Ferrari Will Keep Making V-12 Engines Until They're Illegal

You know Ferrari is determined to keep its V-12 alive because its new supercar is named after the number of cylinders it has: twelve. But the 12Cilindri isn't the end of the story for the large-displacement powertrain. Maranello intends to keep the V-12 alive for as long as legally possible. 

Speaking with Australian publication Car Expert, Ferrari's Product Marketing and Marketing Intelligence Director Emanuele Carando reassured enthusiasts that the company will continue churning out cars with the 6.5-liter monster until it's outlawed. "We will produce naturally aspirated V-12s until the law [no longer] allows us to. We hope the law in the future will continue to show opportunities, probably working on new petrol which is more sustainable."

In the new 12Cilindri Coupe and Spider, the 6.5-liter powerhouse spins to 9,500 rpm but the engine is technically capable of revving to 10,000 rpm. Ruggero Cevolani, the man in charge of the V-12 program, says the lower rev limit was deliberately chosen to maximize power delivery to avoid a "drop off in the sensation of constant acceleration."

He added that Ferrari is first and foremost an "engineering company," which is why performance was prioritized over hitting the magical 10,000-rpm barrier. It still wouldn't have been the highest-revving engine ever fitted into a road car. That title goes to the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 with an impressive 12,100 rpm. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is also louder than the 12Cilindri, maxing out at 11,100 rpm. Another notable mention is the Ariel Atom V8 at 10,600 rpm.

Previously, Ferrari Chief Design Officer Flavio Manzoni admitted that a turbocharged V-8 is better in terms of performance than a V-12, adding the twelve-cylinder unit is not the most efficient engine out there. Nevertheless, the company must "fight for this engine" to keep it alive for as long as possible since it's more emotional than smaller offerings.

Although the V-12 has a new lease on life, Ferrari projects it will sell fewer cars with combustion engines in the coming years once the company's first EV arrives in 2025. By the end of the decade, the goal is to have electric vehicles account for 40 percent of all deliveries. Another 40 percent are expected to be hybrids, leaving just 20 percent for pure ICE models.

Despite a projected gradual reduction of combustion-engine car sales, CEO Benedetto Vigna said last year the "ICE still has a lot to do." The adoption of more sustainable fuels is seen as a possible solution to keep ICE alive for the long haul.

Ferrari isn't the only high-end brand still investing in V-12 engines. Aston Martin has a new Vanquish on the way with the same number of cylinders and even more muscle, albeit it’s not a fair comparison since it packs two turbochargers. Gaydon’s upcoming engine is rated at 824 hp and 738 lb-ft whereas the 12Cilindri pumps out 818 hp and 500 lb-ft.