2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, named for the Modenese designer who mastered the automotive aluminum form, is designed to be the world's finest four seat sport coupe. In the long-standing tradition of Gran Turismo Ferraris, the goal is accomplished through high tech, avant-garde design. Styling is by Pininfarina, which advances the sports coupe paradigm while paying homage to the famed Ferrari 375MM Coupe commissioned in 1954 for Ingrid Bergman by Roberto Rossellini.

Space and efficiency complementing high performance are hallmarks of the new Ferrari four seater, which attains the highest levels of thrust and balance without sacrificing comfort and luxury. The 612 Scaglietti is the pinnacle of practical Italian automotive style with light but rigid all-alloy construction, a superb 540bhp (DIN) V12 engine displacing just under six liters, the new F1A paddle shift transmission, the first application of integrated stability and traction control in a Ferrari, continuously variable suspension damping, and a host of luxury appointments expected by the discerning drivers who count themselves amongst the Ferraristi. Grand luxury and exceptional functionality combine with supreme driving pleasure in the 612 Scaglietti, the Ferrari for more than two.

Conceptually, the 612 Scaglietti was to be the greatest four seat high performance coupe, relying on light weight and structural rigidity for its performance and comfort while providing adequate power to provide enjoyment in all driving situations. Further, the Scaglietti was conceived as a tribute to Italian design and elegance, showcasing today's technology with echoes of classic styling. The clean-sheet design 612 Scaglietti is inspired and innovative. It does nothing short of marrying a cabin capable of accommodating four occupants in comfort with the body of a thrillingly nimble, sporty, front-engine rear-wheel drive berlinetta, offering unprecedented interior comfort and appointments: a concept realized in full.

The 612 is a car with all of the fiery temperament and driving pleasure of a thoroughbred Ferrari, combining thrilling performance, agility and premium construction while going a step further by offering rear passengers two comfortable, roomy seats. The aluminum technology used in the space frame chassis and body, such a success in the 360 Modena, results in a massive 60% increase in overall body structure efficiency, measured by the weight-to-rigidity ratio. The light yet incredibly rigid aluminum construction offers other significant benefits in terms of performance - acceleration, braking efficiency, handling, dynamics, and general drivability are all class leading; comfort - the interior is wonderfully quiet.

The interior of the 612 Scaglietti is stylishly fashioned with a focus on comfort and practicality. The dominant materials are stitched handcrafted leather, and aluminum. This is a sporting, sophisticated interior that reflects the 612's high tech soul and old world pedigree.

A wide range of other features guarantee exceptional driving pleasure and maximum comfort. The electro-fluorescent digital and analog instrument cluster, steering wheel mounted controls at the driver's fingertips, dual-zone climate control with aluminum controls on the central console and vent clusters on the dash, doors and central tunnel allow occupants to set the air flow and desired temperature within a range of ten degrees. A specially developed nine speaker Bose® six channel digital sound system including radio, single CD in-dash and trunk mounted CD changer, offers the same audio quality as a premium home entertainment center. A microphone in the overhead console controls the AudioPilot™ which automatically equalizes the sound if it senses other background noise or disturbance.

Other standard features of the 612 Scaglietti include a dusk sensor switch which automatically turns on the headlights when activated, a rain sensor for automatic windshield wiper activation, and an immobilizer anti-theft system with alarm.

The 612 Scaglietti has the soul of a sporty berlinetta and the dimensions and design of a luxurious, surprisingly roomy Grand Tourer. Its architecture is enhanced by the innovative styling featuring a long wheelbase, cab-rear layout with short overhangs, and highlights its dynamic power. The car boasts a big, sculpted body, long aerodynamic hood, strong lines, and characteristic scalloped-sides which are a clear visual reference to the iconic 375 MM built for Roberto Rossellini as a gift to Ingrid Bergman.

As a genuine "four-seater", the 612 Scaglietti does not compromise occupant comfort. A host of features, ranging from the size of the doors to the specially developed hinging and the easy entry system, mean that all passengers will enter and exit the car with ease. The 612 Scaglietti offers substantial front and rear legroom. Excellent ergonomics and headroom are a particular feature of the body-hugging rear seats. Even the luggage compartment is larger and more accessible than that of Ferrari's previous four-seater. The 612 nonetheless retains the classic proportions of a front-engine sports coupe, demonstrating artful packaging of the greatest space.

The 612 Scaglietti's aerodynamics bear the fruit of Ferrari's incomparable racing experience and the designers' specific decision to develop necessary downforce without unnecessary drag. The first step in this process was to optimize the car's form, achieved using a special computer program developed by Ferrari and the University of Pisa. This was followed by intensive wind tunnel testing to refine the details. Development of the 612 Scaglietti's aerodynamics took a significant 3,500 hours, half of which were spent in the wind tunnel.

The styling, developed in close collaboration with Pininfarina, melds functional demands with pure aesthetics. The development of the wheel arches, hood, cabin and rear results in a slender car that is as aerodynamically efficient as it looks. Careful research also went into the design of the car's underbody to ensure optimal airflow. The rear diffuser helps generate optimal downforce while dissipating heat from both the exhaust system and the gearbox oil radiator.

The goal of comfort and stability at speed has been attained in exceptional style, particularly for a front-engine car: Cd of 0.34 and a vertical load of 254lbs at 186 mph.

The 612 Scaglietti has an entirely aluminum structure made up of straight extrusions (38%) connected by casts (34%) which act as joints. The sheet aluminum (28%) reinforces the structure. Both the skin and the space frame chassis are pressed sheet aluminum reinforced with casts and extrusions on the door posts and roof. The components are assembled using processes appropriate to the function: MIG welds, spot welds and rivets respectively. The result is a car 40% lighter than other vehicles of similar dimensions and a body 60% more efficient in terms of weight-to-rigidity ratio than its predecessor. High rigidity means a significant reduction in noise and vibration which in turn mean enhanced comfort and handling.

