Ferrari 12Cilindri vs Peugeot Boxer

What's the difference?

The Ferrari 12Cilindri should not exist. Everything about it shouts of excess to the point of illegality. Surely, one would assume, emissions regulations have made a vehicle with a naturally aspirated V12 engine as socially, and indeed legally acceptable as asbestos sandwich wrapping. 

The work it must have taken to somehow squeeze this thing through the regulatory net is clearly more than any other company could be bothered with - the 12Cilindri is the only new atmo V12 a lot of money can buy. 

Ferrari made the effort because this car, with this layout, is an integral part of the brand’s heritage, dating back to 1947, the rock on which it is built. Old Enzo Ferrari himself said the V12 is the Ferrari engine “everything else is a derivation of the original”.

And, of course, they made it because there are plenty of purists out there who will pay big, big dollars to have one. We flew to an unfortunately soggy launch for the car in Luxembourg to see what a V12 that can now rev to 9500rpm would feel, and sound like.

Peugeot Australia offers variants across the small, medium and large commercial van segments. Its largest model, the manual-only Boxer 160 which in 2020 features improved safety and warranty, competes in the LD (light duty) 3501-8000kg GVM class.

We recently put it to the test during a busy working week, to find out if it can land a few punches on its opponents in Australia’s heavy commercial vehicle division.