The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti Pininfarina Styling | Part Two

Getting into and out of the 612 Scaglietti is easy for people of all sizes also, thanks to the special door hinges that ensure that the doors open over 150 mm wider than the 456M’s; the door frame profiles; the electric "easy entry-exit" switch which lowers the front seat and its headrest and slides it forward while the steering wheel tilts.

The driver and passenger seats are also wonderfully adjustable at the touch of a button to allow them to find the most comfortable position: the seats are adjustable for height, tilt, backrest angle and lumbar support. They can also slide forward and the headrest can be raised. There are also three memory settings which are linked into the exterior mirrors (tuck-in, demister and automatic modification for reversing) and the steering wheel position. For even greater comfort the seatbelts are "on board", i.e. hooked on to the seat structure beside the headrest.

Design

The design of the 612 Scaglietti fully expresses the model’s new values. In fact, Ferrari made a conceptual choice with Pininfarina to ensure that the four-seater would be a genuine departure from previous Grand Tourer models. It also made a technical decision that the bodywork would have to clothe a completely innovative structural layout. The 612 Scaglietti translates this approach into wonderfully aerodynamic lines. It is softly and elegantly aggressive, sculpted to express the powerful personality of a prestigious high performance, surprisingly roomy car.

Its strong lines run over full, solid surfaces, creating sensual forms that still have the tension of a true thoroughbred.

The long scallops on the 612 Scaglietti’s flanks lend it character and aerodynamic elegance too. These are borrowed from another famous Ferrari, the 375 MM ordered by Roberto Rossellini as a gift for actress Ingrid Bergman. The choice of the scalloped sides was far from casual as the only example ever built of the 375 MM was shown at the Paris Show in 1954: it was a truly magnificent model that married high performance engineering with a sophisticated, thoroughbred body.

The front wheel arches are very long with a shorter overhang while the rear ones are prominent and muscular to support the C-post. A dihedral enhances the line along the whole upper side. The projector headlights have transparent covers too. The 612 Scaglietti’s twin Xenon projector headlights also offer a beam that is far superior to traditional halogen lights.