GRAND TOUR

THERE'S NO QUICKER WAY TO FULFILL ITALIAN DREAMS THAN IN A V-12 FERRARI.

- MIKE DUFF

THE CONCEPT OF the bucket list does not translate well into Italian. Certainly not literally—elenco dei secchi just means a list of buckets. But neither in the metaphorical sense really. Italians are happy to discuss deep desires and future plans but do so without the wistfulness that often comes with such lofty “before I die” ambitions. This is not a nation that believes in delaying gratification, especially not when it comes to driving a Ferrari.

It’s no surprise that the Prancing Horse features in this issue, with the main questions being which and where. Plentiful suggestions included racing a 308 GTS across the U.S. while dressed as priests. But the brand’s homeland seemed like the perfect setting. Having decided that, the next step was to turn the risk of cliché into a celebration—could we check off as many Ferrari experiences as possible?

Choosing the car was the easy part. Not only is the 12Cilindri Spider the freshest showroom Ferrari, but it is also the best suited to a compressed grand tour. With a magnificent V-12 up front and usable luggage space in back, this is the spiritual successor to the company’s early road cars—definitely one that Enzo Ferrari himself would have recognized his spirit within. The fact that the 12Cilindri’s 6.5-liter engine produces an impossible-sounding 819 hp while revving to 9500 rpm without recourse to turbocharging or hybridization is an additional reason for adoration.