Big, Yet Nimble

The mind races while driving through historic Maranello, Italy, which has been home to Ferrari SpA since the auto maker's humble beginnings.

Ferrari is a household name in Maranello, and its sexy sports cars have traveled these streets for decades. Still, residents stopped and stared as a caravan of '05 612 Scagliettis, driven by journalists, made their way to the nearby Fiorano track — in the snow. The weather gods dished up 2 ins. (5 cm) the day we planned our drive.

By the time we arrived at the track, most of the snow had melted, and we got to push the 612 as hard as we could.

The Fiorano track was built at the direction of company founder Enzo Ferrari in 1972. More than half of the challenging 1.9-mile (3-km) track is corners, yet Ferrari says the average lap speed is approximately 112 mph (180 km/h). But that's without snow.

Still, we put the 612 through its paces. While its 193-in. (490-cm) length and 4,056-lb. (1,840-kg) curb weight make the 612 the largest GT car Ferrari has ever built, it is not apparent on the track.

This 2+2 is highly nimble. While handling the turns at Fiorano, it is difficult to imagine that Ferrari considers the 612 a “family” vehicle. In city driving, however, that became clear: The car has girth.

The 612 benefits from a perfectly tuned chassis that performs well during casual and aggressive driving. The spaceframe consists of 38% aluminum extrusions, and sheet aluminum helps with reinforcement.

The extensive use of aluminum provides for a vehicle that is light yet stiff. Engineers worked to assure near-perfect weight distribution (46% front, 54% rear). Lowering the center of gravity helped the 612 achieve cornering and handling characteristics that mimic some of Ferrari's smaller sports cars.

The 612's styling has received mixed reviews from many in the automotive press. One wonders why. Its long hood and wide grille are signature trademarks of Ferrari GTs, most notably the 456 and the 250. Penned by Pininfarina SpA, the car is a contemporary twist on Ferrari's history.

The 612's character line runs from the bottom of the grille up through the headlamps, across the front quarter panel and into the A-pillar. Its back end features Ferrari's signature four round taillamps and the prancing stallion centered on the flowing trunk lid. The quad chrome exhaust tips add to the sporting flare.

The 612's interior features high-grade, hand-stitched leather, with two tones used on the instrument panel. Our vehicle came with tan leather on the lower IP and on the seats and black leather on the top of the IP. The rear seats provide more than enough support but are a bit tight.

Although the exterior and interior may be gorgeous, what's in the engine bay is the true work of art: Ferrari's famous 5.7L V-12. Producing 532 hp at 7,250 rpm and 433 lb.-ft. (588 Nm) of torque at 5,250 rpm, this powerplant propels the 612 at a thundering pace.

The V-12 is mated to a 6-speed manual or 6-speed F1A electro-hydraulic automatic transmission. Our tester featured the F1A gearbox, which was a perfect match for the 612 and its intended driving characteristics.

Best of all, the F1A transmission fits the power band like a glove. Tap the shift paddles behind the steering wheel, and you feel like Michael Schumacher in an F1 race.

The 612 Scaglietti proves most capable. It should, for $250,000 (estimated U.S. base price). But good luck getting one. Ferrari says the 612, which goes on sale in the U.S. in July, already is sold out for the first 18 months of production.

Ferrari plans to build 550 612s and sell about 200 in the U.S. in the first year.