DRIVER'S SEAT
LOOK, I’M SORRY TO SAY THIS BUT it’s spectacular. It’s even better than you imagine. It’s like driving a bolt of golden light thrown by Zeus himself across the surface of the Earth. For us mere mortals it’s a sublime experience. It’s pure and beautiful, and I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. It’s not what I wanted to write. These stories are more fun when the cars are crap. Please know that I take no pleasure in telling you a $554,439 Italian coupe that only a handful of people will ever get to enjoy is, actually, quite good. But it is. That the 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri might never have existed, or that it might be the last of its kind, only makes it that much sweeter. Like the very first Ferrari in 1947, this one is a front-engine, rear-drive machine powered by a V12 engine that’s unencumbered by turbochargers or heavy hybrid systems. Sadly, there’s no gated- manual gearbox — only an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic — but even the
most obnoxious #savethemanuals zealots will forget about the lack of a clutch pedal when this engine enters the upper half of its rev range. This sort of engine — a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 that revs to 9,500 rpm and puts out 819 horsepower — was supposed to be a dying breed, killed off by the urgent need to clean up our transportation sector and reduce climate-change causing emissions. Even the gasoline-loving people at Lamborghini paired their latest V12 engine with a hybrid system. McLaren and Aston Martin shifted to turbochargers for their big engines. Every decent mass-market automaker made the switch long ago. But Ferrari knows exactly which regulatory loopholes to drive through just as well as the brand knows its customers. Ferrari does sell a twin-turbo V6 hybrid sports car, and it’s very nice. The Italian firm also offers an SUV and will soon unveil its first all-electric car. But the customers who want to drop over half- a-million dollars on a Ferrari grand-
"The rear-wheel steering system (which is now able to adjust the angle of each rear wheel independently) makes the car freakishly agile."
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