Hardcore Ferrari 12 Cilindri special spied testing: is this the return of GTO?

The Ferrari 12 Cilindri has has already gotten more attention than usual courtesy of the three-pedal Manuale, but Maranello is taking the V12 super GT to another level with the most focused variant yet. Seen here testing in Italy, this new model is quite literally under wraps for now, but we expect to see it revealed in full at some stage in 2027. Until then, here’s what we know.

Surfacing just over two years since the initial introduction of the 12 Cilindri, it is a replacement for the 812 Superfast, a sighting of this test mule suggests we’re not far from seeing Maranello’s super GT get its biggest upgrade yet. Exactly which nameplate it will wear is unknown, but we do know that it will follow in the footsteps of the F12 TDF and 812 Competizione with more focus on the chassis and the powertrain.

It’s not like the 12 Cilindri needed much more performance as it is, with the standard car borrowing know-how from the hardcore 812 Competizione to give it the exact same 819bhp power output. The latest iteration of Ferrari’s ubiquitous F140 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 is what lies behind it all, and while it seems as if more output shouldn’t be possible in this new variant, Ferrari’s managed it each and every time until now…

Tweaks to design, aerodynamics and chassis setup are all to be expected and while we’ll have to wait until its reveal to see how it’s approached the latter, we can already see a few external changes in these images. At the front, there's the Daytona-esque headlight design which will no doubt lead into the same full-width black bar as the standard car, but significant canards either side of the lower intake suggest a significant increase in focus.

There are more changes at the rear, with the exhaust tips now disguised, likely suggesting a change from the current trapezoidal design. Most notable of all, though, is the introduction of a huge, angular ducktail spoiler for improved downforce – previous prototypes have also featured active aero elements at the rear, which could be used in conjunction with this element for varying levels of downforce depending on the configuration and scenario.

One of the biggest questions of all is what badge Ferrari will give this car. Given the marque has cycled back to previous nameplates with the use of ‘Speciale’ in the 296, perhaps we’re about to see GTO make a return for the first time since the 599 GTO of 2010. Time will tell…