The Ferrari 12Cilindri Yoonseul: A Symphony of Light and Heritage

 The Ferrari 12Cilindri Tailor Made project represents a profound shift in the landscape of automotive personalization, moving beyond simple color matching into the realm of cross-cultural multidisciplinary art. This unique vehicle, unveiled in January 2026, is the result of a two-year collaboration that bridged three continents, uniting the Ferrari Centro Stile in Italy with the trend-discovering expertise of COOL HUNTING® in North America and a collective of four visionary South Korean artists. Curated by JaeEun “Jane” Lee, the project sought to translate the "vibrant artistic and cultural energy of contemporary Korea" into the structural and aesthetic language of a Ferrari flagship. The 12Cilindri, which draws its heritage from the legendary Gran Turismos of the 1950s and 60s, serves as the perfect canvas for this experiment, as its long-bonnet proportions and V12 soul provide a classic silhouette that contrasts beautifully with modern, avant-garde Korean techniques. This is not merely a regional edition; it is a "road-going art" piece that establishes new benchmarks for what the Tailor Made program can achieve. By integrating traditional materials like Mongolian horsehair and ancient lacquering techniques with 3-D printed fabrics and iridescent paints, Ferrari has created a machine that feels simultaneously ancient and futuristic, a physical manifestation of Korea’s "Yoonseul"—the shimmering reflection of light on water.

The Iridescent Soul: The Yoonseul Paint and Exterior Innovations

The most immediate and striking feature of this bespoke 12Cilindri is its transitional paint scheme, a finish so complex it required nearly two years of research and development to perfect. Named "Yoonseul," a Korean term describing the sparkle of sunlight or moonlight on the surface of the sea, the paint is a masterclass in color theory and material science. It is an iridescent finish that shifts dramatically from a deep, earthy green to a vibrant violet, punctuated by blue highlights that appear as the viewing angle changes. The inspiration for this palette is dual-rooted: it draws from the serene, historical shades of traditional Korean Celadon ceramics and the hyper-modern, neon-lit energy of cosmopolitan Seoul. To complement this ethereal exterior, the design team introduced several "Ferrari firsts" that challenge the brand's long-standing aesthetic traditions. For the first time in the company's history, the iconic Scuderia Ferrari shields, wheel caps, and the Prancing Horse logo have been reimagined in a semi-translucent acrylic, giving them a ghostly, suspended quality. This theme of transparency is further emphasized by the introduction of factory-produced white brake calipers—a detail never before seen on a production Ferrari—which provide a sharp, clean contrast to the shifting colors of the Yoonseul bodywork and the dark, aggressive lines of the car's active aerodynamics.

Weaving Tradition into the Future: Dahye Jeong and Material Mastery

Inside the cabin, the collaboration takes a tactile turn with the inclusion of work by Dahye Jeong, a textile artist and winner of the prestigious Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. Jeong’s contribution focuses on the ancient craft of horsehair weaving, a technique she has modernized to create structures of extraordinary fineness and transparency. In a groundbreaking move for Ferrari’s R&D team, hand-woven Mongolian horsehair, sourced from certified suppliers, has been skillfully integrated directly into the dashboard, providing a texture and organic feel that is entirely unique in the automotive world. This traditional material is juxtaposed with a cutting-edge 3D fabric developed specifically by a South Korean company for this project. This fabric, used on the seats, flooring, and other soft surfaces, replicates Jeong’s iconic weaving patterns in a three-dimensional relief, marking the first time such a material has been utilized in a Maranello-built car. The interplay of light and shadow, a central theme in Jeong's art, is further explored through the 12Cilindri’s glass roof. The roof features a sophisticated screen-printed pattern that projects intricate shadows into the cabin as the sun moves overhead, mirroring the delicate, suspended nature of Jeong’s physical sculptures and turning the interior into a dynamic, ever-changing environment that reacts to the natural world outside.

The Translucent Narrative: Hyunhee Kim’s Dreamlike Environment

The interior’s "ethereal evolution" is continued through the work of Hyunhee Kim, an artist renowned for her contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Korean wedding trousseaus and memory containers. Kim’s influence is most visible on the 12Cilindri’s transmission tunnel, which has been modified with a translucent finish that echoes the exterior's semi-transparent emblems. This design choice creates a "dream-like environment" where the mechanical heart of the car feels less like a solid mass and more like a fluid, light-filled structure. Kim’s contribution extends beyond the car's architecture; she has crafted a bespoke luggage case for the boot, designed using her signature aesthetic of transparency and lightness. Within this case sits a uniquely customized Ferrari key, reimagined through her visual language to ensure the owner’s interaction with the car begins with a piece of art. To ground the project in its cultural roots, Kim also designed a handmade dedication plate for the interior, featuring the project's name rendered in traditional Korean calligraphy. This plate serves as a permanent anchor, reminding the driver that they are navigating a collaborative masterpiece that spans three continents. Her work successfully bridges the gap between the functional requirements of a high-performance Gran Turismo and the emotional, fragile qualities of contemporary fine art, making the 12Cilindri feel like a curated "container of memories."

