Technical marvel for reversing: Ferrari with manual gearbox

“Revisionism: Refers to attempts to re-examine, question or re-evaluate a position that is generally regarded as accepted (…).” Such a movement is currently taking place in the motoring world, and is particularly evident in the high-end segment.

For several years, high-performance sports cars with multiple turbochargers, or even futuristic electric sports cars and saloons in the style of Rimac or the Porsche Taycan, were hugely successful. These vehicles featured multiple built-in touchscreens, allowing owners to flaunt their own progressive credentials.

That is now a thing of the past; a counter-movement has long since set in. In the luxury segment, analogue is ‘in’ again. This applies not only to the powertrain, where multi-cylinder internal combustion engines are once again being celebrated. The user interfaces are also being designed accordingly. Bugatti, for example, has modelled the instrumentation in the Chiron’s successor – aptly named the ‘Tourbillion’ – on a Swiss watch movement.

But Ferrari takes the crown for eccentricity: on 3 July, the Italians unveiled the ‘12Cilindri Manuale’, a special edition of the V12 GranTurismo limited to 1,499 units. The ‘Manuale’ refers to the manual gearbox, complete with an exposed gearselector, as found in classic Ferraris. This feature has not been fitted in new cars since the California model was discontinued.

Among the twelve-cylinder GT models, the 599GTB Fiorano was the last model to leave the factory with a manual gearbox just under twenty years ago. At the time, Ferrari cited a lack of customer interest as the reason for phasing out the manual gearbox. Since then, the dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel has become the norm in Maranello – until the arrival of the 12Cilindri Manuale.

However, contrary to what its name and the design of the gearselector in the cabin might suggest, it does not feature a classic manual gearbox, but rather an automated dual-clutch transmission. Nevertheless, there is a third pedal in the driver’s footwell. This uses electric actuators to mimic the operation of a clutch pedal. The Italians call this ‘Clutch by Wire’. Sophisticated kinematics, detent points and load changes are used to simulate the synchronisation and engagement torque. This goes so far that incorrect operation can lead to jerking and even stalling.

Using the traditional gear selector, the driver can select six of the eight forward gears and reverse; the transmission itself remains unchanged in its operation. Alternatively, reverse, neutral and forward gears can also be selected via buttons on the centre console to use a fully automatic mode – just like in an Aston Martin.

Externally, the ‘Manuale’ is recognisable only by its badging. Nothing has changed with the engine either. This means it continues to use the naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 with 830 PS, which can rev up to 9,500 rpm. The top speed remains at ‘over 340 km/h’, and it takes just under 3 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 100. The technical underpinnings remain the same, as does the array of electronic systems: Side Slip Control, ABS evo in all Manettino positions, an electronic differential, a virtual short wheelbase known as PCV 3.0, magnetorheological dampers and the like.

Äußerlich kaum als solcher zu erkennen: Der Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale

Foto: Ferrari

What will certainly change, unsurprisingly, is the price. Although Ferrari has not yet disclosed this, it will be significantly higher than that of the standard 12Cilindri. And depending on the market, the standard model is already listed at around €400,000.