Performance Investment
In many ways, the 612 Scaglietti represented a departure from the coupe that preceded it, the 456 GT, introduced in 1993. Besides the all-aluminum body, lower center of gravity and innovative weight distribution, the 612 Scaglietti is longer (by 5.5 inches), wider by 4 inches and taller than the 456 GT. The 612’s wheelbase is almost 14 inches longer than the 456’s. Its length (193 inches) makes the 612 the longest Ferrari ever made. This gives the car more room inside, although it would be an exaggeration to call the backseat roomy.

More significant for performance, approximately 85 percent of the 612’s mass sits inside the 116-inch wheelbase, compared with just 70 percent for the 456. Thanks to its aluminum body and chassis, however, the 612—no lightweight at 4,100 pounds—is nevertheless a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the 456. The aluminum construction also translates to tighter handling with less body roll. The lower center of gravity and novel weight distribution also give the 612 better balance during hard braking and acceleration.

The 612 shows Ferrari’s passion for performance in the several features derived from the company’s recently introduced, limited-edition Enzo Ferrari. The Enzo is the newest of the barely-street-legal Ferraris to transfer bleeding-edge racing technology to the road. Like the Enzo, the 612 makes use of a sequential six-speed manual transmission with an electrohydraulically actuated clutch, a Ferrari Formula 1 racing innovation. You shift the car by flicking with your fingertips little paddles mounted just behind the steering wheel. As with a Formula 1 car, there is no clutch to depress with your left foot and no need to take your foot off the gas. This state-of-the-art transmission shifts gears within 150 milliseconds. “There is no race driver on the planet who can shift gears that fast,” boasts Shaffer.