Guide: Avant Garde Grande - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
BACKGROUND
Following a nigh on three-year period when a front-engined four-seat Ferrari had not been available, the firm from Maranello unveiled a brand new iteration of its flagship production offering in September 1992.
The 456 GT that emerged was a replacement for the long-running 365 GT4 / 400 / 412 that had been around in one shape or form since 1972.
Thanks to its clean sheet design the 456 re-wrote the rulebook in terms of what could be expected from a four-seat Gran Turismo – in addition to having been arguably the best looking car of its type ever built, the 456 was also appreciably quicker around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track than the contemporary mid-engined 512 TR.
As expected, an automatic 456 was added to the range in 1996 and, in 1998, an updated 456M was released to see out the model’s last few years in production.
Ultimately, just under 3300 examples of the 456 had been completed by the time it was discontinued in 2004, a figure vastly higher than its most obvious rival: Aston Martin’s line of Virage-based models to include the legendary Vantage V550 / V600.
However, following the introduction of the all-new V12 Vanquish in 2001, along with the Bentley Continental GT in 2003, British manufacturers had stolen Ferrari’s thunder when it came to the four-seat Grand Touring sector; with their stunning looks, blistering performance and exceptional build quality, the Vanquish and Continental GT undeniably represented a significant step forward compared to the ageing 456.
Britain’s reign as leader in the premier 2+2 GT sector was eventually threatened when Ferrari struck back with the release of its 456 replacement at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2004 when the stunning 612 Scaglietti was unveiled.
Internally dubbed Type F137, the 612 Scaglietti broke with convention on account of its massive (in Ferrari terms) near three metre wheelbase which allowed four adults to travel in genuine comfort. Moreover, in addition to unprecedented levels of cockpit space, the 612 Scaglietti offered a refined, easy-going nature rarely seen in products from Maranello.
Another significant aspect of the new Ferrari’s design was the adoption of an all-aluminium construction which, as per the 360 Modena / Spider, offered the dual advantages of weight reduction and much-improved rigidity. To reflect this, the new car adopted the Scaglietti moniker in honour of Sergio Scaglietti who had clothed some of Ferrari’s most famous road and racing cars of all time and was regarded as a true master of aluminium. Since 1973, the Scaglietti works based in Modena had been owned by Ferrari and, in more recent times, had undertaken the construction of all Ferrari’s aluminium spaceframe bodies.
612 Scaglietti production began in September 2004 for the 2005 model year at which point it became Ferrari’s most expensive series production offering.
CHASSIS
The 612 Scaglietti’s aluminium spaceframe was developed in collaboration with US company Alcoa. It incorporated a mix of extrusions and castings to which the aluminium body welded.
At 2950mm the wheelbase was a full 350mm longer than the outgoing 456. In order to optimise handling (along with the happy by-products of more direct intake ducts and better fluid dynamics) a front mid-engined layout was adopted with the car’s 5.7-litre V12 mounted further back in the chassis than ever before.
A 108-litre fuel tank was located vertically behind the rear seats which resulted in a 46:54 front-to-rear weight distribution.
Independent double wishbone suspension was fitted all round with an anti-roll bar at either end.
Active coil sprung dampers automatically adapted to changing road conditions. Via a steering wheel-mounted button the driver could select either Normal or Sport mode, the latter of which firmed up the shocks, quickened the speed-sensitive power steering, sharpened throttle response, quickened gear shift times and introduced a higher intervention threshold for the Control Stability and Traction system (CST).
Ventilated steel brake discs were fitted to each corner along with four-piston calipers. At 345mm (front) and 330mm (rear), these were 15mm and 20mm bigger than the outgoing 456M respectively.
Five-spoke BBS alloy wheels measured 8.5 x 18-inches at the front, 9 x 19-inches at the rear and were originally shod with 245/45 and 285/40 tyres.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
In the 612 Scaglietti’s engine bay was an uprated version of the longitudinally-mounted 5.7-litre 65° V12 used by the 575M Maranello.
Designated Tipo F133 F (compared to F133 E for the 575M), this latest motor ran a higher 11.2:1 compression ratio (up from 11.0:1). Other upgrades included skimmed heads, revised camshaft timing, 130° intake and exhaust valve seats, slightly enlarged intake lines and the latest Bosch Motronic ME 2.7 engine management.
