CEO Interviews

The interview: Dr. Jan Hendrik Voss, president of Ferrari Australasia, on the making of the Ferrari 12Cilindri

The Ferrari 12Cilindri might well be the final frontier of the front-engined V12. Introduced earlier this year during the Marque’s 77th anniversary, the Grand Tourer should be a fitting successor to the 812 or F12. It mostly enjoys a more futuristic character, albeit keeping retro motifs borrowed from the legendary GTs of the ’50s and ’60s. It can be described, after all, as a homage to the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona.

Ferrari Australasia President Dr. Jan Hendrik Voss talks us through the 12Cilindri’s release in Australia. Here, he shares valuable insights into the new-age GT’s revamped design language, technical highlights, similarities to and departures from past Ferrari icons and its timeless expression.

Boulevard: The Ferrari 12Cilindri has a new, more modern design. What can you say about the renewed styling cues? What were your points of emphasis in terms of its shape and form? How do you see its look evolving from this point on?

Dr. Jan Hendrik Voss: Yes, it’s a completely new styling code for us. The emphasis was a futuristic design that gives energy to the car even when standing still. The outside design is characterised by those distinctive black areas, as you can see, which build upon science-fiction influences.

When the design team starts a new project they collect sources of inspiration, and for this car there were many objects from the space age. The idea was to give the feeling of a very modern object that exudes sportiness and elegance. We are of course always very respectful of the heritage of Ferrari, but the idea was to give a very fresh and modern identity to the car.

Blvd: Much of the 12Cilindri’s interior character borrows from the Purosangue SUV. How would you describe the functionality, style and features inside?

Voss: The interior of the 12Cilindri is technological, luxurious and practical at the same time. It’s a new design incorporating the dual cockpit concept seen in the Purosangue, which wraps around the driver and passenger yet creates a spacious and welcoming atmosphere. The new central display is very practical and improves the user experience, at the same time being perfectly integrated and understated in the dashboard design.

Blvd: Interestingly, the chassis is made of aluminium, comparable to the 812, but with differences in its design. Can you tell us more about Ferrari’s new casting, as well as the reconfiguration for the 12Cilindri?

Voss: It’s a new platform in terms of technical components, with recycled aluminium used in the construction of the new chassis.

It was conceived to elevate performance levels and at the same time offer higher levels of comfort and spaciousness. The wheelbase is 20mm shorter compared to the 812 Superfast, and coupled with independent steering of the rear wheels it delivers incredible agility at low to medium speeds and better stability at high speeds.

Blvd: Can you tell us more about its performance? As emissions regulations become stricter, how did you manage to create a vehicle that honoured its proud lineage? Is this the last front-engined V12 Ferrari ever?

Voss: In terms of acceleration, the new car reaches 100km/h from standstill in 2.9 seconds, and 0 to 200 in less than 7.9. The maximum speed is over 340 km/h. There was significant work carried out in order to make this engine compliant with the next regulations from 2026. It is already compliant with Euro 6e, so it is possible to keep selling the car all over the world for the time being. Then we will see what will happen in the future.

I think it’s worth remembering the clear commitment communicated by Ferrari about our investment in different technology – combustion engine, turbo technology, hybrid components and fully electric – because we want to remain flexible and adapt to client requests and worldwide regulation. This particular car pays tribute to the V12. The work that has been done on this engine to remain performant and compliant with the regulations is absolutely stunning.

Blvd: Where does the 12Cilindri stand against such a remarkable portfolio?

Voss: The V12 engine represents the purest expression of Ferrari DNA. It is one of the most precious parts of Ferrari’s heritage, passed down from 1947 to the present day thanks to constant innovation.

If you go back ten years ago, our V12 berlinetta was the top of the product range in terms of vehicle performance. Then, when we introduced the plug-in hybrid range car, namely the SF90 Stradale, this changed. Even though the nature of the V12 cars has not changed, certainly a change happened with the positioning in our product range.

With the 12Cilindri, we are not looking for the most extreme performance. We have made some small compromises with certain components that may add some kilos, but ten add a lot more in terms of comfort. So the positioning of the car in our product range is the perfect combination of performance and comfort. It is the top of the range in those terms.

For more information, contact a local Ferrari dealer or visit Ferrari.

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