Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale: First testers praise V12 with clutch pedal
The first drive reviews of the 12Cilindri Manuale are out. Ferrari's V12, limited to 1,499 units, gets a clutch pedal and an open gate, though neither is mechanically linked.
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Ferrari unveiled the 12Cilindri Manuale in early July 2026, and the first drive reviews have now been published. Top Gear released its test on Oct. 21, with writer Ollie Marriage calling the gearbox "one of the very best gearboxes I've ever used in a car". His minor criticism: the clutch is almost too clean and the shift perhaps too slick. Still, he calls the car "a stroke of genius."
The manual has a technical twist. Ferrari keeps the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission of the regular 12Cilindri and adds a "Manuale By-Wire" system. According to the company, the clutch pedal and the lever in the open six-speed gate are not mechanically connected to the gearbox or clutch. The first six gears and reverse can be selected manually, while automatic mode uses all eight. The shift paddles are gone, and there is no automatic rev-matching.
The naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 is unchanged, with 830 PS and 678 Nm according to Ferrari, and revs to 9,500 rpm. Ferrari will build 1,499 cars through its Tailor Made program in Maranello. According to autoevolution, production starts this fall and first customer deliveries are due in the first quarter of 2027.