Peak output was 540bhp at 7250rpm (up from 515bhp at 7250rpm).
The torque rating was an unchanged 434lb-ft at 5250rpm.
These engines were identifiable on account of their reversed colour scheme with predominantly red instead of grey intake manifolds and head covers.
The rest of the longitudinally-mounted engine’s characteristics were unchanged; these were all-alloy 65° V12s with dual overhead camshafts per bank, four valve cylinder heads, Nikasil-treated liners, forged Mahle pistons, titanium connecting rods and dry-sump lubrication.
Displacement was 5748cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 89mm and 77mm respectively.
In 2005 this engine (albeit re-designated Tipo F133 G) was adopted by the 575M Superamerica.
612 Scaglietti buyers could choose from one of two transaxle gearboxes for their car: a traditional six-speed manual or an optional electro-hydraulic F1 paddle-shift unit.
The six-speed F1 version (now dubbed F1A) was built by Graziano Trasmissioni. It offered a fully automatic mode or manual shifting via paddles mounted either side of the steering column behind the steering wheel.
Both gearboxes were mounted in unit with a bevel-type final drive and limited-slip differential. Power was transmitted through a single-plate clutch.
BODYWORK
Undoubtedly the most headline-grabbing feature of the 612 Scaglietti was its avant garde Pininfarina styling.
Quite unlike any series production Ferrari to have come before, the 612 was said to have been inspired by a one-off 375 Mille Miglia (chassis 0456 AM) displayed at the 1954 Paris Motor Show and sold to film director Roberto Rossellini as a gift for his wife, Ingrid Bergman.
Like chassis 0456 AM, Pininfarina designed the 612 Scaglietti with creased front fenders that stood proud of the inboard nose and hood. The 375’s fully faired indicator treatment located atop the front fenders was copied for the 612’s headlight assemblies.
Another striking aspect of the 612 imported from chassis 0456 AM were the scalloped flanks that spanned almost the entire length of the wheelbase. Both cars also shared a gently rounded tail.
Aside from a pair of discrete chin spoilers located underneath the corners of the front apron, the 612 (which had an impressive drag coefficient of 0.33) was completely devoid of any downforce-inducing addenda.
Despite a wheelbase extended by 350mm, thanks to short overhangs that kept 85% of the 612 Scaglietti’s mass between the wheels, the new car came in just 139mm longer overall than a 456M. However, at the time it was still the longest production Ferrari yet seen and was also 37mm wider and 44mm taller than its predecessor.
With the exception of thermoplastic bumpers, sill covers and mirror housings, the majority of the 612’s body panels were fashioned from aluminium.
INTERIOR
Inside, the 612 Scaglietti mixed modern and classic design touches, the result of which was an elegant yet up-to-date.cockpit.
Directly behind the three-spoke leather and aluminium steering wheel was a hooded binnacle that housed a large 10,000rpm rev counter flanked to the right by a smaller 340kmh / 220mph speedometer. Off to the left was an LCD screen for all manner of digital functions.
A prominent natural aluminium band was used to separate the upper dash and knee roll. It also housed a quintet of large circular fresh air vents. The natural aluminium theme continued elsewhere to include much of the switchgear.
Well bolstered sports seats with fluted centres were fitted front and rear. To make access into the back of the car as effortless as possible an electric easy entry / exit switch lowered the front seat and moved it forwards while simultaneously tilting the steering wheel. Special door hinges ensured the doors opened wider than ever before.
The list of standard equipment included electric front seats with driver and passenger lumbar support, an electrically adjustable steering wheel, electric windows, electric heated mirrors, a Bose in-car entertainment system, dual zone automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers and leather upholstery.
OPTIONS
612 Scaglietti buyers could personalise their new car with a number of optional extras to include the F1 transmission, custom paint and upholstery colours, Scuderia Ferrari front fender shields, Daytona seats, contrast stitching, bi-colour upholstery, coloured leather for the dash, windscreen surround, steering wheel, rear shelf, central tunnel and handbrake, contrast seat piping, a thicker stitch thread, exposed carbonfibre cockpit inserts (instrument plate, F1 paddle shift or gear lever knob, steering wheel upper crown, dash moulding, CD holder lid, rear tunnel tube), burnished handles and door plates, a silver dash-mounted dedication plate, iPod installation, a passenger airbag deactivation kit, parking sensors, a fire extinguisher, ball-polished wheels, satellite navigation, a satellite anti-theft system, transparent paint protection film, a six-piece luggage set and coloured brake calipers (black, red, yellow or aluminium finish).
