Ferrari Has No Intent To Turbocharge Its Signature V12 Yet

Ferrari's signature 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 as primed in the Purosangue.

Ferrari has revealed the 12Cilindri as its new GT flagship, featuring an evolved version of the 6.5-litre V12 screamer derived from the 812 Superfast model that came before it.

Said mill’'s compliance with Euro6e emissions legislation was a significant and costly part of the development process, but this allowed the fabled prancing horse marque to continue offering it worldwide.

The work on the engine to remain performant and compliant with regulations is stunning, making it one of the few manufacturers that continue investing in the V12 engine format. 

Recently revealed, the Ferrari 12Cilindri sees its V12 heart remain free of turbochargers, and Ferrari intends to keep this setup for as long as possible.

Furthermore, Ferrari product development boss Gianmaria Fulgenzi recent stated to Autocar UK in a recent interview that a turbocharged V12 is “not in his mind.” He argues that the V12 is a naturally aspirated engine that creates emotion, sound, and acceleration from low RPM to maximum RPM. 

“The V12 is a naturally aspirated engine for many reasons. We use turbochargers when we reduce the displacement of the engine. Of course, we need the same power,” explained Fulgenzi further on his argument. 

Rivals Aston Martin now sees its flagship GT, the DB12, harness a blown V8. Over at Lamborghini, its atmo V12 has been transformed into a hybrid setup.

This then leaves Ferrari as the only one left with an atmo V12 still in series production, and it looks set to stay that way for a while longer...

Evidently, Ferrari now stands as the only carmaker with a naturally aspirated, un-electrified V12 in series production. In contrast, rivalling Aston Martin's equivalent has since lost a few cylinders and adopted a pair of turbos, whilst Lamborghini kept its atmo V12, but it’s now electrified.

Gordon Murray's new T50 hypercar, on the other hand, does use a Cosworth-built atmo V12, but is limited to just 100 units worldwide.

Ferrari has not given any clues about future V12 models beyond the 12Cilindri, but it is possible the upgraded engine will be introduced in the closely related Purosangue in due course. KR