The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti came about in 2004 ready to replace the smaller 456M. This 2+2 seater fastback coupe featured a 5.7L V12 engine that produced 532 HP and 434 lb-ft of torque. This engine was mated to a six-speed automated transmission.
The 612 Scaglietti’s life span was cut short in 2011 with the birth of its successor, the Ferrari FF.
There’s a reason that Ferrari is a household name for any auto enthusiast, and the next couple of years will illustrate just what that reason is with new models just pouring out of the Italian sports car manufacturer.
The beginning of this liberation of models will be the successor for the current 612 Scaglietti. This successor will be unveiled in early 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, with a Spider version for the Ferrari 458 Italia coming out later that year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The long rumored successor for the Enzo supercar will arrive in early 2012, and the 599 GTB’s replacement, codenamed F152, will arrive in the second half of 2012.
The new 612 has been codenamed F151 and was already rumored to combine a V12 front engine that delivers a total of 550 HP with a 100-HP electric motor at the rear. The result will be a fuel consumption reduction of 35%. As for the 458 Italia Spider, it will feature the same folding hardtop as the California.
As the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti’s time in the sunshine comes to an end and while waiting for the new generation, Ferrari will be helping us pass the time with a few one-of-a-kind models. This Ferrari 612 GTS is one of them.
We only have a video of the car, but we presume it’s the result of Ferrari’s latest program that allows clients to create their own custom models straight from the factory in Maranello. It’s the same program that created the P540 Superfast Aperta in 2009.
A standard 612 Scaglietti is powered by a V12 engine producing 540 HP, but the GTS version has been packed with 550 HP and 600 NM of torque. There will only be one unit built in the world, which basically means someone with very deep pockets will be the one driving around town with this unique mechanical beauty.
A new Ferrari is prancing up the company’s Fiorano test circuit and, from the looks of this video, it just might be the new 2011 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.
Nothing is imminent as far as when this car is going to be unveiled, but Ferrari has mentioned in the past that the new Scaglietti could find its way into dealerships sometime in the coming years, possibly even as early as 2012. We also know that the next generation 612 Scaglietti will come with a modified V12 engine with direct-injection, as well as a stripped down chassis that should make it lighter and give the new Scaglietti more speed than its predecessor.
There’s also word coming around that the new 612 could also use gasoline-hybrid technology, a system Ferrari developed from the KERS system it currently uses in Formula One race cars. With this technology, the new Scaglietti supercar would come with an electric motor, a dual-clutch 7-speed Formula One transmission, and a set of lithium-ion batteries that should provide fuel economy and reduce C02 emissions in the process, similar to the 599 GTB Fiorano HY-KERS concept the company unveiled earlier this year.
Ferrari boss, Luca di Montezemolo, already informed us all of Ferrari’s intentions to go hybrid with the next Enzo, 599, and Scaglietti back in June during an interview with British magazine, Auto Express. And while, at the time, details were a little sketchy on what type of combination engine the Scaglietti would receive, things can be seen a lot clearer today.
The successor for the current 612 Scaglietti will be unveiled in March 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show and will come with a twelve-cylinder front engine that delivers a total of 550 HP with a 100-HP electric motor at the rear. The result will be a fuel consumption reduction of 35%.
On the exterior, the next 612 will be heavily inspired by the 458 Italia and the Vettura Laboratorio HY-KERS. The sports car will get a strong front, curved hood, and wider wheelbase. The Vettura Laboratorio concept combined a V12 engine with an 100 HP electric engine and a dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission.
Sales will begin in the summer of 2011, and prices are expected to be in the 300,000 euro area.
While talking about the future roadster version of the Ferrari 599 with the British magazine Auto Express, Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo also offered a few details on the company’s future hybrid plans.
During the interview, Luca di Montezemolo said: "The future for Ferrari is hybrid for the 12-cylinder and new [turbocharged] technology for the eight-cylinder. Within three-four years we will be ready with a V12 hybrid based on the HY-KERS concept."
Translated this means that the successor for the Enzo, the next 599, and the Scaglietti, will be powered by smaller-capacity V12s mated to electric motors to boost efficiency.
For the Vettura Laboratorio HY-KERS, the powertrain combines a V12 engine with an electric motor producing more than 100 Hp and is coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission.
Internally known as the F70, the next Enzo will combine elements from the FXX Mille-Chili lightweight concept, the 599XX track car, and the 458 Italia. The F70 will be a very light car with a total weight of about 2200 lbs making the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than 3 seconds, while top speed will go up to more than 230 mph.
