Ferrari’s signature naturally aspirated V-12 engine isn’t going anywhere—for now

Ferrari has zero interest in following along with whatever the rest of the automotive industry is doing.

Not only is the Italian sports car maker committed to its trademark V-12, it also plans to keep it naturally aspirated for as long as it can. According to . Because of this, the company’s engineers have focused on doing everything possible to keep the mill fully compliant without relying on forced induction.

Ferrari’s latest flagship model, the 12Cilindri, garnered its fair share of oohs and aahs when it was unveiled ahead of the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. One of the front-engined beast’s biggest selling points is the naturally aspirated V-12 sitting in its engine bay. The 6.5-liter mill is an evolution of the 12-cylinder found in the 812 Superfast and pumps out a hair-raising 819 horses and 550 foot-pounds of torque, allowing the car to easily top 200 mph. Just as fast is the fact that it will have no trouble meeting the upcoming Euro6e regulations.

Ferrari invested a lot of money to ensure that its biggest mill would meet Europe’s new (and tougher) emissions standards. It could have saved money, and countless headaches, by reducing displacement and adding turbochargers, but according to Gianmaria Fulgenzi, head of product development (“turbocharging is not on my mind,” he said). It was never serious for the automaker. That’s because drivers expect Ferrari V-12s to be naturally aspirated, just as it was in the 125 S in 1947 and in every flagship in the decades since.

“The V-12 is natural,” the engineer told the magazine. “It’s something that creates emotion, sound and acceleration from low rpm to high rpm. That’s the product we wanted to deliver.”

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari is the only one of its contemporaries to still have a naturally aspirated, non-hybridized 12-cylinder engine in series production. Aston Martin and Pagani’s V-12s use turbochargers, while the engine in the Lamborghini Revuelto is part of a hybrid system. Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 and T.33 Supercars both have naturally aspirated V-12s, but both models will get only limited production runs.

So, as is usually the case, it’s a Ferrari and no one else.