Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider – Tailored for the Select Few

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider presented today is the marque’s new two-seater spider with a mid-front-mounted, naturally-aspirated V12 engine. It combines an unparalleled, thrilling driving experience with sophisticated, modern design and has been conceived for aficionados of this exceptional engine configuration who also enjoy the appeal of open-air motoring. The concept behind the car draws inspiration from open-topped Ferrari Gran Turismo models of the 1950s and ‘60s.

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Very few associations can exhilarate and delight like the union between a naturally aspirated V12 Ferrari engine and open-top motoring. The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider, unveiled today at an exclusive event hosted at Miami Beach, fuses these two very special sensations in a two-seater Berlinetta spider powered by Ferrari’s iconic twelve-cylinder engine. This iteration of the V12 delivers 830  CVs and keeps revving right up to 9500 rpm, offering the driver and passenger an even more exclusive open-air driving experience. 

The concept giving shape to the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider draws inspiration from open-topped Ferrari Gran Turismo models of the 1950s and ’60s, which combined the unmatched performance of a road-going racing car with the unique opportunity to revel in the sound of the 12-cylinder engine with the roof down and extraordinary long-distance driving comfort. The design of the vehicle makes a break from the recent canons of the Ferrari two-seater Berlinetta spider genre, eschewing muscularity and sensuality in favour of a more futuristic language founded on formal purity with only the barest hint of a typically automotive visual lexicon. 

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is intended for both connoisseurs of the marque with a clear vision of what Ferrari has stood for in the motoring world since 1947 and newer Ferraristi who dream of a car that lets them combine unmatched driving thrills with comfort and Italian design—and the possibility of enjoying the wind in their hair. This truly is a car for the few. 

POWERTRAIN 

The F140HD engine equipping the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is the new version of the iconic naturally-aspirated Ferrari V12, the purest expression of Ferrari’s soul. Its peerless performance, powerful soundtrack, and exclusivity make it the worthy heir to the legendary Berlinetta sports cars that wrote some of the most glittering chapters in the marque’s history. Thanks to the adoption of innovative solutions, the engine can unleash up to 830 cvs, while its max revs have been increased to 9500 rpm.

The engine features modified components and software, some of which were already adopted on the open-top special series 812 Competizione A, ensuring it tops its category in terms of performance. To allow the V12 to rev so high, the engineers reduced the weight and inertia of the engine’s components, adopting titanium con rods, which guarantee a saving of 40% in rotating mass compared to steel with the same mechanical resistance. A different aluminium alloy was used for the pistons, making them lighter than in previous applications. Further weight reduction was gained by adopting a rebalanced crankshaft, which is 3% lighter. 

The valvetrain with sliding finger followers is derived from Ferrari’s unparalleled experience in Formula 1 and was developed specifically for the V12 to reduce mass and avail of more high-performance valve lift profiles. The sliding finger follower, which is steel with a Diamond-Like-Carbon (DLC) coating, transmits the action of the cam to the valve using a hydraulic tappet as the pivot for its movement. The use of DLC reduces the coefficient of friction at critical points, significantly improving the mechanical efficiency of the engine. 

Most of the modifications focused on optimising torque delivery in all operating conditions. The result is an engine with an exhilaratingly smooth, seamless response that delivers peak power at the red line. 

The layout of the manifold and plenum is now more compact. Shortening the length of the tracts and optimising the cam profiles allows power to be unleashed at high revs. A system of variable-geometry inlet tracts optimises the torque curve at all engine speeds, enabling the length of the intake tract to be continuously varied about the firing intervals of the engine to maximise the dynamic charge in the cylinder. 

An innovative software strategy was developed for the first time on a naturally aspirated engine to modify the maximum torque available as a function of the selected gear. This gives the driver the feeling of smooth, progressive pick-up as the transmission ratio increases, another vital factor in making the driving exhilaration delivered by the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider genuinely unique. 

A crescendo of never-ending acceleration and power delivery has been a signature of all Ferrari V12s. Now, innovative Aspirated Torque Shaping (ATS) has allowed Maranello engineers to sculpt the torque curve in third and fourth gears using sophisticated electronic control that improves the perception of the torque without impinging on acceleration, all to the benefit of driving pleasure. Introducing new gear ratios keeps acceleration levels high and allows engineers to define a new torque curve shape for an aspirated engine. 

Optimising the engine’s mechanical efficiency and the lubrication circuit is critical to reducing emissions and consumption. The calibration of the variable displacement oil pump allows the oil to circulate throughout the entire engine and then be recovered along with the vapours from the sump. A solenoid valve, controlled by the engine ECU, controls the pump’s displacement in terms of engine revs and pressure, delivering only the amount of oil required and saving significant energy. The new configuration of the oil tank and pump’s hydraulic circuit reduces losses to a minimum and optimises functionality in all operating conditions. 

The gasoline direct injection system (GDI at 350 bar) comprises two gasoline pumps and four rails with pressure sensors that provide feedback to the pressure control system. The electronic injectors can also control up to three injections per engine cycle. An ION control unit with single and multi-spark functions manages the ignition system. This unit also serves a knock monitoring and control function, using a sophisticated strategy for recognising the fuel quality (octane rating) in the tank to maximise the engine’s thermodynamic efficiency. 

The new exhaust system, developed to allow the car to comply with the latest emissions requirements (EU6E, China 6b, and Bin 50), introduces a ceramic catalytic converter coupled with a particulate filter. This is the most advanced emissions-reduction technology available and involves lengthy calibration of the software strategies. 

Sound is pivotal to marrying the comfort, luxury, and exhilarating driving emotions typical of a Ferrari V12. To this end, every element of the intake and exhaust lines was optimised. Equal-length exhaust tracts, the 6-in-1 manifold for every cylinder bank, and the innovative design of the central sections have resulted in Ferrari’s typical V12 howl, which comprises all noble combustion orders. The perfect integration and calibration of high and low frequencies from the intake and exhaust systems also influence the engine’s timbre. The ducts’ shape and the silencer baffles’ internal fluid dynamics have been designed to reduce backpressure to a minimum, thereby improving power delivery. The geometry of the forms and curves of the exhaust system was also perfected to guarantee the purest notes of the signature Ferrari sound to the limiter. 

The intake tract was modified to guarantee that the soundtrack in the cabin was also perfectly balanced. Altering the position of the resonators also changed the pressure waves, resulting in a richer range, particularly in terms of the middle frequencies. The result is a cleaner, fuller sound in all driving conditions, especially in sportier situations. 

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider sports the 8-speed DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) that received a unanimously rapturous welcome on other cars in the range, starting with the SF90 Stradale. Thanks in part to larger tyres on 21″ rims, this solution delivers 5% shorter gear ratios in the lower gears and a 12% increase in torque at the wheels compared to previous V12 applications, all to the benefit of longitudinal performance under acceleration and gear shifting times (30% faster than the last two-seat V12 applications). 

Performance under acceleration through the gears has been significantly improved, and the introduction of the 8th gear improves range in motorway driving. Thus, the eight-speed DCT both improves efficiency and is more engaging in all gears. 

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