9 Ferrari V12s You Would Die For

3 October 2016 Redazione News, Supercars Lounge

Words by Christian Parodi

If the new turbo V8s are phenomenal in terms of performance, fuel economy, emissions and flexibility, the melody of a V12 Made in Maranello is the soundtrack that you would like to hear every single day of your life. A sincere and deep cry that increases in intensity as the tachometer approaches its red line – tighten a steering wheel with the Prancing Horse and have a twelve-cylinder pumping music into your ears is an experience that you can only live just like the Drake himself always said, the immortal Commendatore Enzo Ferrari. These 9 cars are only some of the best musical instruments that Maranello has created before the end of the 70s, where the mechanical intimacy and driving purity host and mark a deep furrow between amateur drivers and real men, those who with that typical Italian style complemented the classic stereotype of the perfect “Ferrarista”, kissed by the sun and by life. A V12 is priceless and we are sure that despite the impressive steps in engineering and the constant improvement in performance, a veritable supercar will always have a soul fed by a V12, ready to beat fast and give moments that will be carved in the heart of each of its lucky owner. These are treasures to be preserved, but also objects to be enjoyed, allowing them to shout loud, gunning ‘em right before entering into a series of corners, where the relationship between the chassis, suspension, brakes and gearbox, will do the rest and will bestow automobile’s Nirvana.

FERRARI 166 INTER FARINA BERLINETTA (1948)

This is the first Ferrari to showcase a 2-liter V12. It was a great success that helped fueling the prestige of the brand, especially for its important sales in America, and of course several versions finished by famous names such as Pininfarina, Bertone and Touring were produced. Its lines are immortal, like those of a beautiful fastback coupe, while up front, the all-aluminum engine transmitted its 90hp to the rear axle through a 5-speed manual transmission. It weighed less than a ton and had a proper passion for racing.

FERRARI 250 CALIFORNIA (1957)

Iconic as the Colosseum, but definitely faster! The 250 California was the deserved result of the incredible successes in motorsport, which led to further strengthen the brand in the States. Beautiful like California and being the ultimate car for a drive along the Pacific coast with the wind in your hair, it has become one of the best symbol for Ferrari. The design is the work of master Scaglietti and looks like an elegant GT, then available with long wheelbase (LWB) and short wheelbase (SWB). Being able to drive without a roof over the head it did nothing but increase the pleasure of driving, listening to the melody coming from the 2953 liter V12 and its 240hp located in front of the driver and his passenger. Needless to say that the current quotes are worthy of a real work of art.

FERRARI 250 TESTA ROSSA (1957)

The Testa Rossa is not only a symbol of elegance and style, but of sportiness. In fact, the ’57 250 TR was born for the need to offer a more powerful engine to the team that were racing with the 500 TRC, while remaining in line with the FIA rules that limited the size of the engine to 3 liters. The TR 250 offered 300 horses and was able to reach a maximum speed of 270 per hour. Invariably it won the manufacturer’s title the very following year.

FERRARI 400 SUPERAMERICA (1960)

This model was Ferrari’s answer to the demands of its most demanding customers. An exceptional response, both in terms of design and mechanics. It was produced in two series between 1960 and 1964, with also different convertible variants, all designed by the pencil of Pininfarina. The V12 rises to 4liter and 340hp, with a 4-speed gearbox with overdrive, stiffer suspension and an improved chassis, all in favor of a performance boost, without any sacrifice for on board’s comfort.

FERRARI 250 GTO (1962)

If cars were books, the 250 GTO would be the Bible. Cult model for any fan of the four wheels, the 250 GTO is the pinnacle of Maranello’s motorsport success embodied in the elegant and sophisticated dress designed by Giotto Bizzarrini‘s team. A powerful 300hp V12 under the muscular bonnet, driving seats almost on the rear axle and a hatchback that embraces the driver with a single movement. The transmission is a new 5-speed usable by an open-gate g’box, undisputed trademark that bluntly connected the racing spirit of this GT for the road to the models that on Sunday tore the competition on track. One of the cars that has deeply left an indelible mark in the world of motorsport and for road cars too, only 36 were produced and we would give a kidney to drive one!

FERRARI 250 LM (1963)

The history of the 250 LM is more troubled than you might think, because after its presentation at the 1963 Paris Motor Show, as a berlinetta version of the 250 P prototype, FIA refused to homologate it as a GT, thus forcing Ferrari to place it right in the prototypes’ championship, drastically reducing its chances of success. The V12 differed little from that of the model from which it took origin, with a 3285cc which was capable of delivering 320hp and push it up to almost 290 kph.

FERRARI 275 GTB4 (1966)

At the 1966 Paris Motor Show, the GTB4 showcased itself as the very first Ferrari with a V12 with 4 overhead camshafts, close relative of the engine that powered the P2 prototype. The lines of this 275 are more generous than before, so its overall dimensions make it an exceptional grand tourer. No special versions targeted for use in racing were in program this time, but various clients and fans did not kept it away from the curbs or from other kind of races, even getting a fair number of successes. This revolutionary V12 developed a maximum output of 300hp out of its 3285cc and offered performance worthy of its blazon.

FERRARI 365 GTB4 (1968)

Here is the Daytona, one of the milestones in the wide Ferrari almanac. Heir to the 275 GTB4 and with avant-garde solutions for what concerned its pure sports car performance, and for its design, once again courtesy of Pininfarina. Under the guise of a modern two-seater with a long pointed nose and a tail so different than any model of contemporary production, a roaring 4.4 V12 outputs 352hp, which combined with a precise 5-speed gearbox, was and still is perfectly able to offer the lucky driver a priceless driving experience. The roar of the V12 gets stronger with the spider version and with top down, but the silhouette of the coupe is a myth that does not fear any comparison, not even the passing of time.

FERRARI 512 BB (1976)

5-liter, 12-cylinder, Berlinetta Boxer – here is revealed the mystery of the intricate name of the car unveiled by Ferrari at the 1976 Paris Motor Show. The new engine with horizontally opposed cylinders, was immediately recognized as a good choice, since it was able to deliver the same power but at a lower revs, and then counting on a higher torque and on a more precise and linear delivery. Pininfarina took charge of the design once again, where we can’t but mentioning the various intakes, functional to cool mechanical parts and especially useful to breathe the engine at the back. The classic styles of the ’80s were coming, but the 512 BB line has magically managed to carve out a place among the best cars from Maranello, identifying the best and purest supercar image. The interior is spare and minimalist, all focused on what really matters, the need to squeeze the 360hp available.