Not dangerous in the sense that the new 12Cilindri Manuale can exceed 340km/h or rev to 9,500rpm. We’ve come to expect that sort of thing from Maranello. Ferrari has done something far more reckless. It has given enthusiasts hope.

For more than a decade, Ferrari maintained that manual gearboxes belonged in the history books. Customers wanted paddle shifters. Performance demanded automation.

Then the 12Cilindri Manuale arrived and quietly threw that argument out of the window. The new Manuale by-wire system, while it isn’t a true manual, exists for one reason alone: emotion. It was built to reconnect the driver with the machine in a way that even the finest dual-clutch gearbox simply cannot.

If Ferrari has already done all the hard work developing the Manuale by-wire system, surely this can’t be the only car destined to receive it, right?, So, this is something like a wishlist: if Ferrari were willing to let the idea spread beyond the 12Cilindri, here are the cars that we feel deserve it most.

Ferrari Purosangue

Let’s begin with the one guaranteed to upset everyone. Before you close this article in disgust, hear me out.

The Purosangue is already the oddball of the Ferrari family. It has four doors, four proper seats and enough ground clearance to survive a speed bump without requiring a structural engineer.

Yet beneath all that practicality sits one of Ferrari’s greatest modern engines, a naturally aspirated V12 that deserves to be enjoyed, not merely operated.

Imagine climbing an Alpine pass, and listening to the V12 climb through the rev range while your left foot and right hand actually have something meaningful to do.

Ferrari Amalfi

This, to me, feels like the obvious candidate.

The Amalfi has already been positioned as Ferrari’s elegant grand tourer, a car designed for crossing continents rather than setting qualifying laps. And what has traditionally made a grand tourer special? Interaction.

Some of the greatest GT cars ever built asked the driver to participate. The journey mattered just as much as the destination. A manual gearbox transforms an ordinary mountain road into an event, even if you’re travelling well below the speed limit.

The Amalfi Manuale wouldn’t need to be the fastest Ferrari in the showroom. It would simply need to be the one you always wanted to take the long way home in.

Ferrari Roma Spider… if it were still around

Perhaps the greatest missed opportunity of recent years wasn’t that Ferrari discontinued manual gearboxes, It was that the Roma never received one. Its understated styling, front-mounted V8 and relaxed grand touring character made it almost tailor-made for three pedals.

Picture it finished in Grigio Silverstone with tan leather, a polished aluminium gear gate and that familiar metallic click every time you slot home another ratio. Bliss.

Sadly, the Roma has already bowed out, replaced by the Amalfi. Still, one can’t help wondering what might have been.

Ferrari F80

Now we’re entering fantasy territory.

There is absolutely no engineering reason for Ferrari to build a manual F80. It would almost certainly make the car slower. The hybrid systems would become vastly more complicated. Engineers would collectively develop migraines… which is precisely why enthusiasts would adore it.

The F40 had a manual. The F50 had a manual. Even the Enzo, despite arriving during Ferrari’s paddle-shift era, still feels like a deeply analogue machine by modern standards.

The F80 represents the next chapter of Ferrari’s technological evolution. A limited “Piloti Manuale” edition. Built to celebrate the art of driving. It would become an instant collector’s item.

Ferrari SP Manuale

Perhaps the smartest place for Ferrari’s Manuale isn’t the regular production range at all. Perhaps it belongs in the Icona and Special Projects programmes.

These cars already exist to celebrate Ferrari’s heritage. They’re produced in tiny numbers, often for clients who value emotion over outright performance. If you’re commissioning a one-off Ferrari inspired by the 250 SWB or the 275 GTB, surely a “manual gearbox” completes the story.

Imagine a modern coachbuilt Ferrari with a naturally aspirated V12, carbon fibre construction, no hybrid assistance and an exposed aluminium gear gate sitting proudly between the seats.

More Than Just Another Gearbox

Perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding the 12Cilindri Manuale isn’t the gearbox itself, but rather what it says about Ferrari.

For years, Maranello appeared to be following the same path as every other performance manufacturer: more technology, more automation, more software. Then, quietly, it decided that perhaps progress wasn’t about removing the driver after all. Some customers don’t necessarily want the fastest gear change. They want the most satisfying one.

Whether the technology ever finds its way into another Ferrari remains to be seen. But if the 12Cilindri Manuale proves anything, it’s that the door has finally reopened.

And once you’ve reminded enthusiasts what three pedals feel like, persuading them to settle for two again may prove rather difficult.

*All photos are credited to Ferrari

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It marks the culmination of more than 75 years of innovation, a journey that began with Colin Chapman’s philosophy of “simplify, then add lightness” and has since evolved into one of the automotive industry’s boldest interpretations of electrified performance.

Singapore has been selected as one of the exclusive stops on the Evija’s Asia Tour, offering invited media, customers and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s rarest hypercars up close. Hosted by Lotus Singapore at the Wearnes Rear Tower Level 8 Lounge, the private preview celebrated not only the arrival of the Evija, but also the remarkable story that brought it into existence.

Limited to just 130 examples worldwide, the Evija remains one of the most exclusive creations ever to emerge from Hethel.

More Than Just A Hypercar

It’s easy to become distracted by the Evija’s headline figures. After all, it is recognised globally as the world’s most powerful production car. Yet reducing the Evija to a collection of impressive performance statistics would almost be doing it a disservice.