Reflecting its name, the 612 is constructed at Ferrari's Scaglietti Light Alloy Technology facility in Modena. On a specially created assembly line, each coupe moves through 10 geometry stations for robotic controllers to measure 450 verification points before the doors, hood and trunk lid are hung. The result is a car with exceptional structure, the platform for a world-beating four seat coupe.

The 612 Scaglietti's front-mounted engine is a special development of the 575M Maranello's twelve cylinder motor. The 5,748 cc 65° V12 dual overhead cam per cylinder bank, four valves per cylinder powerplant of the four seat coupe is the pinnacle of Ferrari technology. Like the cars' structure, the engine block, cylinder heads and sump are all made from aluminum alloy. The dry sump lubrication system features an oil and water pump in one unit, with two scavenge and one delivery pump, two oil filters and a dedicated oil radiator. Other features include steel cylinder liners, hydraulic tappets, and variable intake manifolds with an extra central plenum that improves fuel-air swirl.

A massive 540bhp (DIN) at 7,250rpm and 434ft-lb at 5,250rpm belie the broad power and torque curves that allow the car to perform exceptionally well at low and medium engine speeds in every gear. The big V12 benefits from modifications that have optimized its performance and fluid dynamics. The most important are intake tracts with separate ducts per cylinder bank from the radiator grille opening on the front bumper, and exhaust porting and system geometries and volumes that reduce back pressure. Electronic engine control is by a single Bosch Motronic ME7 CPU per cylinder bank which jointly control the PFI multiplex injection and drive-by-wire system. Four knock sensors are positioned in the engine block.

The 612 Scaglietti uses a new development of Ferrari's renowned six-speed paddle shift manual transmission that can be used in fully automatic mode. The F1A transaxle transmission puts the rear-mounted gearbox in unit with the differential and bevel-type final drive with limited-slip differential. The rear-mounted gearbox and transaxle combination helps contribute to the Scaglietti's excellent weight distribution and dynamic balance. The F1A is one of the sophisticated new generation Formula 1-derived electro-hydraulic systems Ferrari uses with great success on all of its road-going models. The software that controls it is optimized for faster, more comfortable gear shifting.

The versatile transmission offers a great driving experience. The driver can choose either Manual or Automatic mode through a switch on the central tunnel. In Manual, the gears are changed using the paddles mounted just behind the steering wheel while a computer controls the clutch. In Auto mode the computer has full control over the transmission. In either setting, gear shifting ranges between comfortably fast and sporty, depending on the setting of the steering wheel mounted "Sport" button, and driver input. The F1A offers smoother, speedier gear shifting than traditional manual gearboxes, improves comfort, and can potentially increase safety and improve handling since the driver's hands need never leave the wheel. Like the 612 Scaglietti, the F1A provides significantly improved performance with exceptional comfort.

The 612 Scaglietti has a space frame chassis whose structure is made up of straight aluminum extrusions connected by casts which act as joints, while sheet aluminum reinforces the structure. This light but rigid structure forms an exceptional platform for this special high performance luxury coupe, helping to provide lithe handling, superb dynamic response, luxurious road comfort and controlled interior noise.

The chassis architecture includes four large castings on which all the suspension and steering mounting points are CNC machined. This is designed to provide correct structural dimensions in the areas of greatest stress, which in turn improves the car's performance. Two robust castings for the A-pillars integrate with the doors.

The aluminum alloys used to build the 612 Scaglietti are extremely ductile during the pressing and extrusion phases and then become incredibly resistant and tough once they have been subjected to special heat treatment. In addition to this, each casting has differing mechanical characteristics by area, a result of differentiated heat treatment.

The 612 Scaglietti's suspension is as advanced and innovative as the rest of the car, providing handling and control in line with the coupe's excellent 46% rear / 54% front weight distribution. Independent shock absorbers and coil springs are located by forged aluminum double wishbones mounted on aluminum and rubber rose joints at all four corners. Anti-dive and anti-squat geometry is designed into the system.

The 612 Scaglietti has an active damping, variable calibration adaptive suspension system. Steering wheel mounted controls allow driver selection of "Normal" and "Sport" modes. Calibration of the dampers is controlled by independent software integrated with the other electronic control systems. The system uses sensors to record the movements of the wheels and body, instantly adapting the calibration of the dampers to suit requirements, depending on road surface and driving style.

Working in concert with the braking, suspension and transmission, the 612 Scaglietti's Electronic Stability and Traction Control System (CST) is a Ferrari first. CST offers exceptional performance and enhanced safety engineering. The system integrates and completes the ABS and ASR functions by controlling the directional dynamics of the car. The 612 driver can select "Normal" or "Sport" modes for CST, or deactivate the system.

The 612 Scaglietti's Bosch 5.7 ABS braking system is particularly responsive and resistant to fading, a perfect partner to the car's performance. Large diameter, cross-drilled, ventilated discs with four-piston calipers are actuated through a twin membrane servo with integral pump. Combined with the 612's impressive weight distribution, braking excellence is fully realized.

The 612 Scaglietti's asymmetrical (18" front, 19" rear) cast aluminum wheels, combining performance and low weight, are a highly efficient compromise between performance and weight reduction too. Mounting big tires (245/45/18 front, 285/40/19 rear) helps provide the right balance of comfort and performance. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) alerts the driver to changes in the tire pressure via a display.