Trying to break in a wild stallion on ice, in both literal and figurative forms, is exactly how it feels to drive a Ferrari on snow. Iโll confess that Iโve never done the former, but I have now done the latter.
Ferrariโs Esperienza on Ice unlocks such a privilege for the layman. And itโs an experience so applauded by participants (like me) that sharing it with you all almost feels like Iโm spilling state secrets.
I enjoyed the most fun Iโve ever had behind the wheel of a car across two exhilarating days on New Zealandโs South Island with Ferrari. Thatโs any car, any wheel, any place on earth. And Iโve driven some incredible machines on B roads, race tracks, and skid pans the world over.
Esperienza on Ice, spearheaded by Ferrari Australasia, returned this year to the peaks surrounding Queenstown for a showcase of the brand in its purest, most thoroughbred form โ the mighty 12Cilindri.
The 1950s-inspired grand tourer is the last naturally aspirated consumer car to roll off the line at Maranello. A glorious epilogue to the rear-wheel-drive internal combustion era that somehow, even in 2025, made it past European emissions regulations, which should be an accolade in itself. Donโt let its unique form, protruding bonnet, and elegant presence pull the wool over your eyes โ this is a monster, pulling through eight gears effortlessly to a crescendo of 9,500 rpm.
Only the very well-heeled Ferrari collector should even apply to own the 12Cilindri, with its two-year waiting list, making this Esperienza (yes, I have officially replaced the word experience with esperienza for life) one of the only ways you will likely ever get to enjoy a steer as a mere mortal.
When you put it on paper for the everyday punter, a $14,500 ice driving experience is chump change when pegged against the sticker price for the 12Cilindri, whose RRP starts at $803,500.
If it wasnโt already clear, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No cliche or hyperbole intended. Then multiply the occasion by this carโs gravitas. In many ways, itโs a once-in-an-internal combustion generation event that I was very fortunate to be invited to attend.
Despite having one of the most lacklustre snowfalls in recent memory, some persistent snowmaking and chilly temperatures allowed for the alpine flats of the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground to still deliver for our day on the ice.
For six weeks of the year, the top-secret alpine testing facility is the only place in the world automakers can continue to test their vehicles in winter conditions. Itโs a phones-in-a-box kind of situation, with vaguely familiar silhouettes cutting past you through the snow in camouflage fatigues. I must say all the secrecy adds to a sense of occasion.
And it was pure luck we were blessed with both sub-zero temperatures the night before and bluebird skies the day of. Greeting us were a fleet of sparkling, box-fresh 12Cilindris in fantastical colours from electric blue to sunburst gold โ each contrasting on the snow in their own way.
I felt a mix of nerves and excitement, to be completely honest, as becoming familiar with piloting such a beast with ESC off and 800-horses underfoot will always be an anxiety-inducing experience.
Initial exercises included tugging the wheel abruptly before stabbing the accelerator to force a slide, which then slowly morphed into linking slides, which then blew out into full-on figure eights. Even the tiniest squeeze of the pedal overwhelmed the rear tyres, which are calibrated for sticky asphalt, not frozen surfaces (even with 300 studs embedded into the rubber by hand to give you a fighting chance).
The steering had never felt so dainty in my palms, but the car so heavy in the rear at the same time. Wagging the tail side to side requires a mere poke and jerk of the wheel, followed by a consistent feathering of the throttle. Lose that see-saw-like momentum, transferring weight laterally, and youโll find yourself pirouetting like a drunk figure skater.
The best part? Youโre rarely leaving first gear (which is a shame, because the transmission is a beauty to flirt with), and youโre so far from any snow banks during each of these exercises that caution is thrown to the wind quite early on.
Ice driving finesse does favour the tame and the patient, but whereโs the fun in that? I quickly succumbed to the naughty voice in the back of my head that just harped on about licking the stamp and sending it. This is perhaps the only time in life you can spin, lose traction, and flatten the throttle of a machine like this with such little risk to both yourself and car.
In short, if your steering wheel isnโt lighting up like a Christmas tree while the rev limiter begs for relief, youโre not having enough fun. The noise coming from the V12, which is worthy of an obituary in and of itself, is a rich, guttural thunder across the white expanse. For the cost to play, you get to toss and pump a million-dollar machine like a Hot Wheels car on a frozen slip โnโ slide.
I have spent some considerable time behind the wheel of some very expensive automobiles, but this experience felt like a visceral reminder more than anything. That even the most untouchable machines are still just toys at heart. For a brand defined by perfection, Ferrari somehow shocked me to the core in a bracing, defibrillator-like fashion, confirming that in a world of hypercars and emissions ratings, an appreciation for chaos and imperfection can not only be found, but thoroughly enjoyed.
Ferrari Australasia run Esperienza on Ice every few years on New Zealandโs South Island. Dates are currently unconfirmed for 2026 and beyond, but in the meantime, you can explore other Ferrari driving experiences around the world at the link below.
