Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider – Tailored for the Select Few

COOLING LAYOUT 

The heat dissipation requirements of the engine and ancillaries demanded a redesign of the car’s entire cooling system, which optimised front underbody evacuation with at least seven openings in the front bumper. In particular, the space between the longitudinal elements of the chassis houses the engine coolant radiator and air-con circuit condenser, which are fed by the central opening. In contrast, the oil radiator has been split into two separate elements, lying ahead of the front wheels. The side air intakes are divided into two parts: the outer part is designed to cool the engine oil radiator, while the inner cools the brakes. 

A generous brake cooling duct is fed by two openings, one between the radiator intakes and the other on the lower part of the front splitter. The entire system is integral to the oil radiator intake to optimise the routing of the front brake intakes. The side intakes are framed by an L-shaped element designed to maximise the air entering the opening while correctly channelling the flow along the car’s flanks. 

The air in the engine bay exits through two vents on the bonnet, reducing overpressure and improving cooling efficiency. Thanks to the latter, fewer openings on the underbody exist, thereby maximising efficient downforce generation. On the wing behind the front wheels, there is also a vent for the air from the wheel arch, which minimises overpressure on the underbody caused by the cooling duct for the brakes and front diffusers. 

VEHICLE DYNAMICS 

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider boasts state-of-the-art front-engined Berlinetta dynamic controls. The introduction of brake-by-wire allowed the latest innovations from the range to be adopted, including ABS Evo, which debuted on the 296 GTB, and the 6D sensor that guarantees optimal precision to the Virtual Short Wheelbase (PCV) 3.0 and Side Slip Control (SSC) 8.0 systems, together with reduced braking distances and a more accurate repeatability of braking. The Aspirated Torque Shaping, an entirely new control logic, also further emphasises the smoothly linear power delivery from the legendary naturally-aspirated engine, thanks to electronic control. 

The SSC 8.0, a new evolution of the famous Ferrari control unit, allows the systems to talk to each other using a shared language that calculates the optimal operating mode for each one to maximise the car’s overall performance. The SSC 8.0 integrates the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider’s controllers and creates natural synergy with the new ABS Evo. 

The SSC 8.0 is Ferrari’s proprietary system and has been optimised to improve estimation accuracy and learning speed further (+10% compared to previous applications) and control on shallow grip surfaces. The contribution of the grip recognition logic flanks grip estimation. Using the information from the EPS CPU and the side-slip angle estimated by the SSC 8.0, the Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider can estimate the tyre-road grip level even when steering. Thanks to this approach, the grip can also be estimated in normal use conditions and not just on the limit, making it faster for the system to learn real grip levels. 

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider features the four-wheel independent steering (4WS) that debuted on the particular series 812 Competizione, which manages the movement of every wheel independently to improve yaw management in cornering and responsiveness during rapid direction changes. The rear-wheel steering has innovative mechanical characteristics that significantly improve the precision of control of the position of each single actuator, giving faster axle response time and consequently improved responsiveness through corners. Optimum handling is also ensured thanks to a near-ideal weight distribution—47.8% front and 52.2% rear—and the car’s responsiveness also benefits from the 20-mm reduction in the wheelbase compared to the 812 GTS. 

TYRES 

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider can be fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport S5 or Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres, both of which were developed in a new size for the Maranello company: 275/35ZR21 at the front and 315/35ZR21 at the rear. Development benefited from physical and virtual sessions, carried out through simulator testing to reduce the number of physical prototypes and development times and cycles. 

Performance has been optimised thanks to adopting the latest technologies regarding compounds, tread design concepts, and casing characteristics. Extensive testing has led to improved performance, dry grip levels and balance, stability on the limit and in the wet, and comfort and noise characteristics both internally and externally. This includes a 10% reduction in rolling resistance compared to the previous Ferrari front-engined V12 Berlinetta applications. 

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