The Unkillable V12

If there’s one thing certain in the automotive world, it's that even with the ever-increasing rise in EVs coming to be, car makers have made it clear the V12 will never die. Niche manufacturers like Zenvo and Gordon Murray Automotive have made it clear that their bespoke speed machines would not be as “ground-breaking or wonderous” if not for their incredible V12s.

Aston Martin have only been using a V12 for the past 26 years. And over the last five years, they’ve promised multiple times that certain cars like the V12 Vantage, DBS 770 and Valkyrie would indeed be the final encore for the V12. But above you see the new Vanquish, which again still uses a twin-turbo V12.

In Italy, the V12 isn’t just an engine, it’s a way of life, a celebration, an honour, an absolute necessity. It’s the reason why AMG still builds twin-turbo V12s for the latest marvels to come out of Pagani. The three-pointed star might be debating on whether their thunderous iconic V8s are a necessity, but ultimately, Pagani has made it clear that anything other than a V12 would be unacceptable and downright insulting.

However, no two companies honour the V12 more than Ferrari and Lamborghini. Ever since these two companies came out of the skunkworks of Maranello and Bologna, respectively, the V12 has been at the heart of most of their iconic cars. Recently, like many others, they have had to downsize their bigger engines in favour of smaller twin-turbo units with hybrid assist.

The Temerario throws away naturally aspirated V10 that Lambo have used for a decade in favour of a smaller flat plane crank hybrid assisted biturbo V8. Ferrari have made it clear that the twin-turbo hybridised V6 used in both the 296 and the F80 hypercar is significantly better than the twin-turbo V8 used in the Amalfi and all their prior cars. Yet both Ferrari and Lamborghini have made it clear, like so many others, that the V12 will never die.

The fact that cars like the Revuelto, 12Cilindri and even Purosangue are fitted with naturally-aspirated V12s is just proof of how essential and important the engine is. However, many, including myself, would state that the peak of the V12 came in each manufacturer's respective previous iterations, the Aventador and 812, respectively. In particular, the two cars featured for this comparison are the Ultimae and Competizione. Which of these two legends is the superior V12 monster? Let’s find out.

Styling and Exclusivity

The Aventador’s shape is iconic. This a car that is nearly fifteen years old but looks like it came from 2051, not 2011.Every angle from its scissor doors, to its sharp angles, pointy front and rear headlights and sheer size are designed to cause cameras to click and record without any input. Over the years, there have been many iterations of the Aventador, such as the S, SV and SVJ, respectively, and all of them have that phone camera flash appeal.

Ultimae in Italian means Ultimate, and certainly from a styling perspective this is the ultimate Aventador. It’s very much the best of all Aventador iterations, taking styling cues from each of them. The front is very clearly from the S, the rear twin-pipe exhaust is very clearly from the SVJ, the whole side profile and air-intake is from the SV, and the engine cover, rear headlight and profile are very much from the standard Aventador.

And what results is a truly outlandish and great-looking car. A car that truly leaves your mouth agape and one would imagine to be super-exclusive and they’d be right. Lamborghini only built 600 Ultimaes, (350 Coupes and 250 Roadsters) and all of them are sold out. From a styling perspective, as the Swansong to the iconic and masterful Aventador, I don’t think they could’ve made a better-looking car.

The 812 is unbelievably the 11th generation of iconic front-engine, rear-drive V12 Ferrari, a model they’ve been building since 1948. However, unlike Lamborghini, they very much vary in style, with some like the F12, 250 and Daytona being some of the most beautiful cars ever and others like the 599, 575 and 550 Maranello very much aren’t. Like most of Ferrari’s styling, it’s very much hit or miss.

Sadly, the 812, to me at least, was a miss; the front looked it had been struck by an axe, the headlights were too narrow, and the rear was way too fussy with its dual headlight display. This only worsened with the Competizione. Sure, with its duck-tail rear spoiler, rear-slatted boot-lid, larger mouth-girth and enormous rear-diffuser. Certainly, it looks very striking and has presence like a Lambo, but it’s not exactly attractive.

It feels to me as though Ferrari tried to be Lamborghini and build a strikingly vulgar car instead of just being different, like with the F12 and building an elegant grand-tourer. Also, there are well over double the number of Competiziones to Ultimaes with 1,598 built (a total of 999 hardtops and 599 Competizione As). Ultimately, in both styling and exclusivity, there’s no comparison; it’s an easy win for Bologna.

Winner: Aventador Ultimae

Interiors

Now, the Aventador is a great-looking car from the exterior, and you would imagine that would be the same on its interior. Certainly, when it was brand-new in 2011, the whole fighter cockpit style, missile-starter switch and low slung-cabin seemed so awesome. However, even though the Ultimae has stunning carbon-styled stripe seats, there’s no going over the fact that its interior is dated. Everything in it is what Audi was using two decades ago.