The significance of the Evija lies not simply in what it is, but in what it represents for Lotus. For decades, Lotus has built its reputation around lightweight sports cars that prioritised driver engagement above all else. From Formula One success to iconic road-going models, the British marque has consistently challenged conventional thinking within the automotive industry.

The Evija represents the next chapter of that philosophy, demonstrating that electrification and extraordinary performance need not exist independently of one another.

Celebrating 75 Years Of Lotus Engineering

A highlight of the Singapore showcase was The Road to Evija, a specially curated heritage exhibition that traced Lotus’ remarkable journey from its founding in 1948 through decades of motorsport achievements, engineering innovations and iconic road cars.

The exhibition sought to illustrate how each chapter of Lotus’ history ultimately contributed towards the creation of the Evija.

Guests were invited to explore the brand’s design evolution, engineering philosophy and pioneering spirit, qualities that continue to define Lotus today.

From lightweight engineering principles to cutting-edge electrified technologies, The Road to Evija provides valuable context for understanding why the hypercar occupies such an important position within Lotus’ modern portfolio.

A Significant Milestone For Lotus Singapore

For Lotus Singapore, securing the Evija as part of its Asia Tour represents a significant moment for the marque locally.

“Hosting the Lotus Evija in Singapore is a significant milestone for the brand and a rare opportunity for our customers, media and enthusiasts to witness one of the world’s most extraordinary hypercars up close. The Evija represents the ultimate expression of Lotus engineering and innovation. We are delighted that Singapore has been selected as one of the key stops on its Asia tour, allowing us to share this remarkable chapter of the Lotus story with our community.”

Ian Grant, General Manager of Lotus Singapore

Looking Towards The Future

While every Evija has already found its owner, its story is far from over. For enthusiasts, opportunities to witness the world’s rarest hypercars are few and far between. Opportunities to experience a car that represents a turning point in a manufacturer’s history are rarer still.

The Evija was never intended to be a volume-selling model. Instead, it exists as the technological and philosophical pinnacle of what Lotus can achieve, being a showcase of the innovations, design principles and engineering capabilities that will inevitably influence future products.

Its arrival in Singapore serves as a celebration of everything Lotus has achieved over the past 75 years, while simultaneously offering a glimpse into where the British marque is heading next. It is a reminder that Lotus continues to evolve, embracing new technologies without losing sight of the engineering principles that made the company famous in the first place.

And while the Evija itself may be limited to just 130 examples worldwide, its greatest legacy may ultimately lie in the generations of Lotus vehicles it inspires in the years to come.

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For McLaren, that story began in 2017 with the groundbreaking 720S. It evolved into the harder-edged 765LT before maturing into the 750S, each iteration pushing the company’s Super Series platform a little further than anyone thought possible.

So how do you close the book on one of the most celebrated McLaren lineages ever built?

With one final chapter.

Meet the McLaren 788HS, the definitive evolution of the 720S family and only the third car in the company’s history to wear the coveted High Sport (HS) badge.

Limited to just 200 examples worldwide, the 788HS has been created as both a celebration of everything the Super Series achieved and a farewell to a platform that has defined McLaren’s modern era.

The Ultimate Expression Of The Super Series

Power comes from McLaren’s familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, now producing 788PS and 800Nm of torque.

Combined with a remarkably low dry weight of 1,265kg, the result is an impressive 623PS per tonne, the highest power-to-weight ratio ever achieved by any production model based on the 720S platform.

Performance is suitably dramatic. The 788HS dispatches the century sprint in just 2.8 seconds, reaches 200km/h in 7.0 seconds, and continues towards a top speed of 330km/h.

Yet, McLaren insists outright speed was never the primary objective. Instead, the focus was on delivering what it describes as the most visceral and engaging driving experience this platform has ever offered.

More Than Just Additional Power

The 788HS receives the most comprehensive aerodynamic package ever fitted to the Super Series architecture. A redesigned multi-zone front splitter works alongside a new S-Duct bonnet, a raised active rear wing and a Formula 1-inspired rear diffuser to generate 10 per cent more downforce than the already formidable 765LT.

Customers can also specify every exterior panel in exposed visual carbon fibre, further emphasising the lightweight engineering philosophy that has underpinned every McLaren since the original MP4-12C.

Sharper, Louder And More Focused

Underneath the bodywork, the changes continue. The Proactive Chassis Control III hydraulic suspension has been recalibrated specifically for the 788HS, while the front ride height sits 5mm lower than the 750S.

Carbon ceramic brakes derived from the McLaren Senna provide even greater stopping power, complemented by centre-lock forged alloy wheels, the first time this race-inspired setup has appeared on the Super Series platform.

A unique engine mount calibration increases the connection between driver and powertrain, while a revised quad-exit titanium exhaust system allows the twin-turbocharged V8 to deliver an even richer soundtrack across the rev range. Carefully tuned induction and exhaust symposer systems further amplify the experience inside the cabin without compromising long-distance usability.

A Cabin Built Around The Driver

The cockpit retains McLaren’s trademark driver-centric layout, complemented by a lightweight carbon fibre centre console, bespoke HS upholstery, exclusive perforation patterns and a numbered dedication plaque reminding owners that they are driving one of just 200 cars.

