Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
The exotic Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is not only a mind-blowing, high-performance machine, but it's luxurious too. That rare combination puts it at the top of its class. As the largest Ferrari ever, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti measures 193 inches long by 77 inches wide. The design was to build a car capable of blistering Ferrari-grade performance in a package that could comfortably carry four actual adult humans, something no four-seatbelt Ferrari in history has managed. The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti was designed to replace the smaller 456 M. It is produced at Ferrari's Carrozzeria Scaglietti plant, the former home of the car's namesake coachbuilder in Modena, Italy. The design, especially the large side scallops and the headlights, pays homage to the custom 1954 Ferrari 375 MM that director Roberto Rossellini had commissioned for his wife, Ingrid Bergman.
The performance directive also drove some of the numbers up, particularly the 13.8-inch wheelbase extension. This stretch moved the front axle out ahead of the long V-12 engine to help establish the rear weight bias that's so crucial for proper sports-car-dynamic handeling. Like its 360 stablemate, Ferrari's 612 Scalietti's new superleggera body was engineered in cooperation with aluminum supplier ALCOA. The spaceframe design is similar in concept to the 360's, employing extrusions joined by cast nodes and reinforced with sheet stampings.
Under its long aluminum hood lies what may be the ultimate development of the 5748cc Type 133F 65-degree V-12. A new Bosch ME7 controller employing four knock sensors allowed the compression ratio to be tweaked up to 11.2:1, while a lower-restriction intake and larger exhaust mufflers improve airflow through the engine, boosting output to 533 horsepower and 434 lb.-ft. of torque. The similar engine in the 575M Maranello makes 508 and 434, while the 456M's 5.5-liter made 436 and 406 respectively. Transmission performance is also enhanced, with an additional synchronizing cone on each gear, for quicker, smoother shifts.
The MSRP price for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is about $318,538 and is worth every penny if you are a true Ferrari enthusiast.