The Competizione contrasts this by having almost no interior whatsoever. As per every lightweight Ferrari, they basically give you an Afghan’s cave for an interior and expect you to pay extra. There are no carpets, no glovebox, no infotainment, no door handles even. It’s a very back-to-basics setup, which is further shown in its dashboard. Where the Ultimae uses a digital speedometer, the Competizione uses an analogue one.

Choosing between the interiors of these cars is difficult to say the least because really it's down to what bugs you more. Style but aged or a back-to-basics cave. Certainly, there’s no denying that the speciality of seeing a prancing horse in front can compare to anything. But overall, the fighter-cockpit style interior of the Aventador is just too iconic to ignore, even if it is dated. The Ultimae wins this by the narrowest of margins.

Winner: Aventador Ultimae

Value Then And Now

With only 600 cars in total, the Ultimae has certainly really benefited with regard to second-hand market values. When new, the Ultimae costed around $500,000, making it the most expensive Aventador ever built. But today, it’s worth even more, with prices starting from $585,000. Being the final encore for Lambo’s all petrol-powered V12 leviathan, it’s no wonder prices have surged.

When the Competizione was brand new, it retailed at $532,000. But despite there being nearly 1600 cars on the market, its value has more than tripled. A good example will now set you back $1.6 million, almost triple that of the Ultimae. You may wonder why, but ultimately this has always been the case. Lamborghinis have recently seen a surge of second-hand values in the last 8 years owing to the brand’s recent gain in classic status.

But ultimately, for car collectors, Lamborghini will never have the same kudos and history that Ferrari does. Second-hand wise, no car quite has the same appreciation as a lightweight or highly exclusive Ferrari; almost all of them have skyrocketed in value. And even their base models hold their value far better than Lamborghini's. So, really, in this contest, there is no comparison. The Competizione wins by a landslide.

Winner: 812 Competizione

Lineage and Iconicness

2000 Lamborghini Diablo GTR

The Aventador is the fifth model of the iconic V12 Lambos, a range that includes the Miura, the Countach, the Diablo, the Murcielago and recently the hybrid-powered Reveuelto. These V12 battleships have been around for nearly 60 years, with each variant becoming more insane in its styling but more capable in its performance. But consistently, all six are icons in their own right with that familiar roar of a V12.

Believe it or not, there have been 12 V12 front-engine two-seat Ferraris over 78 years. The 166, the 195, the 212, the 250, the 275, the Daytona, the 550, the 575, the 599, the F12, the 812 and most recently the 12Cilindri. These cars started out as road-going variants of the race cars that took part in LeMans and other challenge series. But ever since the 70s, that role has been balanced out by Ferrari’s mid-engine supercars.

Nowadays, these cars serve as the mid-flagships in the Ferrari range under hypercars like the F80 and hyper-supercars like the SF90. Nevertheless, many would argue, these cars represent the spirit of Ferrari when Enzo was running the company, the back-to-basics, pure-revving, V12 traditionalists, if you will. Choosing between both is tough; the Competizione has a stronger lineage, but the Ultimae is arguably more iconic. Therefore, in this category, it’s a tie.

Winner: TIE

Horsepower, Weight and Performance

Both these monsters use 6.5l naturally aspirated V12s, yet their performance couldn’t be more different. In the Ultimae, the V12 generates 780 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. This power is sent to all four wheels via an old-school 7-speed ISR automated Manual and the car weighs in at a fairly hefty 1,575kg aka 1.6 tonnes. The result is 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 218mph.

The Competizione’s V12 generates only 510lb-ft of torque; it’s power is sent to the rear wheels only, and performance-wise, it would appear to be on the back foot of the Ultimae. It does 0-62mph in 3 seconds and maxes out at only 211mph. However, its V12 also generates 819 horsepower, 20 more than the Ultimae, and at 1,560 kg, it’s 15kg lighter, and its power is sent to the road via a far more modern 7-speed dual clutch gearbox.

As a result, it has a higher power-to-weight ratio of 515 hp per tonne vs the Ultima's 489 hp per tonne. And therefore in a race, as you can see below, they are pretty evenly matched. From a standing start, the Ultimae’s All-Wheel Drive system and higher torque figure get it away quicker, but in the mid ranges, the Competizione claws it back and even overtakes. Therefore, I have no choice but to call it a tie.

