Ferrari's Manuale by Wire
Ferrari answers purist demand with 12Cilindri Manuale, offering simulated stick shift experience.
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Key Points
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Ferrari’s six-speed Manuale shifts mechanism uses a machined steel fulcrum and a specially engineered lever cradle, operated by a single spring with two roller bearings to control fore-aft and lateral movement. Ferrari describes this arrangement as aiming to reproduce the tactile feel of the last true manual, the 599 GTB Fiorano, even though it is not a traditional mechanical linkage.
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The six gears are created by taking the SF90 Stradale’s eight-speed DCT and removing the top two gears, effectively chopping the transmission down to six. The system remains automatic in normal operation but is controlled by a dedicated Manuale by Wire setup with a gated shifter and a clutch pedal, and there are no paddles behind the wheel.
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Ferrari quotes the 12Cilindri Manuale as delivering 819 horsepower from its V-12 and confirms a limited run of 1,499 units, with prices starting around $675,000.
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Some reviewers frame the car as a diversion from Ferrari’s Luce reveal and characterize the Manuale as a sophisticated simulation rather than a fully mechanical manual, emphasizing the artificial nature of the shift due to the ‘Manuale by Wire’ architecture.
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Enrico Galliera publicly highlighted that a manual gearbox has been the number-one request from Ferrari’s customers in recent years, a factor cited to underpin the program’s development and customer appeal.
Ferrari has revealed the 12Cilindri Manuale, a limited-run V-12 grand tourer that puts a clutch pedal and gated shifter back in the cabin for the first time since the 599 GTB Fiorano. Only 1,499 units will be built, with prices starting around $675,000 in the U.S. and €590,000 in Europe, with deliveries set to begin in 2026. Yahoo Autos reported the car is designed to appeal to fans of hands-on, petrol-powered driving.
But this is not your grandfather's stick shift. Ferrari calls the system "Manuale by Wire" — the clutch pedal and gear lever send electronic signals to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox rather than connecting to it mechanically. The car is still classified as an automatic under homologation rules. Ferrari cut the transmission down to six gears by removing the top two ratios from the SF90 Stradale's eight-speed unit.
How Manuale by Wire Actually Works
The gated shifter uses a machined steel fulcrum and a specially engineered lever cradle. A single spring and two roller bearings control the lever's movement — fore-aft and side to side. Ferrari says this setup is designed to recreate the tactile feel of the 599 GTB Fiorano's true mechanical manual, even though no physical linkage connects the lever to the gearbox. There are no paddles behind the steering wheel.
When the driver presses the clutch and moves the lever, the system reads those inputs and tells the gearbox what to do. The car can also run in fully automatic mode if the driver wants. Blaze Trends noted that the system even allows the driver to stall the engine — a small but telling detail that shows how far Ferrari went to make the experience feel real.
819 Horsepower and a V-12 Built for Purists
The 12Cilindri Manuale delivers 819 horsepower from its naturally aspirated V-12 engine. That figure puts it firmly in supercar territory. Ferrari positioned the car as a grand tourer for drivers who want performance and emotion together. The six-speed gated shifter is paired to that engine to give the driver a more direct, involved experience than a typical automatic allows.
Ferrari's chief marketing officer Enrico Galliera said a manual gearbox has been the number-one request from Ferrari customers in recent years. That demand drove two full years of development. The result is a car that offers manual-style feel without asking drivers to give up modern electronic safety and performance systems. Yahoo Autos described the car as aimed squarely at traditionalists.
Clever Compromise or Simulated Nostalgia?
Some reviewers are pushing back on the "manual" label. Because no mechanical linkage connects the lever to the gearbox, critics call it a sophisticated simulation rather than a true return to a conventional stick shift. The homologation paperwork even lists the car as an automatic. Blaze Trends framed the Manuale as a diversion from Ferrari's broader electric-vehicle news rather than a fundamental shift in direction.
Ferrari's response is straightforward: the emotion is real, even if the linkage is not. The clink of the gated shifter, the clutch feel underfoot, and the H-pattern layout are all engineered to deliver a sense of involvement that modern dual-clutch gearboxes remove. Whether purists accept that argument will likely depend on how the car feels when they drive it in 2026.
Ultra-Exclusive Pricing Signals a Collector's Play
The 1,499-unit cap is not accidental. Ferrari uses scarcity to protect brand prestige and collector value. At roughly $675,000 in the U.S. and £508,000 in the UK, the 12Cilindri Manuale sits well above the standard 12Cilindri's price point. That premium buys the gated shifter, the clutch pedal, and a build number on a highly limited production run. Yahoo Autos reported European pricing at around €590,000.
Ferrari's timing is deliberate. The brand is navigating a broader industry shift toward electrification while protecting its reputation for emotional, driver-focused cars. A hand-built, V-12 manual — even a by-wire one — sends a clear message: Ferrari is not ready to let that heritage go. For collectors, 1,499 copies of a $675,000 car is a very short list.
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