Ferrari 12Cilindri gets version with “manual flavor” transmission after 14 years
Italian brand debuts the "Manuale by Wire" system, which recreates the clutch pedal and H-lever without a real manual gearbox
Limited edition of 1,499 units features three pedals and an H-lever, but underneath it follows the same dual-clutch automatic gearbox (Photos: Ferrari | Disclosure)
A few weeks after presenting the Luce, its first electric car, Ferrari unveiled the new 12Cilindri Manuale, a special edition that rescues the experience of a manual transmission, although without using a conventional transmission of this type. It is the Italian automaker’s bet on the nostalgia of purists right after the lukewarm reception to its first battery-powered model.
The 12Cilindri Manuale retains the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox of the 12Cilindri, but gains a clutch pedal and a lever with the classic “H” pattern. Named Manuale by Wire, the system interprets the driver’s commands electronically, without any mechanical connection between the lever and the transmission.
By pressing the clutch pedal, the driver activates the manual mode, which uses the first six gears of the transmission. Reverse gear integrates the “H” pattern, while the seventh and eighth remain accessible only in automatic mode — resumed by a button on the console, useful on the road. There are no butterflies behind the wheel: it’s the first dual-clutch Ferrari without the paddles.
According to Ferrari, the goal was to reproduce the feel of the brand’s old manual models, especially the 599 GTB Fiorano, the last Ferrari with a V12 engine and manual transmission, discontinued in 2012. The system also simulates the resistance of shifts and the traditional metallic sound of the lever sliding through the guides.
The clutch pedal has sensors that reproduce the operation of a conventional system, even allowing the engine to “die” if the driver releases the clutch incorrectly. Ferrari claims that well-executed starts deliver performance practically identical to that of the automatic model, while errors in shifts compromise acceleration – which, according to the brand, makes driving more engaging.
The mechanics do not change: the aspirated 6.5-liter V12 yields about 830 hp, spins up to 9.500 rpm and delivers around 69 kgfm of torque. Still, Ferrari claims that the factory set-up preserves performance: the 0 to 100 km/h sprint takes 2.9 seconds and the top speed exceeds 340 km/h.
According to the brand, the set adds about 5 kg to the car’s weight — the module machined in solid blocks weighs less than 3.5 kg — and was developed in response to customers who for years had been asking for the return of a Ferrari with the feel of a manual transmission. Production will be limited to 1,499 units, all made under the Tailor Made customization program, with a starting price of around R$ 3.49 million (590 thousand euros) before taxes and fees — a premium of 190 thousand euros over the automatic version. Deliveries are scheduled for early 2027.
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