Winner: TIE

Handling and Excitement

The only thing more exciting than the way an Ultimae looks is the way it drives. It may have four-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering, but this monster is no easy sail. You don’t so much drive it, you wrestle it, you grab it by the scruff of its neck, chuck it into a corner and hold it tight. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes it understeers heavily, and sometimes you get oversteer. Point being, it’s never ever boring.

The Competizione also has rear-wheel steering and a lower torque figure, and this has changed its characteristics significantly from previous V12 Ferraris. Previously, light-weight V12 Ferraris were infamously treacherous, even so much as staring at the right pedal and you were backwards in a fireball. The Competizione is nowhere near as scary as its predecessors, so one would expect it to be tame and easy compared to the Ultimae.

However, given its more direct steering and lighter body, the Competizione darts and ducks where the Ultimae rolls. And if you push it beyond its limits, it kills you, no question, no answers, just straight up through the pearly gates, just like its predecessor. In many ways, both these cars represent their badges perfectly. The Ultimae is a proper snorting bull, whilst the Competizione is a raging stallion.

Actually, scratch that, the true way to compare these two is chillies. The Ultimae is like a heavy curry that’s been infused with all the spices in the world. It will blow your head off, but it also causes you to gain a few kilos in the process. The Competizione, though, is like a ghost chilli, one touch of your tongue and your head explodes. Ultimately, that’s why it wins this contest. But then again, most Ferraris trounce Lambos for sheer excitement.

Winner: 812 Competizione

V12 Symphonies

Ultimately, both these cars' biggest selling points aren’t their styling, gained value, performance or even excitement. Ultimately, all of that plays a secondary role to what has defined both Ferrari and Lamborghini for decades. To roar and symphony of their glorious 6.5l naturally-aspirated V12s. The engines that both Lamborghini and Ferrari fight tooth and nail just to keep in their cars.

The Aventador was the first Lamborghini to feature the all-new L545 V12, the engine that replaced the iconic Bizzarini V12 that had been used since the Miura. And certainly the soundtrack is wonderful. It has that iconic bellow that the Aventador is, of course, known for, but with the redistributed exhaust from the SVJ, there’s a pronounced whine at its astonishing 8,500rpm redline. Not to mention, like all Aventadors, it bangs and shoots flames.

The V12 used in the Competizione has actually been around since the days of the Enzo. Codenamed F140, and originally capped at 6.0l, it has since increased to 6.5l when the 812 debuted at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. And the noise is simply spine-tingling, where the Ultimae bellows and shoots flames, the Competzione shrieks all the way up to its astonishing 9,500rpm redline.

Both these cars sound unbelievable, but are almost different in their deliveries. The Competizione is like an opera, it’s a high-wailed shriek, whilst the Ultimae is like a rock and roll concert, all bangs and bellows. Ultimately, though, as great as the Ultimae sounds, the Competizione just edges it. It sounds more authentic, more real; it’s probably the best-sounding V12 ever made, as well as the best-sounding Ferrari of all time. It wins this easily.

Winner: 812 Competizione

Conclusion

So with a victory of 2:3, the 812 Competizione is just slightly superior of the V12 monsters. Don’t get me wrong, on a personal note, I prefer the Ultimae, it’s crazier, has more presence, is more lunatic. But ultimately, for sheer excitement in both its delivery and soundtrack, the 812 Competizione is unbeatable. Ferrari have been building V12s longer than Lamborghini, and ultimately, they’re just slightly better at it.

But really, both these cars in their own right are winners because what they represent is truly wonderful. They are arguably the pinnacle of the V12 Ferrari and Lamborghini, respectively, in terms of soundtracks. Although the Revuelto and 12Cilindri are impressive cars, their soundtracks seem somewhat muted due to their hybrid assist and new exhausts, respectively. The Ultimae and Competizione are true celebrations of this incredible engine.

F1rstMotors: Aventador Ultimae vs 812 Competizione comparison

Manufacturer	Lamborghini S.p.A	Ferrari S.p.A
Model Range	Aventador	812
Variant	Ultimae	Competizione
Year of Release	2021	2021
Engine	6.5l V12	6.5l V12
Horsepower	780 hp	819hp
Torque	531 lb–ft	510 lb–ft
0–62mph (100km/h)	2.9 seconds	3 seconds
Top Speed	218mph (351 km/h)	211mph (340 km/h)
Weight	1575 kg (1.6 tonnes)	1,560kg (1.6 tonnes)
Power to Weight	489 hp per tonne	515 hp per tonne
Gearbox	7–speed ISR Automated Manual Transmission	7-speed-dual-clutch
Driven Wheels	All Wheel Drive	Rear-Wheel-Drive
Amount Built	350	999
Price (when new)	$500,000	$532,000
Price (today)	$585,000	$1,600,000

Source: CarExpert