As with every example, McLaren Special Operations (MSO) plays a significant role in the ownership experience.

Each 788HS will be individually personalised, ensuring no two cars are identical. For collectors, exclusivity has become just as valuable as outright performance.

A Fitting Farewell

“The new McLaren 788HS has been designed and engineered with a singular focus; to deliver a visceral experience and captivating drive through its precise balance of performance, sound, dynamism and individuality. It represents the ultimate expression of our supercar series that began with the 720S and becomes only the third McLaren to wear our HS designation – a fitting finale for a much loved and critically acclaimed car.”

Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer, Chief Commercial Officer at McLaren Automotive

The 720S arrived nearly a decade ago and immediately reset expectations for what a modern supercar could achieve. The 765LT sharpened its focus, while the 750S refined the formula further.

This then, is McLaren’s final love letter to one of the finest supercar architectures of the modern era, and perhaps the perfect way to close a chapter that enthusiasts will look back on with considerable affection.

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Yet long before any of those cars existed, Bruce McLaren had a rather different ambition. He wanted to build a road car.

Not simply a racing car adapted for public roads, but a machine that would carry the same lightweight engineering, race-bred thinking and uncompromising performance that had already begun defining his motorsport programme. That vision became the M6GT.

Now, more than half a century later, McLaren has brought it back to life.

Making its public debut at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the one-off M6GT: Restored by McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is far more than a beautifully restored classic.

It represents the moment where McLaren’s road car story truly began, a missing chapter that bridges Bruce McLaren’s racing philosophy with every road-going McLaren that followed.

The Car That Started It All

Mention McLaren road cars and most enthusiasts will instinctively think of the legendary F1. Understandably so.

The F1 rewrote the rulebook for supercars in the 1990s, introducing a central driving position, carbon fibre monocoque construction and performance that remained unbeaten for years.

But Bruce McLaren’s dream of building a road car actually began much earlier. The M6GT was conceived in the late 1960s as a road-going interpretation of the dominant M6A Can-Am race car.

It combined lightweight construction with a purposeful aerodynamic silhouette, butterfly doors and a powerful V8, many of the same ingredients that would eventually define McLaren’s modern road cars decades later.

Bruce himself used the prototype as his personal transport, driving it between meetings and race events.

History, however, had other plans. Bruce McLaren’s untimely passing in 1970 meant the project never entered production.

For decades, the M6GT remained one of the great “what ifs” in automotive history.

Rebuilding History

Rather than creating a modern interpretation, McLaren Special Operations approached the project with remarkable restraint.

The objective wasn’t to improve Bruce’s vision. It was to preserve it.

Using original body moulds discovered in the United Kingdom, historic engineering drawings, archive photography and period reference materials, MSO painstakingly reconstructed the M6GT exactly as Bruce intended.

The restoration combines original components with newly engineered one-off parts where necessary, all while remaining faithful to the original design philosophy.

The chassis originates from a period-built M6A race car, while the suspension retains authentic M6GT hardware restored using imperial-era bearings that are no longer commonly available.

Original-style aluminium rivets were installed by craftsmen from the aerospace industry, the gear knob is hand-turned from solid walnut, and the cabin features custom vinyl upholstery finished in period-correct green.

Faithful To Bruce’s Vision

Authenticity extends beyond the car’s appearance.

Power comes from a period-correct small-block V8 fitted with the distinctive “camel hump” cylinder heads specified for the original M6GT, paired with a matching gearbox to recreate the driving experience Bruce McLaren originally envisioned.

The exterior is finished in a bespoke cream-toned shade known as Colnbrook White, named after the factory where Bruce developed many of his earliest ideas for a McLaren road car.

The green interior pays tribute to the white-and-green livery of Bruce’s 1966 Formula One challenger, creating a subtle visual link between McLaren’s racing heritage and its road-going ambitions.

For McLaren, the M6GT represents something much larger than a single historic vehicle.

“The M6GT: Restored by MSO has been a labour of craft and care for the team and served as both a technical education and a living reminder of Bruce’s ambition to take McLaren beyond the racetrack. This car occupies a unique place in our collection – a tribute to the very beginnings of the company and a spiritual education for its future.”

Jon Simms, Director of McLaren Special Operations

Centre Stage At Goodwood

The M6GT will form the centrepiece of McLaren’s presence at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Displayed alongside icons such as the M8A Can-Am racer, Austin 7 Ulster, McLaren F1, Artura, 750S and the latest W1, the exhibition traces the company’s evolution from Bruce McLaren’s earliest racing experiments to today’s cutting-edge supercars.

Visitors will also see the public debut of the MCL-HY, McLaren Racing’s new challenger for the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

More than fifty years later, McLaren has finally completed that unfinished chapter.

Not by reinventing history, but by ensuring one of its most important stories can finally be told, exactly as Bruce McLaren intended.

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There are few car manufacturers whose identity is as closely intertwined with motorsport as Porsche. The company’s first international motorsport success came in 1951, when the lightweight Porsche 356 SL secured a class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Seventy-five years later, that same competitive spirit continues to shape everything from the 911 GT3 RS to the all-electric Taycan Turbo GT. Racing has never simply been something Porsche does. It is part of the company’s DNA.

