An Italian sports car dubbed a “masterpiece” has won a coveted 2025 motoring award, ahead of well-supported brands such as BMW and Land Rover. Ferrari’s 12Cilindri picked up first place in the prestigious Car Design Award production category earlier this year, a coveted award in the automotive design sector.
The Car Design Awards were established in 1984, with prizes awarded to projects that are believed to significantly contribute to the evolution of automotive design. The 12Cilindi is a visual stunner which was inspired by the Italian marquees legendary Grand Tourers of the 1950s and 1960s. Jurors said the 12Cilindri was chosen as the winner because the model was already an “out-of-the-box” icon.
They explained: “The design of the 12Cilindri encapsulates the historical essence of the Ferrari V12s of the Fifties and Sixties, revisited and taking into account the aerodynamic requirements that today are a science and no longer just an intuition.
“An indissoluble link with tradition that looks to the future and has led this project to unite two souls, sportiness and elegance, to create an out-of-the-box icon.”
As well as looking like a fashion icon of the future, behind the bonnet Maranello’s latest GT certainly packs a punch. The 12Cilindri is fitted with an 819bhp V12 engine that can race away from 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds.
Drivers hoping to really stretch the limit can reach 124mph in just 7.9 seconds, with the model able to hit a top speed of 211mph. Those lucky enough to get behind the wheel or see the car up close have praised the new car.
Reddit user @Remarkable-Ad3414 posted: “The real change of mind came when I actually drove the thing, that engine is a masterpiece! The power delivery, the sound, the feedback!”
@MilanTomic added: “Most people on the internet were negative when it came to design but I thought the design of 12Cilindri was spectacular from the first moment I saw it.
The 2025 awards ceremony took place today in Milan at the ADI Design Museum during the Milan Design Week earlier this Spring. Five Ferraris have received awards in the Production Cars category over the past 40 years, with the 12Cilindi joining the list.
The Testarossa secured the award in 1985, followed by the Ferrari Roma in 2020, the 296 GTB in 2022, and the Ferrari Purosangue in 2023.
Land Rover won the Car Design Awards Production category in 2021 with judges praising the Defender 90. Meanwhile, BMW secured first prize in the concept car design category in 2024 for its Vision Neue Klasse project.