29.06.2004 Alongside the Maserati MC12 in the 'Supercar Paddock' at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti as well as Lamborghini's Murcielago AND Gallardo, grabbed attention

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, alongside the show-shopping Maserati MC12 'Stradale' prototype, came three production Italian supercars, the all-new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, and from Lamborghini, a double offering, with the Mucielago and Gallardo both present.

The Supercar Run featured more than thirty of the most exclusive current production and planned-production performance cars from the world’s leading manufacturers.

Alongside established marques such as Porsche, Jaguar, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Renault, and Mercedes-Benz there were the latest offerings from more specialists manufacturers such as TVR, Morgan and Noble.

The cars took to the hillclimb course twice on Friday and once on Saturday and Sunday. At the wheel were some of the motor industry’s finest test drivers and even the occasional celebrity.

Although the Supercar Run WAS not a competition and the cars were not timed, the purpose was to show off the vehicles’ incredible performance and all were driven in spectacular style.

All three Italian representatives drew the crowds, both out on the course and in the paddock, and all three, with their stunning lines and breathtaking performance, won the supercar battle hands down if attention grabbing is the criteria.

The 612 Scaglietti is the perfect marriage of sporty thoroughbred Ferrari berlinetta performance and excellent onboard comfort for four occupants.

The replacement for the highly successful 456M, the new model’s own winning combination derives from a roomy interior enhanced by significantly larger dimensions, a 60 kg reduction in weight, and a range of uncompromising design solutions.

An All-aluminium space frame chassis and bodywork construction used for the very first time on a Ferrari 12-cylinder and built entirely by Ferrari at the Scaglietti light-alloy technologies facility. A mid-front layout with the engine mounted behind the front axle, and the gearbox and differential in unit at the rear ensure that the centre of gravity is kept as far back and as low as possible.

This in turn significantly improves the car’s dynamics in terms of performance (0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds), stability and braking efficiency, as well as delivering much nimbler handling. Excellent weight distribution (46% front, 54% rear) is enhanced by a performance-oriented handling set-up with active damping and the special CST stability and traction control system, used here for the very first time on a Ferrari.

A 65° V12 engine with a displacement of 5,748cc which is rounded off to give the figure 6 (litres) in the 612 model designation. The V12 represents the very pinnacle of Ferrari engine design, thanks in particular to improved fluid dynamic characteristics of the intake and exhaust manifolds, generating a blistering 540bhp at 7,250 rpm.

The six-speed mechanical gearbox is available with both a manual and a new generation electro-hydraulic set-up, known as the F1A, designed to marry fast manual gear shifting with comfortable automatic use.

Designed by Pininfarina to epitomise dynamism and elegance, the 612 Scaglietti boasts characteristic scalloped sides that recall the famous 375 MM bodied by the Turin coachbuilder for Rossellini and used by Ingrid Bergman.

Its thoroughbred spirit effortlessly combines with outstanding comfort and space on board, from the ease of entry for all four occupants and the notable legroom (helped by an increase in length of 139 mm compared to the 456M), to the excellent rear seating layout with extra headroom.

Lastly, the overall roominess of the 612 Scaglietti is complemented by a 240-litre luggage compartment - a full 25% larger than the 456M’s - which can hold a five-piece Ferrari luggage set or two golf bags.
 

Now almost two years old the Murcielago is a true supercar in the Lamborghini mould.

The rear of the Murcielago features two ‘active’ intakes for the engine cooling air. With the exclusive VACS (‘Variable Air-flow Cooling System’), the aperture of these air intakes can be varied to suit the driving conditions.

Furthermore, to ensure correct aerodynamic equilibrium at all speeds, the angle of the rear spoiler can also be altered. According to the speed of the car, the rear spoiler can assume three different positions: closed from 0 to130 km/h, partially open (50°) between 130 and 220 km/h and fully open (70°) above 220 km/h.

Depending on the aperture of the air intakes and the position of the rear spoiler, the car's Cx coefficient varies from a minimum of 0.33 to a maximum of 0.36.

One of the key styling features of the Murciélago is the way the cabin is seamlessly integrated in the lines of the body: this distinctive approach, previously encountered on both the Countach and Diablo, has a single arc extending from the front to the rear that emphasises the overall wedge shape of the car.

Torque delivery of newly designed V12 engine is optimised across the entire engine operating band (even at engine speeds relatively low for a sports car) thanks to the adoption of a variable-geometry intake system (VIS), variable valve timing (VVT) on both inlet and exhaust camshafts, and the ‘drive-by-wire’ electronic throttle control, which makes for reduced emissions, improved idle speed control and improved driveability.

The Lamborghini Murcielago, for the first time in the history of the brand is equipped with a 6-speed gearbox, while the transmission maintains the traditional Lamborghini layout. The Murcielago, like its predecessor the Diablo, is equipped with permanent four-wheel drive and a central viscous coupling (Viscous Traction System), with 45% limited slip and the front with 25% limited slip.

The second Lamborghini present is the new "baby Gallardo. This sportscar design vision was initiated in the year 2000. The challenging and simultaneously fascinating task of our designers was to cultivate the attributes from Lamborghini and combine them in an extremely individual packaging.

Its design, based on an Italdesign-Giugiaro style proposal was developed by the Lamborghini Centro Stile to incorporate the parameters of its design philosophy.

The Lamborghini V10 cylinder DOHC four valve V90 5 liter, 500 Hp, 510 Nm, is the concept solution for the high performance Gallardo. Instead of the more classical choice of a V72, an angle of 90 degrees was preferred in order to limit the height of the engine with advantages in the car layout (e.g. lower engine bonnet and better rear view) and in the lowering of the centre of gravity (i.e. better car dynamic characteristics).

Even firing intervals (that ensure the smoothness of the engine) are guaranteed by the adoption of crankpins incorporating an 18-degree offset.

A dry sump lubrication system not only achieves the correct lubrication even in extreme dynamic conditions, but also permits the centre of gravity to be lowered further. The throttle control is performed via a Drive by Wire system, with two electronic throttle bodies.

The main feature is the permanent four-wheel drive transmission, based on the well-proven Lamborghini Viscous Traction system. The gearbox is 6 speed, using of the latest generation double and triplecone synchronizers and optimised actuation linkage in order to achieve precision and velocity in shifting while ease of operation is guaranteed.