To celebrate that remarkable journey, the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart has unveiled a new special exhibition titled “Raceborn – 75 Years of Porsche Motorsport”, running until 17 January 2027.

Featuring more than 30 competition cars spanning over seven decades, the exhibition explores how motorsport has continually influenced the evolution of one of the world’s most recognisable sports car manufacturers.

Rather than walking visitors through a simple timeline of racing victories, Raceborn is organised around six central themes: racing classes, diversity, innovation, milestones, people and regulations.

The idea is to show not just what Porsche has achieved on the track, but why those achievements continue to influence the company’s engineering philosophy today.

“Porsche is motorsport. And motorsport has made Porsche what we are today. We are dedicating a special exhibition to this legacy and our mission for the future, showcasing the full spectrum of this special part of our DNA.”

Achim Stejskal, Head of Porsche Heritage and Museum

One of the exhibition’s greatest strengths is the way it avoids treating historic racing cars as static museum pieces. Instead, each car represents a chapter in Porsche’s engineering evolution.

The original 356 SL sits alongside the modern 963 endurance prototype, while the all-electric Formula E 99X Electric and the experimental Cayman GT4 e-Performance demonstrate how motorsport continues to evolve alongside changing technologies.

Rather than presenting these cars as belonging to different eras, Porsche places them in conversation with one another, illustrating how every generation has answered the challenges of its time.

Interestingly, the exhibition does not shy away from one aspect of motorsport that many fans often overlook: the rulebook.

Through interactive displays, visitors can explore concepts such as Balance of Performance, understand why racing regulations evolve and discover how technical restrictions often encourage engineering innovation rather than suppress it.

A dedicated motorsport glossary also helps explain terminology that can sometimes appear intimidating to newcomers, making the exhibition accessible even to those with little prior knowledge of racing.

Porsche has also recognised that tomorrow’s enthusiasts may not yet know the difference between GT3 and GT4.

To address that, the museum has introduced Raceborn Kids, a dedicated programme designed to make motorsport more approachable for younger visitors.

Interactive exhibits, tactile displays, digital experiences and child-friendly explanations encourage children to discover how racing cars work, why weight matters and what it takes for a team to complete a 24-hour endurance race. Rather than simply looking at racing cars behind barriers, young visitors are encouraged to explore the engineering principles that underpin them.

The museum will also host a series of Motorsport Talks throughout the exhibition, covering topics ranging from historic racing cars to Formula E and the restoration of significant competition machinery.

Seventy-five years after a humble 356 SL crossed the finish line at Le Mans, Porsche continues to race for exactly the same reason it always has: to build better sports cars.

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There are faster ways to drive a Ferrari. There are more efficient ways too. But they aren’t as fun as a true manual gearbox.

Modern dual-clutch transmissions can swap ratios in milliseconds, never miss a gear and, if we’re being brutally honest, will almost always make the average driver look like a hero. 

They’re the reason today’s Ferraris accelerate with the sort of violence that would have seemed absurd just twenty years ago.

And yet, ask almost any Ferrari enthusiast to name their dream Prancing Horse, and chances are it won’t be one with paddle shifters. It’ll have three pedals.

With Ferrari recently unveiling the 12Cilindri Manuale, complete with its innovative Manuale by-wire system, the company has done something few thought possible: it has reopened the conversation about manual Ferraris.

Not by turning back the clock, but by reminding us why changing gears yourself has always been about far more than outright speed. Because a manual Ferrari offers an entirely different relationship between driver and machine.

Before Paddle Shifters Changed Everything

It’s easy to forget that, until the late 1990s, every Ferrari was manual.

The polished aluminium gate wasn’t designed as a styling exercise. It existed because that’s how you changed gear. The metallic *click-clack* that enthusiasts now romanticise was simply part of every journey.

Then Formula One innovations took over.

Ferrari began introducing electro-hydraulic paddle-shift gearboxes, first with the F355 F1 in 1997. At the time, it felt revolutionary. Suddenly, gear changes became quicker, more precise and undeniably more exciting.

By the time the dual-clutch transmission arrived with the California in 2008, the manual gearbox was living on borrowed time.

In 2012, Ferrari quietly closed the chapter, with the final manual Ferrari rolling out of Maranello. Or so we thought.

Why Manual Ferraris Became Legends

Interestingly, many of Ferrari’s most valuable classics weren’t designed to become collector’s items. They simply happened to be the last of their kind.

As the industry embraced automation, the traditional gated manual became increasingly rare. Scarcity drove values skywards, but rarity alone doesn’t explain the obsession; the real magic lies elsewhere.

Driving a manual Ferrari demands participation. You don’t simply point the car towards the horizon and bury the throttle. You listen. You anticipate. You balance the clutch, match the revs and choose exactly when to change gear.

Every successful shift feels earned. Miss one? The car lets you know. It is wonderfully, unapologetically human.

Five Ferraris That Defined The Manual Era

Ferrari 250 GTO (1962)

If there is a Mount Rushmore of Ferrari road cars, the 250 GTO undoubtedly belongs on it.

Built for homologation and competition, the GTO combined a glorious 3.0-litre Colombo V12 with a wonderfully mechanical five-speed manual gearbox. There were no electronic safety nets, no adaptive suspension and certainly no driving modes.

