11/01/2026

Contributing Editor Keshy Dhillon / keshy@piston.my Editorial

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SUNDAY | JAN 11, 2026

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Drop-top gorgeous Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider an ode to Prancing Horse enthusiasts

attention not just visually, but spatially. This is a Ferrari that feels every millime tre of its dimensions – something that becomes increasingly relevant the moment you leave wide highways for city streets. INTERIOR: DUAL-COCKPIT PRECI SION MEETS GT COMFORT Step inside and the cabin reveals Ferrari’s latest interpretation of a driver centric interior. The layout follows a dual-cockpit theme, with separate digital displays for driver and passenger, reinforcing the sense that both occupants are participants rather than observers. Material quality is exemplary. Leather, carbon fibre, and aluminium are used with restraint, and the overall design avoids unnecessary ornamentation. The driving position is low, purposeful, and surprisingly “big people” friendly

with excellent forward visibility, though in a left-hand-drive car on Malaysian roads, situational awareness still requires height ened attention. Importantly, the interior feels more grand tourer than track junkie. The seats are supportive without being punishing, and road noise, even with the roof down, is impressively controlled for a car of this performance level. THE ENGINE: FRONT-MID V12, NATURALLY ASPIRATED, UNAPOLOGETIC At the heart of the 12Cilindri Spider is Ferrari’s 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, mounted in a front-mid-engine configura tion. The engine sits ahead of the cabin but behind the front axle, paired with a rear mounted transaxle to achieve near-ideal weight distribution.

ately communicates its purpose through proportion alone. The long bonnet, com pact cabin, and broad rear haunches are unmistakable cues of a front-mid-engined V12 Ferrari, echoing icons such as the 365 GTB/4 Daytona while interpreting them through a thoroughly modern lens. Ferrari’s design language here is delib erately clean. Surfaces are taut and con trolled rather than flamboyant, with aero solutions integrated subtly rather than shouted. The retractable hardtop, a metal folding unit, disappears seamlessly beneath the rear deck in approximately 14 seconds, preserving the car’s silhouette whether open or closed. In Kuala Lumpur traffic, the Spider’s width and length are immediately appar ent. It is a physically imposing car, and its presence com mands

BY TIMOTHY PRAKASH

THERE are cars that impress with number s, and then there are cars that leave an imprint on your senses long after the engine is switched off. The Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider is the latter. My time driving Ferrari’s latest open-top V12 flagship around Kuala Lumpur was an experience defined by contrast, between refinement and aggression, tradition and modernity, and between the car’s grand touring intent and the realities of navigating one of Southeast Asia’s busiest cities. This is not merely another convertible Ferrari. It is a statement of philosophy at a time when naturally aspirated engines are becoming an endangered species. DESIGN: A MODERN CAR WITH OLD-SOUL PROPORTIONS The 12Cilindri Spider immedi