A manual Ferrari V12 GT is the sort of idea that immediately changes the temperature in a collector’s garage.
If Maranello follows through, the 12Cilindri could become more than the latest front-engined flagship. It could mark the return of the gated-shift twelve-cylinder Ferrari for the first time in nearly two decades.
At a glance
- Ferrari is understood to be preparing a limited-edition 12Cilindri with a manual gearbox for select clients.
- The car is expected to keep the standard 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, producing 819 hp and 500 lb-ft.
- A private client presentation could take place around Ferrari Cavalcade in June 2026, with a public debut potentially following in July.
The car in question is the Ferrari 12Cilindri, Maranello’s front-engined V12 grand tourer, but with its eight-speed dual-clutch transmission swapped for a gated manual gearbox.
That single change would give the 12Cilindri a very different place in Ferrari’s modern catalogue.
A rare return for the manual Ferrari V12
Ferrari hasn’t offered a manual gearbox in a flagship V12 GT since the 599 GTB Fiorano era.
Although the automated manual paddle-shift setup was already the mainstream choice by then, a tiny run of 599 GTB examples left the factory with a six-speed gated manual.
Those cars followed earlier limited manual versions of the 575M Maranello and Superamerica, and all three have become serious collector pieces.
The reason is simple enough. They combine a front-mounted naturally aspirated Ferrari V12 with the mechanical theatre of a metal gate and a driver-operated clutch.
The engine is expected to stay unchanged
The manual 12Cilindri is expected to retain the standard car’s 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12.
That means 819 hp at 9,250 rpm and 500 lb-ft at 7,250 rpm, figures that already make the 12Cilindri one of Ferrari’s most spectacular non-hybrid road cars.
The unanswered question is how Ferrari will engineer the manual transmission package around an engine that revs this high and delivers this much performance.
A gated shift would likely make the car less about lap-time efficiency and more about timing, feel and involvement, which is exactly the point.
| Model | Ferrari 12Cilindri manual, expected limited edition |
|---|---|
| Engine | 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 |
| Power | 819 hp at 9,250 rpm |
| Torque | 500 lb-ft at 7,250 rpm |
| Standard transmission | Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Expected transmission | Gated manual gearbox |
| Expected debut timing | Client preview in late June 2026, wider reveal possible in July |
| Availability | Limited allocation for selected Ferrari clients |
Why Ferrari collectors will be watching closely
A manual 12Cilindri would not be a high-volume return to three-pedal Ferraris.
It’s expected to be offered in limited numbers and only to carefully chosen clients, which means Ferrari will likely control both access and allocation tightly.
That approach fits the modern market, where the rarest analogue-feeling Ferraris have become blue-chip assets as much as driving machines.
It also gives Ferrari a way to celebrate the manual gearbox without repositioning its core range away from dual-clutch speed and hybrid-era performance.
A car for drivers as much as collectors
The appeal here isn’t nostalgia alone.
A naturally aspirated V12, a long bonnet and a manual gate would give the 12Cilindri a character that few current supercars can match, especially as the industry moves further into electrification and automation.
For the right Ferrari client, this could be the modern answer to the 575M and 599 manual cars, only with contemporary performance and factory-backed rarity from day one.
If the July debut materialises, expect the 12Cilindri manual to become one of the most discussed Ferraris of the year before most buyers ever see one in person.
