Ferrari 12Cilindri 2025 Review – International

The all-new 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri arrives in the second half of 2025 priced from $803,500 for the Coupe and $886,800 for the Spider, which is set to arrive here around three months after the coupe makes its debut in Australian showrooms.

Those prices represent a hefty $100,000 price bump over the old Ferrari 812 Superfast the 12Cilindri replaces.

It's also worth remembering that most Australians will then splash out at least another $100k making the 12Cilindri their own. Throw in on-road costs and the final bill for many buyers will be close to a cool million when they finally get their hands on it.

The nearest rival to the new Ferrari is the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish that comes with a twin-turbocharged 5.2-litre V12 producing 614kW and 1000Nm of torque. In Australia that car will be priced from $737,000 plus on-roads when it arrives in the first quarter of next year.

You could also argue that the McLaren GT ($399,995) would be another left-field alternative to the Italian front-engine V12 GT flagship.

Australian versions of the 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri should mirror the latest Ferrari 296 and come with a decent level of equipment as standard, compared to other markets.

When it arrives, expect the V12 flagship to bag LED matrix headlamps, 21-inch alloy wheels, a wireless phone charger, keyless entry and starting, dual-zone climate control, automatic high-beam and a front axle-lift.

Ahead of the driver is a huge 15.6-inch digital instrument cluster, alongside a 10.25-inch infotainment touch-screen incorporating both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 12Cilindri drops built-in satnav. A new wireless phone charger has been introduced, residing close at hand to the driver, in the central tunnel.

It's thought our market will get new heated, ventilated massage seats as standard, and options will include the passenger’s 8.8-inch touch-screen, which can display secondary telemetry information, plus a 15-speaker, 1600W sound system developed by Burmester for those that presumably get tired of the standard V12 soundtrack.

Like other Ferraris, the 12Cilindri is likely to benefit from the Italian car-maker's industry-leading aftersales care program that offers seven years of complimentary servicing based on 12-month/20,000km intervals.

The 12Cilindri will also be backed by a three-year/100,000km factory warranty that can be extended (at a cost) until the car is 15 years old.

Ferrari is unlikely to ever volunteer its latest 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri for Euro NCAP or ANCAP crash testing, but that doesn't mean it won't offer high levels of protection should the worst happen. Bolstering safety (and handling), the aluminium spaceframe chassis that underpins the V12 Coupe and Spider is now up to 15 per cent stiffer.

As standard, the 12Cilindri comes with front, side and head airbags, and gets mandatory ABS and anti-skid tech with electronic brake-force distribution. And speaking of safety aids, the standard manettino can also dial back the powertrain, suspension and chassis to cope with wet conditions, enhancing safety, although the driver may also choose to switch everything off – although that's best left for the track or open airfields.

New driver assist features available on the V12 coupe include adaptive cruise control with lane-keep assist. There's also Ferrari's latest Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, plus driver awareness detection, blind-spot monitoring and the usual irritating speed limit alert warning.

Finally, sensors and cameras make the big Ferrari easy to manoeuvre at low-speeds when parking.

The 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri features the brand's latest 15.6-inch digital instrument cluster that's combined with a 10.25-inch infotainment touch-screen. The latter includes both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, but no longer incorporates a built-in satnav, as mentioned above.

A new wireless phone charger lives within the central tunnel while, ahead of the passenger is that optional 8.8-inch touchscreen to feed them live telemetry for the full co-pilot experience. The powerful 15-speaker, 1600W sound system has been developed by Burmester.

One frustration, just like the baby Ferrari 296, is the big V12 Coupe’s capacitive touch multi-function steering wheel that you have to 'wake' before using. It feels over-fiddly and you soon wish for proper buttons.

On the plus side, the steering wheel-mounted indicator buttons are almost an adequate replacement for a traditional stalk now.

You would expect that an engine inspiring the name of the model might be pretty special, and the 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri certainly doesn't disappoint.

The latest Ferrari coupe gets the 812 Competizione-spec 6.5-litre V12, which can trace its roots back to the F140 V12 that first made its debut back in the 2002 Enzo hypercar.

In its latest guise, it features lighter engine internals, including titanium conrods and aluminium pistons, plus a featherweight crankshaft and a valvetrain that employs sliding finger followers that are normally used on high-revving superbikes.

Throw in a new exhaust and intake, and you have a large 6.5-litre that can rev to an incredible 9500rpm.

Power and torque are pegged at 611kW and 678Nm; the torque peak looks anaemic compared to the twin-turbo 614kW Aston Vanquish that churns out a far more muscular 1000Nm.

Despite that, with launch control, the 12Cilindri can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds, 0-200km/h in just 7.8sec and top out at 340km/h, thanks in no small part to the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission lifted from the SF90 with gearing that’s five per cent shorter and 30 per cent-quicker gearshifts.

