Let’s stipulate a couple of things from the get-go: I’m no Ferrarista, and most modern cars – by which I mean most designs made from 1980 onwards – fail to move me. But every time I see a 612 Scaglietti, which is not too often, I find it difficult to look away.
I’ll even go so far as to call this a beautiful car. Yes, yes, it’s 100% eye-of-the-beholder stuff. Completely subjective, just my point of view. Nice view, though, isn’t it?
The 612 was launched in 2004, taking over from the (also rather handsome) 456. Pininfarina Styling Director Ken Okuyama was behind the design, though I’m sure he did not work alone.
The butt is a bit bulbous, bordering on boring, even. I guess the Pininfarina designers had spent all their talent on the rest of the car. The aforementioned 456’s rear end was far more interesting.
Hard to fault the profile, given the context of the early Naughties. The front wheels were deliberately moved as far forward as possible – a very noticeable difference with the 456, and nearly all Ferraris since the late ‘60s. Clearly, the inspiration for this design harked back to the marque’s first decade.
The inspiration behind the 612 was this one-off 1954 berlinetta 375MM, ordered by Roberto Rossellini for his then-wife Ingrid Bergman. The scalloped flanks were shorter on the original car – and housed a vent that might have suited the 612 pretty well. Pity they didn’t crib any of the 357MM’s back end…
The more striking angle has to be this one, though. Okuyama et. al. simply ignored the 375MM’s pop-up headlights, which were no longer in favour by 2004, but took those sublime turn signals (I assume that’s what those are) frenched into the fenders’ apex and grew those into headlamps.
But they didn’t stop there. They added a crease on those swooping fenders, highlighting the fender line and prolonging it into the bottom lip of the grinning grille. Expertly done, to say the least.
Another reference to the distant past is the car’s name. Carrozzeria Scaglietti, founded in Modena in 1951, specialised in aluminium bodies and worked almost exclusively on Ferrari chassis. The 612’s engine and interior were made at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, but the body was produced by Scaglietti, which Ferrari took over in the ‘70s. Incidentally, the 612 was the first front-engined V12-powered Ferrari to be fitted with an all-aluminium body from the factory.
Said V12, in this instance, is a 5748cc DOHC motor producing 533hp and mated to a 6-speed paddle shifter, able to propel over 1850kg of aluminium, glass and leather to 320khp (199mph).
All modern Ferraris are frightfully powerful über-cars, that’s a given. But they’re also rather terrible, looks-wise. The 599, which is almost contemporary to our present CCavallino, bears some family resemblance, but it lacks the 612’s long-wheelbased grace and deliciously chiselled front end.
21st Century Meh-rraris, clockwise from top-left: 599, California, FF, Roma, 812, F12
None of the front-engined cars that have come out of Maranello since the 612 went out of production in 2011 have any juice to them, aesthetically-speaking. It’s difficult for the non-tifosi to tell them apart, save perhaps for the more recent Roma (the blue one above), which at least brings new design elements to the conversation.
I have yet to see their all-new model – the 12-Cilindri, which was launched last year – in the metal. Judging by the photos online, it looks different from its predecessors and seems to channel the Daytona. But I doubt it will threaten the 612 Scaglietti as the looker of the (modern) bunch.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder indeed.. Personally I think Ferrari lost it with the 348, and full regained itself with the 430. I can live with all the front-engined ones but the 612 ?? Never liked it from the start and after all these years it never changed. But hey, if we all would love the same, we’d have a lot of fights I guess.
Nope
The last good looking Ferrari was the Ferrari 456M GT
The 612 certainly has a more timeless elegance to it, although the newer Grand Tourers are also quite attractive.
As for their pure performnce cars they have gone over the top also in the sense that they are overhorsepowered and dangerous for roaduse by normal people.
Interesting line of thought, but the Roma and Amalfi work for me even if the big V12 cars don’t – they’re just too big and bulky for me. The 12 Cilindri may be a bit better but it’s still jolly big.
I still vote for the 308GTB though.
Seems our learned Professor T of Japan is fevered. This Fazz, it is true, is not outright offensive in the manner of the many since it, but it isnt any beauty either.
An (agreed) bulby bum, an unconvincing Zagato DB4 face-copy, a profile from the generic printer, and the whole too elasticatedly long, if this is the last aesthetic good the company can do it should retire from the car business forthwith, and sell watches and handbags for vast sums. (Oh, yes, it does already, I forgot. All hail Brand Worship).
The designer of this should’ve looked again, and noted that the rather oddball 300SLR-like Ferrari of Rossellini that he imposed upon his wife wasn’t at all liked by her, and not too long after its arrival, neither was he, by her, and she got rid of him.
Ingrid Bergman would’ve been a better inspiration. She was a great deal classier than this.
Perhaps this is why they are heading towards SUVs, they’ve simply run out of ideas for 2-door coupes, never mind the mid engine stuff. I’m with most of the others in professing my preference for the 456 which seemed pretty much perfect visually and somehow worked in every color EXCEPT red, this 612 is more akin to a mid-cycle refresh that tosses the best original parts for look-at-me stuff, and the front lights look somewhat pinched and forced.
The 456 was sublimely understated, many other Ferraris were and are kinda wild and out there, but (to me at least) this just seems…exaggerated somehow? And with a dash of “flame surfacing”, a la Bangle’s two+ decade old Z4, especially in the side. Perhaps it’s better in person, but I charitably thought that about many of Mitsuoka’s offerings as well and it didn’t work out that way in the end either.
I’m sorry, but compared to the beautifully sublime 456 the 612 is an aesthetic disaster. Not that I fault Ferrari. How do you improve on a design like the 456?
The 612 certainly has a more timeless elegance to it, although the newer Grand Tourers are also quite attractive.
As for their pure performnce cars they have gone over the top also in the sense that they are overhorsepowered and dangerous for roaduse by normal people.
I find the Roma to be beautiful and it is still in production.
The turn signals and coves of the 375mm seemed to be heavily cribbed for the 56 Vette(only the turn signals were moved to the rear as taillights!)
I think the 550/575 Maranello was the last good looking Ferrari to my eye, but I also prefer the 456 to it. I liked the 355 as well. I can’t get into the 612, I’d like to like it but it’s just boring to me, the only thing I’ll give it kudos for is quad round taillights…. Was there some sort of cultural revolt against these with both Ferrari and the Corvette ditching them? Ugh!
Saw one, I thought it looked ok, couldnt look at it like Mr T, I was in a truck going the other way.