The "12Cilindri" (Dodici Cilindri), featuring the traditional V12 engine in a front-midship configuration. The international test drive of this latest grand tourer, bearing a name that means 12 cylinders in Italian, was held in Luxembourg. Amidst tightening environmental regulations and the wave of electrification, what is the true value of this model that carries forward the V12 lineage, the very identity of Ferrari?

In 1947, Enzo Ferrari launched the "125S," equipped with a 1.5-liter V12 engine, as the first model bearing his own name. Since then, the lineage of legendary cars with front-mounted V12 engines has been continuously passed down. True to the founder's words, "The engine is the heart and soul of Ferrari," the V12 engine has reigned as Ferrari's very identity.

The 1960s, in particular, can be called the golden age of Ferrari V12 grand tourers. From the "250 GTO," which combined overwhelming speed in racing with elegance on the street, to the "275 GTB," adorned with sculptural beauty like a work of art, and the "365 GTB4 Daytona," which pioneered its era with advanced styling, legendary cars symbolizing each era embodied the charm of the V12 to the fullest.

The "12Cilindri," which had its world premiere in Miami, USA, in May 2023, is the latest model to inherit this lineage. In recent years, the survival of naturally aspirated V12 engines has been in question due to tightening environmental regulations and the trend towards electrification. Ferrari itself is accelerating its response to electrification, adding hybrid models with V8 and V6 turbo engines to its lineup. In such times, the decision to deliberately adopt a name meaning "12 cylinders" conveys a strong determination to carry the V12 engine, Ferrari's DNA, into the future.

About an hour north of Findel Airport, Luxembourg's gateway to the sky, stands a hotel renovated from an old castle, nestled within a nature park. This is the base for the 12Cilindri's international test drive. On a deepening autumn morning, I encounter the 12Cilindri, painted in "Monte Carlo Yellow," in its backyard. Amidst the silence of the ground and trees still wet from the night's rain, and a sky covered by thick clouds, the deep yellow body stands out.

This model, the successor to the 812 Superfast launched in 2017, boasts dimensions of 4733mm in length, 2176mm in width, and 1292mm in height. Notably, the wheelbase has been shortened by 20mm from its predecessor to 2700mm to enhance agility. This optimization aims to achieve sharper handling characteristics.