindri Spider's throttle, the V12 exists on another plane entirely.

Unbelievable low-end torque, from way down around 2,000 RPM, shoves the rear wheels along with ease. In auto mode, the eight-speed dual-clutch shifts smoothly and snappily simultaneously, to the extent that I can resist pulling the left paddle shifter to try to wind up the V12. And yet most surprisingly, the engine lacks much in the way of soundtrack until around 6,000 or 7,000 revs. 

Maybe Ferrari leaned too far into the GT mindset, I start to think, though of course modern European emissions regulations dictated the use of new ceramic catalytic converters and particulate filters, which probably choke the exhaust orchestration significantly.

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Blasphemy! This V12 needs to sing! Instead, the 12Cilindri Spider—with the roof up or down—cruises along almost as silently as an EV during most normal driving. Impressive, perhaps, but not quite the emotive Italian spirit expected. No wonder Ferrari's engineers worked as much as possible to amp up the intake sound, with resonators ahead of the throttle body to complement the dual six-into-one exhaust.

Meanwhile, the electronically-assisted steering hails from the same family as the 296 GTS, with just a slight decrease in initial response and a fair amount less involvement than the Purosangue, which probably benefits from more weight over the nose and all-wheel-drive load, too. Push a little harder into a corner, and the 12Cilindri brought to mind the Roma Spider, with a longer wheelbase that helps with flat cornering, yet an even more pronounced tendency to overwork the rear tires.

The achingly stretched hood never caused any problems, though, thanks to the sculptural wheel flares. Visibility in long coupes can always lead to challenges, and admittedly with the top up, the rear window and pillars create blind spots. Anyway, I wanted to drive with the rood laid back as much as possible to hear the V12 as much as possible, which required revving the engine as much as possible...

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Yes, inevitably, living with the 12Cilindri Spider will lead to a lot of gas station stops. Just for the spectacular sound, even if the volume needs a little help. But fuel costs probably matter less to Ferrari owners than the inconvenience of burning through a million gallons per mile. Maybe the eco conscious among us can then argue for an aftermarket exhaust setup then—again with the heresy!

One of my biggest sticking points among modern cars, now that a few automakers (including Ferrari) have proved that electronic power steering doesn't need to absolutely spoil the fun, involves the recent rash of brake-by-wire programming. Some work, some don't—and some need recalls, literally. If the 296 GTS taught me that EPS can live up to enthusiast expectations, then the 12Cilindri Spider brought brake-by-wire to full fruition. Ferrari claimed the software reduces pedal travel by 70% compared to traditional brakes, but if nobody had mentioned it, I never would have known—it's just that level of perfectly responsive.

Another engineer taught me about fueling cuts that smooth out shifts of the eight-speed DCT, and the nifty system seems to fit into the GT lifestyle well other than in some super low-speed lag when the clutches seem to slip a little too much. But I also needed to ask about the rear-wheel steering, which Ferrari calls "virtual short wheelbase." 

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Fresh off some Rolls-Royces and Porsches and Mercedes-Benzes and the Lucid Gravity, I drove the 12Cilindri Spider absolutely confounded. As usual, the rear wheels will steer opposite to the fronts at lower speeds, by as much as 2.5 to 3 degrees. At higher speeds, the rears move in phase with the fronts by up to a single degree. And yet I never noticed any uncomfortable latency, or nausea from rafting that other rear-steer systems often create. Maybe the fact that Ferrari individually turns the outer rear wheel more than the inner, by as much as 1-1.5 degrees, helps that off-putting sensation.

Whatever the reason, the 12Cilindri Spider stands out as the best rear-steer system that I've driven yet. The semi-active MagneRide suspension probably helps, with a perfect combination of compliance and leveling despite the stiff chassis. Surprisingly high sidewalls for the 21-inch tires are likely contributing, too. In similar fashion as the Roma, the 12Cilindri seems more planted (and smaller) than the specs on paper or physical presence might suggest.

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That's perhaps the most impressive feat, for a large GT coupe with a beefy V12 engine mounted entirely behind the front axles. Even the Spider roof only adds 132 pounds or so (and can go up and down in 14 seconds at vehicle speeds up to 28 miles an hour). Aero considerations helped to sway my decidedly non-coupe predilections, since the windscreen and a rear net work with the air traveling over the roll humps to reduce both buffeting and volume in the cockpit.

The black paneling at the tail still stands out as the 12Cilindri's most disappointing design element, though undoubtedly up-speccing a car with even more carbon-fiber to match the rest of the trim should reduce that impression. Overall, the 12 Cilindri Spider still harks right back to the 275 GTB/4 and 365 GTB4—the latter in particular thanks to the sharp beak up front.

Clearly, in this era of retro-futuristic styling, Ferrari wants to keep the historical aspect alive despite an eye clearly turning to a future when naturally aspirated V12 engines will no doubt go entirely extinct. It's a slightly different tack than the stunning design language coming out of Aston Martin these days, which trends more toward smoother and skeletal forms. Yet the Astons probably most nearly match Ferrari in terms of driving dynamics, the only cars that come close, or anywhere near, a similar combination of power and steering, refinement and inconspicuous computerized assistance.

Otherwise, Ferrari now clearly stands apart from Lamborghini, without a doubt, sufficiently differentiated not just in terms of concept but also pricing: this 12Cilindri Spider can easily climb above half a million bucks with options. As I cruised around, swaddled in the 12Cilindri Spider, I wondered whether some of that sticker shock comes down to Ferrari betting whether customers wonder whether anything like this will ever exist again. 

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Serious questions, without a doubt. Yet watching EV commitments regularly fading into the ether lately, I start to cling to hope that the naturally aspirated V12 will live on. So, for now, I simply reveled in the raucous ridiculousness way up there in the rev range. Guess I might need a convertible after all.