Last month, a wave of rumours and trademark applications pointed towards the possible unveiling of a manual version of the Ferrari 12Cilindri. Although the anticipated debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans came and went without any announcement, recent comments from Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna and a newly uncovered patent filing strongly suggest that the reveal could still be just around the corner.

As reported by Autocar, during a meeting with Ferrari’s U.S. dealers in Las Vegas, Vigna dropped a major hint about an important upcoming development for the brand, expected in early July. He reportedly told attendees that the public “will see something new where we put together something from the past with eyes on the future” in “a few weeks,” and advised them to “wait until the fourth of July.” While he didn’t explicitly confirm which model he was referring to, the description certainly seems to align with the idea of a modern Ferrari featuring a manual gearbox.

The latest patent filing provides even clearer evidence pointing towards a gated manual transmission. First reported by CarBuzz, the document — titled “control tower of a gearbox for road vehicles” — was submitted by Ferrari and published on June 11. It includes a detailed illustration of a manual-style gear selector. Interestingly, the term “gear selector” appears to have a more literal meaning in this context, as the patent describes a control mechanism that enables a gated, H-pattern layout to remotely manage an existing dual-clutch or automated transmission, instead of directly linking to the gearbox as in a traditional manual setup.

The patent drawings show a gated manual-style shifter with six numbered slots, surrounded by buttons labelled “M,” “R,” “N,” and “D.” It’s likely that these buttons correspond to Manual, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive modes respectively, adding a functional modern twist to the classic gated design.

Another patent application from Ferrari, filed on May 14 and titled “electronic clutch for road vehicles,” offers additional insight into how a driver might engage with this system. The design suggests that an electronic clutch pedal would mimic the feel and operation of a conventional clutch pedal, but instead of a mechanical linkage, a “detection device” would send an electrical signal to an electronic control unit that manages clutch engagement electronically.

Although the much-rumoured manual 12Cilindri did not make its expected debut at Le Mans, that doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility that Ferrari previewed it privately to select customers during the event. If the global reveal is indeed planned for early July, it’s plausible that Ferrari used the race as an opportunity to gauge interest and secure early orders for what is expected to be a limited-edition model. Combined with the CEO’s remarks and the newly discovered patent filings, the evidence suggests that the public might not have to wait much longer to see Ferrari’s next big innovation. All signs point to an official unveiling sometime early next month.