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
At 1840kg, the 612 Scaglietti tipped the scales 150kg heavier than the outgoing 456M (1690kg).
Nevertheless, performance figures represented another significant step forward.
Top speed was now 199mph (up from 186mph / 185mpg for the 456M GT / GTA respectively).
Meanwhile, in F1 trim 0-62mph took just 4 seconds (down from 5.4 seconds for the 456M GTA) whereas the manual variant required 4.3 seconds (down from 5.2).
ITAL DESIGN GG50
At the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2005, Ital Design unveiled an officially sanctioned one-off 612 Scaglietti-based GG50 (covered separately).
Created to celebrate Ital Design boss Giorgetto Giugiaro’s 50th anniversary as an automotive stylist, following the GG50’s completion Giugiaro began to use it on the road and aspects of its design could clearly be seen on the subsequent Ferrari 599 GTB and FF.
2006 PRODUCTION CHANGES
Having displayed a two-tone grey over black 612 Scaglietti complete with one-off coachlines at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2005 (and then at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September), bi-colour paint was announced as an official option at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2006.
Other new options for 2006 included quilted seat, door, rear sidewall and headliner inserts plus improved software for the paddle-shift gearbox.
Ferrari also announced the availability of two upgrade packages intended to enhance the 612 Scaglietti’s driving dynamics.
The Handling Gran Turismo Sport pack (HGT-S) comprised sport tuned suspension and transmission (the latter re-mapped for quicker shift times), 19-inch diameter modular wheels and a sport exhaust with chromed exhaust grilles.
The slightly more comprehensive Handling Gran Turismo Competizione pack (HGT-C) included everything from the HGT-S kit plus ball-polished 19-inch diameter modular wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, six-piston front calipers and coloured brake calipers.
Now included as standard on all 612 Scagliettis were titanium coloured door jam plates, greater use of coloured upholstery (now extending to the headlining and the side panels running lengthways between the A and C pillars), rear parking sensors and a new infotainment system with satellite navigation, OLED display, Bluetooth, MP3 compatibility, voice recognition, a compact flash drive and an additional display housed in the instrument cluster.
612 KAPPA
In April 2006 Pininfarina unveiled the uniquely customised 612 Kappa based on chassis 145746.
Subsequently displayed at the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance which took place one week later, the 612 Kappa was a commission executed by Pininfarina on behalf of renowned Ferrari collector, Peter Kalikow.
Among the myriad special details requested by Peter Kalikow for chassis 145746 was a unique two-piece electrochromic glass central roof that enabled the quantity of light entering the cockpit to be adjusted through alternative tint levels at the touch of a button.
Other custom features included a chrome front grille, chrome headlight surrounds, a hood-mounted engine cooling scoop with polished aluminium trim, subtly re-profiled front fenders complete with engine cooling vents, personalised door handles engraved with the owner's initials, Enzo / F430-style tail lights moved to the top of the rear fascia, a Pininfarina instead of Ferrari emblem on the rear trunk lid, Pininfarina emblems on the rear fenders, a door sill plaque outlining the car’s special details and an out-of-range upholstery colour.
612 SCAGLIETTI HGT-C CORNES 30TH ANNIVERSARY
In June 2006, Cornes & Co. announced a batch of 20 special edition 612 Scagliettis to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary as Ferrari’s Japanese distributor.
Most of the 20 cars were completed to an identical specification in exclusive Blu Cornes paint with the brake calipers, speedometer and rev counter finished to match.
Other special details included an exposed carbonfibre fuel filler cap, aluminium mesh grilles for the front and rear aprons, customised two-tone upholstery (normally Blu Cornes and Tan), an alcantara headliner and central tunnel, contrast stitching, exposed carbonfibre cockpit inserts, Cornes 30th badges on the dash and central area between the rear seats and exposed carbonfibre sill plates inlaid with a body coloured aluminium plaque that featured the signature of Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo.
The HGT-C package was fitted as standard.
612 SCAGLIETTI GP BERNE EDITION
A second 612 Scaglietti-based run of specials followed the Cornes 30th Anniversary in July 2006.