Amusingly, engineers said they were actually worried about performance. In the electric age the above 0-100km/h dash can be replicated by any number of Chinese sedans. Instead, each gear was torque-mapped for maximum excitement, and despite claims the big V12 delivers 80 per cent of its torque at just 2500rpm, the 6.5-litre demands you rev it for best results.

The 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri is claimed to average 15.5L/100km, while emitting 353g/km of CO2.

Without any electrification hardware bolted on its V12 we expect the latest Coupe and Spider to be far thirstier than all its rivals in daily operation.

Early impressions of the 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri are disappointing, especially if you've experienced the wild ride that was the 812 Superfast.

Initially, climb and settle yourself into the ventilated, heated massage pews and the V12 flagship seems eerily quiet, comfortable and mature. Not enough of that V12 character is allowed to permeate the cabin, especially in Sport mode. Up the pace and, it's horrible to report this, the Ferrari doesn't even feel that quick. Until that is we realise that we're only shifting at around the 7250rpm torque peak.

Flicking the powertrain to Race restores some of the missing drama while allowing the 6.5-litre to stretch its legs to its 9500rpm cut-out. At the top end the Ferrari feels ballistic.

That charge from 7000-9500rpm feels like Honda's VTEC on class A drugs and is both as intoxicating and addictive. Shame it will be tricky to repeat in Australia as it involves unrepeatable speeds.

Like the old 812 Competizione, the new 12Cilindri comes with rear-wheel steer and the ABS Evo brake-by-wire tech from the 296 GTB that uses Ferrari's latest 6w-CDS sensor and computers to balance and maximise traction. There's also an eighth-generation Side Slip Control (SSC 8.0) for those who enjoy the odd drift.

Finally, it's worth mentioning the Ferrari has near perfect 48.3/51.7 per cent front/rear weight distribution and active air for the first time. This uses underfloor vortex generators and twin pop-up rear blades to generate up to 50kg of downforce at 250km/h. Speaking of extra kilograms, the mass of the 12Cilindri has risen by around 35kg to 1560kg (dry) over the weight of its predecessor.

On the move the brakes feel much too sharp at the top of the pedal, making them hard to modulate at slow speeds. It's not an issue the faster you go, although the Ferrari's carbon ceramic brakes were noisy at all speeds.

It's a shame to report the Ferrari doesn't hide its rear-steering off-centre as well as some Porsches can, with the tilller feeling a bit too pointy for our tastes.

What we just couldn't get enough of is both that V12 and its new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission that one moment delivers smooth shifts and the next can replicate a race car's brutal up and down shifts.

On the short track we drove it was possible to explore the limits of adhesion, with the 12Cilindri losing grip on the front axle first, but the understeer was easily neutralised using a boot-full of throttle.

Both on road and track the Ferrari is always an entertaining companion and its mature road manners and refinement mean it's more useable than the 812, although we still think it needs more noise, something aftermarket pipes will no doubt fix.

The 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri is equally striking within as it is outside – but not for quite the same reasons.

We're not sure the Giallo Montecarlo yellow works with the light green leather seats and definitely think cheap-looking piano trim should be avoided at all costs, preferring the natural carbon-fibre Ferrari has developed for the V12 Coupe and Spider. That said, the colour and trim combination is easily fixed by someone with good taste and a large wallet to pay for the endless customisation and personalisation possible when ordering.

It's also worth mention the 12Cilindri remains surprisingly practical with decent 270 litres of boot capacity and extra space behind the driver and passenger seat.

As for the seats themselves we'd be tempted to ditch the massage, heated and ventilated for a more traditional sport seat with larger bolsters to hold the driver in place as our car's chairs lacked support and weren't as comfortable for the back as hoped.

It remains a bit of shame the 12Cilindri remains strictly a two-seater.

The 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri has been tailor-made for plenty of repeat buyers who already own V12 models like the F12 and the 812 Superfast so it's perhaps no accident it's matured for this generation into something that feels more grown-up.

What's reassuring is the F12/812's unhinged character remains ever present beneath the new added layer of refinement and sophistication, and the reward from working that V12 hard is to be savoured in this world of electrified powertrains.

Apparently, Ferrari stubbornly began work on the 12Cilindri with the real risk emission regulations would effectively ban it in all but a handful of countries, but went ahead anyway in the stubborn belief nothing beats a big naturally-aspirated V12. As a result, if you're looking for the most entertaining Ferrari currently on sale, you've found it.

2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri at a glance:
Price:?$803,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available:?Second quarter, 2025
Engine:?6.5-litre V12 petrol
Output:?611kW/678Nm
Transmission:?Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel:?15.5L/100km (WLTP)
CO2:?353g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating:?Not tested

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