Ferrari is bringing back the manual gearbox, or at least something designed to feel like one, for the first time in nearly a decade and a half.
The option will be offered only on the 12Cilindri and only in a limited production run of 1,499 cars. The price, however, will be extreme even by Ferrari standards: about 50% more than the regular version. In Israel, that could mean roughly 4.5 million shekels ($1.2 million), assuming the local importer can secure one of the cars at all. In practice, even if you were a billionaire, there is no guarantee Ferrari would let you buy one.
A return to the old ritual
Ferrari last offered a manual gearbox 14 years ago, in the 599 GTB Fiorano. Now it is reviving the experience with a gear selector and clutch pedal in the 12Cilindri.
But the new system is not a traditional mechanical manual transmission. It is essentially a different way of operating the familiar eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox used in the standard car.
Instead of paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, the driver gets a gear lever and a clutch pedal. Neither is mechanically connected to the transmission. They operate the gear changes and clutch electronically.
The car can still be driven in automatic mode, which is also the default. Switching to manual mode disables the two highest gears, seventh and eighth, which are used mainly for cruising. The aluminum gear lever moves through Ferrari’s classic H-pattern metal gate, designed to evoke the brand’s older manual cars.
Ferrari says the action feels identical to a mechanical manual gearbox in both the left foot and right hand, including the possibility of stalling the engine if the clutch is released incorrectly. At the same time, the system will prevent the driver from selecting a gear that is too low and could damage the engine.
Same V12, same performance
Beyond the new operating system, the car remains mechanically unchanged. It keeps Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine, producing 830 horsepower and revving to 9,500 rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels through an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.
The new mechanism adds 5 kilograms to the car’s dry weight, bringing it to 1,565 kilograms. Performance figures remain unchanged: 0 to 100 kph in 2.9 seconds, 0 to 200 kph in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 340 kph. To achieve those figures, however, drivers will need to use automatic mode.
What we think
On one hand, Ferrari is responding to customers who have been asking for the return of a manual gearbox, bringing back the clutch pedal and gated shifter experience 14 years after the company last offered one.
On the other hand, this is not a true manual gearbox. It may feel convincing to drivers who have never used a mechanical manual in real life, but purists will almost certainly notice the difference.
That raises the obvious question: if Ferrari has essentially added an artificial clutch pedal and a gear selector to an existing dual-clutch transmission, why does the price need to rise by 50%? Perhaps, at least in part, to help balance the books after the electric Elettrica fiasco.