Just a steering wheel, three pedals and one of the greatest engines ever created.

Today, the 250 GTO is remembered not only for its racing pedigree but also for representing the purest expression of analogue Ferrari engineering.

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” (1968)

Long before the Testarossa became the poster child of Ferrari’s V12 grand tourers, there was the Daytona.

Its front-mounted 4.4-litre V12 produced 352bhp, enough to make it one of the fastest production cars of its era.

And it wasn’t merely the performance that made the Daytona memorable. It was the way you had to work for it.

The dog-leg five-speed manual gearbox rewarded deliberate, confident shifts. Combined with its long bonnet and sonorous V12, it remains one of the defining Ferrari grand tourers ever built.

Interestingly, the newly unveiled 12Cilindri Manuale even pays tribute to the Daytona through subtle styling references, including pinstripe detailing inspired by the original 365 GTB/4. 

Ferrari F40 (1987)

If any Ferrari embodies the phrase “driver’s car”, it is surely the F40.

Twin-turbocharged.
No power steering.
No ABS.
No traction control.

And, thankfully, no automatic gearbox.

The heavy clutch and uncompromising five-speed manual demanded commitment. At low speeds, it could feel almost agricultural. Once the turbos came alive, however, the entire experience transformed into controlled chaos.

Would it be faster with a modern dual-clutch gearbox? Undoubtedly.
Would it be better? Absolutely not.

Ferrari F50 (1995)

Where the F40 felt like a racing car adapted for the road, the F50 barely bothered with the adaptation.

Its naturally aspirated 4.7-litre V12 was derived directly from Ferrari’s Formula One programme, screaming to over 8,000rpm. Crucially, it was paired exclusively with a six-speed gated manual.

No paddle shifts. No shortcuts. Just one of the greatest powertrains Ferrari has ever assembled.

It may very well kill you, but even today, many collectors regard the F50 as the final truly analogue Ferrari hypercar.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Manual (2006)

This is perhaps the most fascinating Ferrari on the list.

By 2006, almost every buyer wanted the F1 paddle-shift transmission. Manuals had become deeply unfashionable.

Ferrari nevertheless continued offering one. Only around 30 manual-equipped 599 GTBs are believed to have been built worldwide, instantly making them among the rarest modern Ferraris ever produced.

Ironically, the gearbox that buyers once ignored has now become the very reason collectors are willing to pay extraordinary premiums.

Sometimes history has an amusing sense of humour.

The Last Of The Breed

The Ferrari California is often remembered as the company’s first dual-clutch model. What many forget is that it was also briefly available with a manual gearbox.

Hardly anyone bought it. Production numbers are believed to be in the single digits. Shame.

Similarly, the 599, 612 Scaglietti and 575M all offered manuals during a period when customers overwhelmingly preferred paddle shifters.

At the time, Ferrari’s decision to discontinue manual gearboxes felt inevitable. Demand had simply disappeared.

The 12Cilindri Manuale Brings Back Faith

Which brings us back to today.

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale is acknowledging something enthusiasts have understood all along: that driving enjoyment cannot always be measured in tenths of a second.

Ferrari’s new Manuale by-wire system is an intriguing compromise. It retains the speed and precision of the company’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission while recreating the physical interaction of a traditional manual through a gear lever and clutch pedal.

It’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, but technology being used to preserve an experience that many feared had disappeared forever. 

Will purists argue that nothing can replace a truly mechanical gearbox? Almost certainly. They’re probably right. But perhaps they can’t see the forest for the trees.

The real victory isn’t that Ferrari has built another manual. It’s that the company still believes the act of changing gear yourself is worth celebrating.

The fact that they even bothered to go to the extremes to engineer a slush box that is compatible with their DCT system deserves its own credit.

Sometimes, the greatest luxury isn’t having the car do everything for you. It’s being allowed to do it yourself.

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“When will the manual gearbox return?”

For the longest time, the answer has always been the same. Faster lap times, quicker gear changes and modern performance demands meant Ferrari’s dual-clutch transmission had become the natural evolution of the marque.

The manual gearbox, while romantic, was simply no longer the quickest way around a circuit.

But, driving a Ferrari has never been a purely objective exercise. It is meant to involve emotion, effort and occasion.

And that is precisely what the 12Cilindri Manuale wants to bring back. 

With the unveiling of the Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale, Maranello has answered those calls. Not by reviving an old six-speed gearbox, but by reimagining what a manual Ferrari can be in the modern era.

Limited to just 1,499 examples worldwide, the 12Cilindri Manuale pairs Ferrari’s glorious naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 with an entirely new Manuale by-wire system, bringing back the ritual of changing gears while retaining the engineering sophistication of the brand’s acclaimed eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

Bringing Back The Human Element

The 12Cilindri Manuale has not been created to chase faster acceleration figures or Nürburgring lap records. Ferrari already knows how to do that. Instead, this car has been designed to reconnect the driver with the machine.

Its new Manuale by-wire system introduces two familiar elements that many thought had disappeared from Ferrari forever: a gear lever and a clutch pedal.

Together, they recreate the physical involvement of a manual transmission, while the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox underneath continues to handle the complex mechanical work behind the scenes.

The result is a driving experience that feels wonderfully analogue without abandoning the precision expected of a modern Ferrari.

