---
title: "Listen To This Tiny 1.5L Flat-12 Ferrari F1 Car Zip Around Goodwood"
description: "Is there a stranger grand prix engine than this?"
date: "2017-07-15"
modified: "2017-07-15"
authors:
  - name: "Caleb Jacobs"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/caleb-jacobs"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/12510/listen-to-this-tiny-1-5l-flat-12-ferrari-f1-car-zip-around-goodwood"
categories:
  - "Ferrari News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Ferrari"
  - "Ferrari 1512"
  - "Formula One"
  - "Goodwood Festival of Speed"
  - "John Surtees"
  - "Watch This"
---

# Listen To This Tiny 1.5L Flat-12 Ferrari F1 Car Zip Around Goodwood

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/07/ferrari-1512-f1-hero-image.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Early Ferraris are famous for their twelve cylinder engines -- in fact, they are historically some of the [best sounding powerplants](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/9439/listen-to-the-evolution-of-ferraris-formula-1-engines>), no matter the era. Often small in displacement, popular models like the [coveted 250 GTO](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/8440/ferrari-250-gto-and-jaguar-e-type-nearly-collide-at-goodwood>) only had 3.0L to spread among its twelve pots, but what about an engine that's half the size and has the same number of cylinders? Such is the case with this 1965 1512 F1 car. It's 1.5L flat-twelve is a high-revving zinger, and it was revived at [this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed](<https://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/11673/goodwood-festival-of-speed-2017-will-celebrate-bernie-ecclestone>) to an array of applause.

The car was an evolution of [F1 legend John Surtees](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/8240/john-surtees-f1-and-motorcycle-racing-hero-dies-at-83>)' Ferrari 158, an eight cylinder engine that was designed to compete against the strong British V8s of the time. Ferrari's Scuderia team later decided to up the number of cylinders to twelve and rearrange the configuration, transforming it into a flat-twelve. This helped to separate it from competition like the Coventry Climax and BRM cars of the time, and further reasserting Ferrari's place in single-seater competition.

Though Surtees typically preferred the eight cylinder version, this 1512 let out such a unique engine note that it is often the favorite among fans. According to one YouTube commenter, the car failed to meet Goodwood noise requirements six times.

Ferrari opted for a different path after 1965, but this 1.5L remains to be one of the most abstract grand prix cars of the time.

Listen to the oddly built racecar travel around Lord March's lawn, and pay attention to the historic model scream through the revs.

https://youtube.com/embed/vXsCbBxkr90

## Author
Caleb Jacobs is The Drive’s senior editor. When he’s not searching for stories or poring over copy, he’s usually driving his dump truck or wishing it was running so he could drive it. He was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and he lives there today with his family.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-jacobs-319323119>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/calebjwords>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/calebjacobs0611>)