INTRODUCTION

A genuine four-seater Ferrari, the all-aluminium 612 Scaglietti is the result of an avant-garde design that guarantees the pure, thoroughbred performance demanded by Ferraristi combined with uncompromising driver and passenger comfort. The new 2+2 model signals a genuine break with the past. Ferrari has changed the rules of the game with the 612 Scaglietti to suit the tastes and needs of a highly sophisticated clientele which now demands elegance and dynamic comfort as well as blistering performance. The 612 Scaglietti is very much a third millennium product, offering a whole new generation of technologies compared to the 2+2 it replaces. In fact, it isn't really a 2+2 at all but more a genuine roomy two-door four-seater that offers its occupants a comfortable, pleasant ride in any driving conditions.

Grand Tourers are a real Ferrari tradition: the Prancing Horse marque built its first 12-cylinder 2+2 in 1948 (the 166 Inter, bodied by Touring), and then added other famous models clothed by such celebrated names as Ghia, Pinin Farina, and Vignale. These included the 212 Inter (1951), the 250 GT (1960), the 330 GT (1964), and the 365 GT (1967) which, for the very first time, boasted an automatic gearbox on some of the examples built for the American market, right up until the 456M of the 1990s.

The new model, skilfully designed by Pininfarina to clothe the engineers' technical and functional solutions in an aggressive yet elegant body, was named by Luca di Montezemolo in honour of Sergio Scaglietti, the Modenese stylist and coachbuilder who excelled in sculpting aluminium. In fact, Scaglietti was responsible for bodying some of the most beautiful Ferraris of the 1950s and 60s. The 6 of the 612 indicates the car's displacement (5,748 cc rounded off), while 12 is the number of cylinders boasted by the engine.

The concept that inspired the new design (coded F 137) sums up Ferrari's talent for innovation: it has done nothing short of marrying a cabin capable of accommodating four occupants in comfort with the body of a thrillingly nimble sporty front-engined rear-wheel drive berlinetta, offering unprecedented onboard comfort and specification.

This is a car with all of the fiery temperament and driving pleasure of a thoroughbred Ferrari, combining thrilling performance, agility and safety. But it also goes a step further, offering rear passengers two comfortable, roomy seats.

The aluminium technology used in the space frame chassis and bodywork, which proved such a success for the 360 Modena, results in a massive 60% increase in overall bodywork efficiency (weight-rigidity ratio). The light yet incredibly rigid aluminium construction also offers other significant benefits in terms of performance (acceleration, braking efficiency, handling, dynamics, and general drivability), comfort (wonderfully silent) and safety. In fact, the 612 Scaglietti's robust structure and restraint systems guarantee maximum occupant protection in the event of a collision.

The second design choice to influence the 612 Scaglietti's styling was its architecture. 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. Other significant masses (the cabin, cooling and exhaust systems, the battery, fuel tank) are also positioned much further back than in a conventional layout.

These solutions, combined with an all-aluminium structure which lightens the entire car, deliver a centre of gravity that is considerably lower and further back plus near-perfect weight distribution (46% front, 54% rear). A particularly impressive achievement in a front-engined four-seater.

The 612 Scaglietti offers the kind of dynamic performance (0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.2 seconds), stability and nimble manoeuvrability generally on found in a mid-rear engined car yet not only allows an exceptional amount of space for its passengers and their luggage. The car's performance is enhanced by a performance-oriented handling set-up with active damping and the special CST stability and traction control system, also in use for the very first time on a Ferrari.

As is traditional at the Prancing Horse, the new car also benefits from the most advanced Ferrari engine and transmission technologies as well as highly sophisticated aerodynamic research. The 65° V12, which displaces almost six litres, is a specially tailored development of the prestigious Ferrari sports car engines. 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 7250 rpm (almost 100 bhp more than the 456M could manage). The result is a car that is easy to handle in all kinds of conditions and hits speeds of over 315 km/h at full throttle.

In fact, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo personally asked Amedeo Felisa and his design team to concentrate on certain very specific factors for the new model, including:

- Weight reduction, courtesy of their experience in the use of aluminium;
- Nimble handling, safety and performance, achieved through weight distribution previously unheard of in a front-engined car;
- Space and comfort for all four of the occupants, thanks to the generous dimensions created by Pininfarina's styling.

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 speedy manual gear shifting with comfortable automatic use. This track-derived system, further honed to complement manual shifting (courtesy of the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel), also boasts a new generation automatic mode to deliver improved driving comfort.

The 612 Scaglietti has the soul of a sporty berlinetta and the dimensions and design of a luxurious, surprisingly roomy Grand Tourer. Its innovative styling enhances its architecture (long wheel base, cab-rear layout, tiny overhangs) and highlights its dynamism and power.

It boasts a big, sculpted body, long aerodynamic bonnet, strong lines, and characteristic scalloped-sides - the latter a clear reference to the famous 375 MM built for Rossellini as a gift for Ingrid Bergman.

As a genuine "four-seater", the 612 Scaglietti does not compromise when it comes to occupant comfort. In fact, a host of features, ranging from the size of the doors to specially developed solutions, such as the kind of hinging system used and the easy entry system, means that all four passengers will find it easy to get into and out of at all times.

The 612 Scaglietti also offers notable legroom front and rear (it is 139 mm longer than its predecessor the 456M), plus excellent ergonomics and headroom in the body-hugging rear seats too. Even the 240-litre luggage compartment is larger and easily swallows up a six-piece luggage set designed especially for it.

The cabin, which can be fully personalised from the Carrozzeria Scaglietti programme on request, is dominated by aluminium and handcrafted leather. This is a sporty, sophisticated interior that reflects the 612's high tech soul. A wide range of other features guarantees exceptional driving pleasure and maximum comfort (the instrument cluster and steering wheel controls at the driver's fingertips, dual-zone climate control and a Bose Hi-End sound system, for instance).