New Ferrari's for 4: the 612 Scaglietti

NIKA  - SPECIAL TO THE STAR

MARANELLO, ITALY—The invitation was simple: the chairman of Ferrari, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, had the pleasure of inviting me, Nika, to the preview of the new Ferrari 2+2. Champagne all round, white-gloved waiters and a meal of peacock breast with vegetables. How could I resist?

As I entered the room at the Ferrari factory, I was greeted by the silhouettes of two cars under the drapes of red satin. For a Ferrari aficionado, it felt like Christmas in October.

While the orchestra played, I lingered among the crème de la crème of customers and VIPs from around the world who'd been invited to this exclusive unveiling — all were eager to glimpse the car that was the focus of the evening.

Would it be a beauty or a beast?

As we feasted on stuzzichini forno e fritti assortiti, the lights dimmed and the premiere began.

A simple nod of Montezemolo's head and the drapes were discarded. Unveiled were two examples of the new 612 Scaglietti: in lacklustre blue and silver.

The latter version of the new car shocked me by its resemblance to the Aston Martin Vanquish. I wished the musical sound of a V12 Ferrari could be heard to prove the unmistakable difference of the Prancing Horse marque.

A round of applause was heard and the guests descended on the cars like bees on honey

This new 612 Scaglietti is a four-seater Ferrari. Like the family wagon, it's a "somewhat practical" car for everyday use.

Now, Ferrari had ventured into the world of four seats before, but with a clutch of cars in the 1970s such as the 308GT4, 2+2 Mondial and the 400 that somehow seemed boring. Neither their looks nor their performance awakened the senses like that of other Ferraris, and their value drained away.

Until now, the 456M was the only four-seater Ferrari currently in production, with slightly more than 1,300 built from the time it was first produced in 1998. Although it was Italian in sound, in looks it was so bland that you might as well have owned a BMW sedan instead.

While the new Scaglietti initially struck me as another dull example of a Ferrari sedan, a closer look made me reconsider its tame outward appearance.

Although the Scaglietti is 157 mm longer than the 456 on a wheelbase that's been stretched 355 mm , its body is actually 60 kg lighter. The car's 65-degree V12 engine will deliver 540 horsepower at 7250 rpm, and reach a maximum speed of 315 km/h. The 434 lb.-ft. of torque the engine produces allows the car to turn in a 0-to-100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds.

This is also a car of "firsts." For one thing, it's the first time an all-aluminum space frame chassis and bodywork construction has been used on a Ferrari 12-cylinder. This gives the car a 60 per cent increase in structural rigidity — translating to increased safety in a collision and improved handling.

It's excellent weight distribution of 46 per cent front and 54 per cent 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.

The Scaglietti will be offered in both a standard six-speed shifter and the latest Formula One-style paddle shifters.

The interior is clean, well designed and easy to use. Entering or exiting the car from both the front and back seats can be done with ease and elegance.

Unlike the Aston Martin Vanquish, whose rear seat would only carry a bag of groceries comfortably, the rear seat of the Scaglietti is indeed a true rear seat, which appears to be comfortable for cruising.

A handy addition is a large and useful trunk that carries a five-piece luggage set, a full load of groceries or even two sets of golf clubs.

The new 2+2 is named after Ferrari coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti, who is best known for his work in the '50s and '60s on such road cars as the 1953 Mondial and the original Ferrari GTO. His most famous work was the 375MM created for Ingrid Bergman as a gift from her husband, Italian film director Roberto Rossellini

In 1970 Sergio Scaglietti sold his company to Ferrari but remained close to the business, and at 83 years of age his famous name will now grace the latest Ferrari offering.

At last, I fought my way into the driver's seat, pushing what looked like a European baron out of the way. Ferrari hasn't given any production numbers or specified a delivery date other than sometime next year — and it certainly wasn't giving out the keys at the premiere.

All I could do was sit in the driver's seat and imagine what family life would be like with the 612 Scaglietti in my garage some day.