Every movement of the aluminium gear lever has been carefully engineered to deliver the resistance, clicks, and mechanical feedback enthusiasts associate with classic Ferrari manual gearboxes. Even the clinking sound of the lever moving through the iconic open-gate shift pattern has been tuned to reinforce the sensation that something mechanical is happening beneath your hand. 

The clutch pedal has received equal attention. Rather than acting as a simple electronic switch, it has been calibrated to reproduce the progressive weight and travel of a conventional clutch. Get the timing right, and every shift feels smooth and rewarding.

Mistime it, however, and the system responds just as an old-school manual would, with a slight jolt, a hesitant gear engagement or even the possibility of stalling the engine. Where electronics often remove imperfections from the driving experience, Ferrari has deliberately chosen to preserve them.

Built Around A Magnificent V12

If there was ever an engine suited to a manual transmission, Ferrari’s naturally aspirated V12 is surely it.

The familiar 6.5-litre unit continues unchanged, producing 830CV and 678Nm of torque while revving to a breathtaking 9,500rpm. Performance remains every bit as astonishing as the standard 12Cilindri, with 0-100km/h dispatched in just 2.9 seconds before continuing to a top speed of over 340km/h. 

More importantly, the engine’s wonderfully linear power delivery makes it the ideal companion for the new Manuale system.

Unlike turbocharged engines that deliver a sudden surge of torque, Ferrari’s V12 rewards drivers who explore the upper reaches of the rev counter. It is an engine that encourages involvement rather than simply overwhelming the rear tyres with brute force.

Ferrari has also retained the option of automatic driving. When traffic conditions demand a more relaxed approach, the Manuale system can seamlessly hand control back to the dual-clutch transmission, allowing the car to function much like any modern grand tourer. 

Familiar Heritage, Modern Interpretation

Inside the cabin, Ferrari has wisely resisted the temptation to turn the Manuale into a retro exercise.

The centre console, gear selector and iconic metal shift gate draw clear inspiration from the marque’s classic manual Ferraris, yet they have been integrated into the contemporary interior architecture of the 12Cilindri.

The aluminium gear knob displays the traditional six-speed shift pattern, while the sculpted gate once again becomes the focal point of the cabin. It is a tiny detail, but one likely to become the first thing every driver reaches for upon opening the door. 

Beyond the manual controls, the car receives a dedicated Tailor Made specification that distinguishes it from the standard 12Cilindri.

Unique forged wheels, engraved Manuale side badges, a monochrome Ferrari shield, bespoke interior trims and subtle styling references to the legendary Ferrari 365 GTB/4 reinforce its status as a special series rather than merely another variant. 

The production run of 1,499 units is equally symbolic, referencing the 1.5-litre displacement of Ferrari’s very first V12 engine from 1947. 

More Than A Manual Gearbox

The most remarkable aspect of the 12Cilindri Manuale is what it represents. This is not Ferrari abandoning technology in favour of nostalgia. Quite the opposite.

The Manuale by-wire system exists because modern electronics have become sophisticated enough to recreate the physical sensations that drivers once enjoyed through purely mechanical means. Ferrari has effectively used technology to make the driving experience feel less digital.

The Ferrari 12Cilindri Manuale’s objective is to make every journey more involving, every gear change more deliberate, and every drive more memorable.

Present-day performance figures continue to climb, and while software increasingly dictates how cars behave, Ferrari has reminded us that some of the greatest driving pleasures still come from the simple act of changing gears yourself.

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For almost a decade, the Porsche Cayman has become one of customer motorsport’s greatest success stories.

It may never have enjoyed the glamour of the 911, nor the headline-grabbing lap records of Porsche’s GT3 machinery, but on race weekends around the world, the Cayman GT4 Clubsport earned a reputation for being exactly what amateur racers and professional teams needed. It was quick, dependable and, perhaps most importantly, affordable enough to keep racing accessible.

Now, however, Porsche is turning the page.

Why The 911, And Why Now?

GT4 has changed dramatically since Porsche first entered the category in 2016.

Originally conceived as an affordable stepping stone into GT racing, the class has evolved into one of the most competitive forms of customer motorsport anywhere in the world.

Championships such as the GT4 European Series and ADAC GT4 Germany have become breeding grounds for tomorrow’s GT3 professionals, attracting increasingly experienced drivers and well-funded teams.

By introducing a GT4 car based on the 911 platform, the manufacturer is giving customer teams a machine that sits closer to its flagship GT racing programmes, both technically and emotionally.

“With the new racing car based on the Porsche 911 GT3, we are taking our successful GT4 programme to a new level. The combination of iconic 911 DNA and the tried-and-tested GT4 concept creates a unique offering in the market.”

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport

Borrowing From The Big Brother

Unlike previous GT4 models, which shared their roots with the Cayman road car, the new GT4 R borrows heavily from the 911 GT3 Cup.

At its heart sits the same naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six boxer engine, producing up to 520PS and 470Nm of torque before Balance of Performance adjustments are applied.

Power is delivered through a six-speed sequential dog gearbox operated via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, while race-developed electronics further enhance drivability and consistency.

