The limited-run 12Cilindri Manuale turns nostalgia into engineering, complete with a gated shifter and three pedals.
Somewhere in Maranello, an engineer has spent two years of their life making absolutely sure that you can stall a Ferrari. This is something that, quite strangely, got us very excited! The car in question is the new 12Cilindri Manuale, and yes, that name means exactly what you hope it does. After fourteen years of telling the world that paddles were the future, Ferrari has reached back into the drawer marked “the good old days” and pulled out a gated six-speed shifter, a polished metal knob, and — deep breath — a clutch pedal. Three pedals. In a new Ferrari. In 2026.
Now, before the purists faint into their driving gloves, a clarification. This is not your grandfather’s manual. Ferrari calls the system Manuale By-Wire, which is a very elegant way of saying that nothing you touch is physically connected to anything that shifts. The lever clicks through the exposed metal gate, sensors read your intentions, and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission underneath quietly does your bidding — using its first six gears when you’re in charge, and all eight when you press a button and let the car take over. It’s a manual and an automatic, the best of both worlds.
But here’s the genuinely funny part: Ferrari has engineered “authenticity” into it. There’s a real bite point programmed into the clutch pedal. There’s no auto-blip, so if you want a heroic downshift, you’ll have to heel-and-toe it yourself like an adult. And crucially, gloriously, you can stall it. At a red light. In front of everyone. Ferrari didn’t have to allow that. They chose to. That’s commitment to the bit.
The rest of the car remains gloriously unbothered by all this nostalgia. The naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 carries over untouched: 830 cv, a 9,500 rpm redline, 0–100 km/h dispatched in 2.9 seconds — provided, Ferrari notes, the driver is skilled, which is a polite way of putting the performance pressure back on you. Top speed remains 340 km/h, presumably in a gear you selected yourself, feeling extremely smug about it.
Visually, the Manuale wears its retro heart on its fenders: laser-etched badges, fine pinstripes on the nose and rear winglets in a nod to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, new five-spoke 21-inch wheels, and a launch coat of Rosso Rubino. Inside, the amber glow around the gear gate tells you you’re in manual mode — amber, presumably, being the international colour of “you’re on your own now.”
Just 1,499 will be built, every single one through Ferrari’s Tailor Made programme, with deliveries starting in early 2027. That number honours the displacement of the very first V12 Ferrari ever built, which feels appropriate for a car whose entire mission is to remind you that driving used to require both hands, both feet, and a modicum of courage.
So there it is. The third pedal is back. It’s not connected to anything. Just like the power steering and brake-by-wire systems already in wide use. And it might yet be the most connected a modern Ferrari has felt in years.