The Purity of White: TaeHyun Lee’s Lacquer and Layering

The motif of white that punctuates the car’s design is the brainchild of contemporary artist TaeHyun Lee, whose research into traditional Korean lacquering techniques has redefined surface transformation. Lee’s work often explores the concepts of depth and the layering of matter, and he translated this into the 12Cilindri through the application of a complex white lacquer technique. This vision manifests in the stunning white brake calipers and the white paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. While white may seem like a simple choice, Lee’s specific application results in a glossy, reflective surface with a visual impact that mimics the depth found in ancient lacquered artifacts. By taking a technique usually reserved for fine art and applying it to high-stress mechanical components like gear shifters and calipers, Lee challenges the occupant's perception of "luxury" versus "craft." The white elements serve as a visual palette cleanser against the complex, iridescent Yoonseul paint and the dark, textured horsehair weaving. This careful balance of colors and finishes ensures that the car remains elegant despite its many experimental features. Lee’s contribution highlights a central tenet of the project: that innovation does not always mean inventing something entirely new, but rather finding a modern context for ancient mastery to thrive within.

Visualizing the V12: GRAYCODE and jiiiiin’s Acoustic Artwork

Perhaps the most avant-garde element of the Tailor Made 12Cilindri is the visualization of its engine’s soundtrack. The 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 is the heart of the car, producing 830 cv and an unmistakable acoustic signature. To honor this, the sound and performance artist duo GRAYCODE, jiiiiin were commissioned to translate the engine's frequency into a visual medium. The result is a subtle, ghosted graphic trace that runs along the center of the bonnet, representing the physical wave of the V12’s sound. This graphic was applied by Maranello’s expert artisans using a transitional paint that is one shade darker than the surrounding Yoonseul finish, giving it a phantom-like appearance that only becomes fully visible under certain lighting conditions. This "acoustic livery" connects the car's mechanical performance to its aesthetic identity, literally painting the engine's power onto its skin. It is a poetic tribute to the 9,500 rpm redline and the linear power delivery that defines the 12Cilindri experience. By turning sound into sight, GRAYCODE and jiiiiin have added a layer of sensory depth to the vehicle that is usually absent in automotive design. It reinforces the idea that a Ferrari is not just a machine to be driven, but an instrument to be heard and a sculpture to be seen, merging electronic music theory with traditional pinstriping craftsmanship.

Engineering the Masterpiece: Technical Specs of the 12Cilindri

Underneath its artistic skin, the Tailor Made 12Cilindri remains one of the most capable and technologically advanced Gran Turismos ever created. It is powered by the F140 HD V12 engine, a 6,496 cm³ powerhouse that delivers its 830 cv with a purity that only natural aspiration can provide. The car’s performance figures are staggering: it can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed exceeding 340 km/h. This performance is managed by an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission and the latest iteration of Ferrari’s Side Slip Control (SSC 8.0), which integrates the eDiff, traction control, and an advanced 6D sensor to provide unparalleled handling precision. Despite the artistic additions, the car maintains its focus on weight and balance, with a dry weight of 1,560 kg and a near-perfect weight distribution of 48.4% front and 51.6% rear. The car also features integrated active aerodynamics, which work seamlessly with the artistic elements like the sound-wave graphic on the bonnet. The reverse-opening "cofango" (bonnet-wing) highlights the engine bay, serving as a reminder that the engineering is just as much a part of the art as the Korean textiles. This 12Cilindri is a dual-purpose machine: it is a refined grand tourer capable of crossing continents in comfort, yet it possesses the raw power and technical sophistication of a world-class supercar.

A New Chapter in Automotive Personalization: The Future of Tailor Made

The collaboration between Ferrari, COOL HUNTING®, and the South Korean artists marks a significant evolution for the Tailor Made program. Traditionally, personalization focused on choosing from a vast catalog of leathers, paints, and carbon fiber finishes. However, this project demonstrates a move toward true "curated" collaborations, where the car becomes a medium for international artists to express their heritage and craft. The successful integration of non-traditional materials like horsehair and 3D fabrics suggests that future Ferrari clients will have even more radical options for expressing their individuality. Furthermore, the "Yoonseul" paint finish, initially created for this one-of-a-kind model, will soon be offered to other Tailor Made clients, showing how these halo projects influence the broader Ferrari ecosystem. By looking to South Korea—a global leader in both ancient craftsmanship and modern tech-driven culture—Ferrari has tapped into a fresh spring of inspiration that resonates with a new generation of collectors. The project proves that when engineering and art dialogue across borders, the result is more than just a car; it is a "unique celebration of excellence" that raises the bar for the entire industry. As the first unit finds its home in the South Korean market, it stands as a testament to the idea that the pinnacle of luxury is not found in excess, but in the depth of the story the machine tells.