The GP Berne Edition was announced at the Montreux Grand Prix revival in Switzerland which had been the site of Carlo Felice Trossi’s victory in a Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 in 1934 (the first Swiss Grand Prix). The 2006 retrospective honoured Ferrari as its featured marque and, to celebrate 40 years since the inception of Ferrari’s first Swiss distributor, along with Ferrari’s victory as a stand-alone manufacturer at the 1949 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten (where Alberto Ascari took victory in a supercharged 125 monoposto) the Maranello firm was commissioned to produce a batch of nine specially configured 612 Scagliettis.
Each car was painted in a special two-tone colour scheme that saw the 375 MM-style side scallops along with the centre section of the roof, the headlight inlays and brake calipers finished in Grigio Argento while the rest of the body was finished in darker Grigio Silverstone.
Inside was a uniquely appointed bi-colour cockpit with the lower dash, lower half of the steering wheel, door inlays, seat inlays and seat piping along with the sidewalls of the centre console and transmission tunnel trimmed in red leather. The centre consoles, rear armrest, cockpit pillars, door bases, parcel shelf, floors, overmats and (quilted) headliner were upholstered in dark grey alcantara with the remainder (to include the Daytona-style seat inserts and red-stitched upper dash) trimmed in dark grey leather.
A commemorative plaque was fitted to the passenger side of the dash and the HGT-C pack was included as standard.
612 SESSANTA
To celebrate Ferrari’s 60th anniversary as an auto maker, a batch of 60 612 Sessantas was announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007.
Each car came with a three-stage single-piece electrochromic roof (activated by a rotary switch located alongside the handbrake), a Manettino switch and red stop-start button on the steering wheel, unique 19-inch forged aluminium wheels, black chrome exhaust tips and uprated Motronic 7.3.2 engine management.
Two-tone paint, carbon ceramic brakes, the F1 transmission, full colour upholstery with diamond quilted seat, door, rear sidewall and roof inserts, a matching set of quilted leather luggage, diamond-pattern white-faced gauges and a new Bose infotainment system with reverse parking camera were included as standard equipment.
Each car also came with a dash-mounted 60th anniversary plaque that featured the car’s chassis number plus 612 Sessanta interior and exterior badging.
2007 PRODUCTION CHANGES
During 2007 Ferrari began to offer carbon ceramic brakes as a stand-alone option along with the new Bose infotainment system.
From that September the original Tipo F133F engine was replaced with the F133H unit that featured the improved Motronic 7.3.2 engine management software used on the Sessanta. The F1 gearbox software was also uprated.
612 SCAGLIETTI HGT-S RUSSIAN LIMITED EDITION
In December 2007, Ferrari Moscow announced a run of five Russian Limited Edition 612 Scagliettis built to a unique specification.
Included as standard equipment were Sessanta wheels, the F1 transmission, the HGT-S pack, full colour upholstery with diamond quilted seat, door, rear sidewall and roof inserts, alcantara-trimmed footwells and luggage compartment and exposed carbon cockpit inserts to include the door jams upon which were mounted white, blue and red Russian Limited Edition plaques.
2008 PRODUCTION CHANGES
In early 2008, Ferrari updated the 612 Scaglietti with a transmission casing from the 599 GTB (using the 612’s internals and gear ratios) and also fitted a 599-type twin-plate clutch. New F1 Superfast gearbox software cut shift times yet further and a Manettino switch together with a red stop-start button was now mounted on the steering wheel.
From this point, the traditional manual gearbox was discontinued
The HGT-S and HGT-C handling kits were replaced with a single HGT-2 package that included everything originally found on the more comprehensive HGT-C option.
Newly available options included an electrochromic glass roof and exterior mirrors, 20-inch Challenge-style wheels and cruise control.
As dealer orders for stock were no longer possible, all 612 Scagliettis were supplied through Ferrari’s special build Atelier programme and are thus sometimes referred to as One-to-One derivatives.
END OF PRODUCTION
612 Scaglietti production ended in early 2011 after its replacement, the four-wheel drive FF, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March of that year.
During six-and-a-half years, a total of 3025 were built, 2826 of which were completed with the paddle shift F1 transmission and the remaining 199 in manual trim.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Ferrari - https://www.ferrari.com, Ital Design - https://www.italdesign.it/ & Jeremy Hicks
