- Demand for expensive cars with stick shifts has increased in recent years.
- Recent trademark filings indicate Ferrari is working on several new 12Cilindri models.
- A manual Ferrari 12Cilindri could be shown to owners during June’s Ferrari Cavalcade.
The controversial new electric Luce is a Ferrari unlike anything that has worn the badge before, but don’t mistake it for a sign that Maranello has forgotten how to build a proper driver’s car. If a new report holds up, the company may be about to bring back the manual transmission.
Ferrari hasn’t built a single road car with a manual transmission since 2012, when the 599 GTB and California were offered with traditional six-speed stick shifts. However, in recent years, the upper echelons of the automotive industry have seen a resurgence in demand for supercars with manual gearboxes, including the Pagani Utopia, GMA T.50, and Koenigsegg’s CC850, as well as for slightly more accessible cars with manuals, like the Porsche 911 GT3.
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In addition, the values of old Ferraris with manual gearboxes and cars from rival brand Lamborghini have skyrocketed in recent years. Clearly, the number-crunchers at Ferrari have realized there’s strong demand for manuals, and people are willing to pay a premium for them.
According to a new report, Ferrari is working to add a manual transmission to its flagship V12-powered GT car, the 12Cilindri. The Supercar Blog understands that Ferrari will present this new version to owners at the Ferrari Cavalcade road rally next month, before unveiling it to the world in July.
For now, there’s no word on where Ferrari will source the gearbox, or whether it’ll be developed in-house. Either way, the safe bet is a gated manual, the kind that gives 12Cilindri owners the kind of mechanical theater the rest of the lineup quietly stopped offering years ago.
Recent trademark filings from Ferrari revealed it’s working on several exciting new models, including a 12Cilindri MM, 12Cilindri MM Aperta, and 12Cilindri GTO. It’s unlikely the GTO will get a manual, but it’s possible the MM badge could be reserved for the stick shift. If current reports are to be believed, production of this model will be extremely limited, meaning only the most prolific Ferrari collectors will have a chance of owning it.