Compared to the outgoing Cayman-based GT4 Clubsport, Porsche says the new car benefits from wider track widths, improved stability and more sophisticated motorsport electronics, all aimed at making it faster, easier to drive and more forgiving over the course of long endurance races.

Designed For The People Who Actually Race

One of the reasons Porsche has enjoyed such success in customer motorsport is that it understands who buys these cars.

Not every customer is a factory-backed professional driver. Many are private teams, gentleman racers or ambitious young drivers working their way through the motorsport ladder. Reliability, ease of maintenance and running costs are often just as important as lap time.

The 911 GT4 R reflects that philosophy, with suspension that offers dual-adjustable dampers together with three spring-rate options, allowing teams to tailor the car to different circuits without excessive complexity.

Unlike the GT3 Cup car, the GT4 R also uses conventional five-stud wheel hubs, making wheel changes and maintenance more familiar for customer teams.

Inside, Porsche has concentrated on giving drivers the tools they need rather than unnecessary distractions.

A new 10.3-inch colour display provides essential race information, while an integrated data logger and GPS system allow teams to analyse every lap in remarkable detail.

Additional ballast options ensure the car can be configured to meet different Balance of Performance requirements across championships worldwide.

Racing Towards Sustainability

Interestingly, Porsche has also used the GT4 R to continue experimenting with sustainable materials.

Natural fibre-reinforced composites feature extensively throughout the bodywork and cockpit, replacing conventional carbon fibre in selected areas.

Components including the doors, engine cover and aerodynamic elements all benefit from the lightweight material, continuing Porsche Motorsport’s efforts to explore more environmentally conscious manufacturing methods without compromising performance.

The End Of The Cayman’s Chapter

Since entering GT4 competition in 2016, Porsche has produced more than 1,500 Cayman-based customer race cars.

Together, they have become one of the most successful platforms in the category, competing in national and international championships across the globe while earning a reputation for reliability, accessibility and outright pace.

The Cayman didn’t just introduce countless drivers to GT racing. For many, it was GT racing. It’s a shame to see it go, but the new Porsche 911 GT4 R should prove helpful to many more budding motorsports enthusiasts around the world.

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Toyota, once the undisputed king of endurance racing, arrived at Circuit de la Sarthe carrying the scars of recent defeats. Ferrari had stolen the spotlight. Cadillac had found genuine pace. BMW had emerged as a serious contender.

The Hypercar era, once expected to be Toyota’s playground, had instead become motorsport’s most brutal heavyweight division.

And yet, after 24 hours of chaos, strategy, survival and sheer stubbornness, Toyota was back where it believes it belongs: standing on the very top step at Le Mans.

The 2026 running of the world’s greatest endurance race was never going to be straightforward. Nothing at Le Mans ever is.

BMW arrived with pole position and genuine confidence. Cadillac looked every bit a winner for large portions of the race. Ferrari, chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory, remained a constant threat lurking in the background.

The margins were microscopic, the pace relentless, and the slightest mistake threatened to turn months of preparation into an expensive sightseeing tour of the French countryside.

Toyota’s No. 7 machine, shared by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries, wasn’t supposed to have an easy route to victory. At various points, it looked as though the race was slipping away. But Le Mans has always rewarded resilience as much as outright speed.

Hour after hour, while rivals stumbled over mechanical gremlins, strategy errors and plain bad luck, the Toyota simply kept turning laps.

Not glamorous laps. Not headline-grabbing laps. Just relentlessly efficient laps that have become Toyota’s trademark over the past decade.

As dawn broke over La Sarthe, the fight intensified, with BMW remaining firmly in contention. Yet when the final hours arrived, and the pressure reached unbearable levels, Toyota did what Toyota does best: it refused to blink.

When Kamui Kobayashi finally crossed the finish line after 24 exhausting hours, the margin to the chasing BMW was just over ten seconds. After an entire day of racing, that’s barely enough time to make a cup of coffee.

This was Toyota’s first Le Mans triumph since 2022, ending a four-year wait that must have felt considerably longer inside the team’s garage.

For a manufacturer accustomed to winning, the recent Ferrari era had been a painful reminder that motorsport has a very short memory. Yesterday’s champion quickly becomes today’s underdog.

The Toyota crew delivered when it mattered. Strategy calls landed perfectly. Reliability held firm. Drivers stayed calm when others cracked.

Adding further weight to the result was the fact that Toyota placed its sister No. 8 car on the podium as well, securing third place. And what a time to do it.

The Hypercar class is now arguably stronger than at any point in modern Le Mans history. Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, Peugeot, Alpine, Aston Martin and now Genesis have all converged on the same battlefield.

Victory no longer comes from simply showing up with a competent prototype. It must be earned against some of the biggest manufacturers in the world.

This win was Toyota standing toe-to-toe with a full field of hungry rivals and emerging victorious. Again.

Le Mans has a habit of choosing its winners. In 2026, after years of near-misses, frustration and watching others celebrate, it chose Toyota once more.

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When it arrived in 2002, purists were horrified. Porsche, a company synonymous with low-slung sports cars, had decided to build a family SUV.

Yet history has a funny way of proving critics wrong. The Cayenne not only became one of Porsche’s best-selling models, but also paved the way for an entire generation of performance SUVs that followed.

More than two decades later, the automotive landscape is changing once again. Electrification is no longer a future concept, but an inevitable reality. And with the arrival of the all-new Cayenne Electric, Porsche is attempting something even more ambitious than it did in 2002.

Can an electric SUV still feel like a Cayenne? At a regional media preview held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, I had the opportunity to find out for myself.

Familiar Formula, New Heart

The new Cayenne Electric follows a similar philosophy to the Macan Electric, but scales everything up significantly.

Two variants were available for evaluation over the weekend. The standard Cayenne Electric serves as the entry point into the range, while the range-topping Cayenne Turbo Electric showcases the full extent of Porsche’s engineering prowess.

Even in standard form, the figures are staggering. With up to 436hp available through Launch Control and 835Nm of torque, the Cayenne Electric is capable of dispatching the century sprint in just 4.8 seconds.

All of this, however, pales in comparison to the Turbo.

Producing an astonishing 1,140hp and 1,500Nm during overboost and capable of reaching 100km/h in just 2.5 seconds, the Cayenne Turbo Electric becomes not only the most powerful Cayenne ever built, but arguably one of the most outrageous SUVs on sale today.

Defying Physics At Sepang

Our first experience with the Cayenne Electric took place on the circuit.

Track driving is perhaps the quickest way to expose any weaknesses in an SUV. Weight becomes obvious. Body roll becomes noticeable. Braking limitations quickly reveal themselves.

The Cayenne Electric is aware of all of that, and promptly shuts up critics with just how versatile it can be.

The first thing that strikes you is the immediacy of the power delivery. There is no waiting, no hesitation and no build-up. Press the fun pedal and the Cayenne simply launches itself down the straight with a violence that feels entirely at odds with its size.

What impressed me more, however, was how composed it remained through the corners.

The Turbo variant I drove was equipped with Porsche Active Ride, a sophisticated suspension system that actively manages body movements in real time. The result is genuinely remarkable. Instead of leaning heavily into corners like a conventional SUV, the Cayenne remains almost eerily level.

The technology works so effectively that you almost forget how much mass you are carrying. Turn-in is sharp, body control is exceptional, and the confidence it inspires allows you to carry significantly more speed than logic suggests is possible.

It is one of those rare moments behind the wheel where your brain tells you an SUV should not be capable of this, yet the vehicle continues to prove otherwise.

More Than Just Straight-Line Speed

Electric vehicles often impress with acceleration, but keeping drivers engaged once the novelty wears off is considerably harder.

Porsche understands this better than most manufacturers, and it has applied the same magic as its other road cars.

The steering remains precise and communicative, while the chassis feels engineered around driver involvement rather than merely outright performance figures. There is a cohesiveness to the way the Cayenne behaves that many high-performance EVs still struggle to replicate.

Even under repeated hard acceleration and braking on track, the vehicle never felt overwhelmed. It instead encouraged drivers to push harder, explore further, and trust the engineering beneath them.

That confidence has always been a hallmark of Porsche products. The Cayenne Electric simply delivers it in a different way.

Getting Dirty

Of course, a Cayenne is expected to do more than lap racing circuits. It is still an SUV after all, and it should be able to get down and dirty when it wants to.

To demonstrate this, Porsche prepared a dedicated off-road course that included steep inclines, side slopes, articulation obstacles and loose terrain. This is where the Cayenne Electric surprised me most.

The instant torque provided by the electric motors allows for incredibly precise control when climbing technical sections. Rather than relying on momentum, the vehicle simply meters out power exactly when required.

On slippery surfaces, traction feels almost effortless. The electronic systems work seamlessly in the background, continuously distributing power to where it is needed most without drawing attention to themselves.

What impressed me was how little drama accompanied the experience. Obstacles that might have appeared intimidating from outside the vehicle were dispatched with serenity from behind the wheel.

It was a reminder that despite its sleek styling, digital displays and premium cabin, the Cayenne has not forgotten its roots. It remains a Porsche SUV capable of venturing well beyond smooth tarmac.

Technology Showcase

Beyond performance, the Cayenne Electric serves as a showcase for Porsche’s latest technology.

Built around an advanced 800-volt electrical architecture, the SUV supports charging speeds of up to 400kW, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 16 minutes under ideal conditions. Porsche has also introduced an innovative wireless charging system capable of delivering up to 11kW, eliminating the need for cables during everyday charging.

Range is equally impressive, with Porsche claiming up to 542km (WLTP) in the standard variant, and 684km (WLTP) on the Turbo.

Inside, the Cayenne Electric adopts Porsche’s latest digital ecosystem, blending high-resolution displays with the driver-focused ergonomics the brand is known for. While the technology is undeniably advanced, it never feels overwhelming.

Like the rest of the vehicle, it exists to enhance the driving experience rather than distract from it.

The King Goes Electric

The original Cayenne succeeded because it challenged convention. The Cayenne Electric does exactly the same thing.

Many enthusiasts still believe performance SUVs and electrification are incompatible concepts. Yet after a day spent both on track and off-road at Sepang, it is difficult not to be impressed by what Porsche has achieved.

The Cayenne Electric is brutally fast, astonishingly capable and packed with technology that genuinely improves the ownership experience. More importantly, it still feels like a Porsche.

Twenty-four years after the original Cayenne rewrote the SUV rulebook, its electric successor appears ready to do the same all over again.

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