The Ferrari Family Truckster:
While the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti isn't a wagon and it doesn't have wood paneling running along its sides, it is the largest prancing horse in Ferrari's stable. It's a 2+2, which means two seats in the front and two in the back. The difference is that the rear seats in this supercar are by all accounts usable by full-sized, grown-up humans. The trunk is even big enough to hold luggage, another rarity in high-performance cars.
Horses under the Hood:
The 612 Scaglietti has a 6.0L V12 engine with 48 valves perched between the front axle and the firewall. The transmission is a Formula 1-derived six-speed automated manual with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel that can move between gears in 100 milliseconds. All of this power and precision adds up to a 200-mph top speed and a 0-62 time of 4 seconds.
Few Changes for the Flagship:
Ferrari introduced the 612 Scaglietti (pronounced skal-YET-ee, by the way) in 2004 as a replacement for its previous four-seater, the 456. In the years since, the Scaglietti has seen few changes, and most of those were due to technological improvements, such as the F1 transmission and standard ceramic brakes. It also has the Ferrari "manettino" button on the steering wheel, which allows for control of chassis systems like stability control, and a push-button start. For 2009, an "electrochromic" glass roof with three tint settings was added.
The First for Ferrari Atelier:
Like many high-end cars, Ferraris have always been built to order; the only limit was the one on your credit card. The company introduced Ferrari Atelier to refine the customization experience, and the 612 Scaglietti was the first to receive the boutique treatment. Buyers can visit Ferrari headquarters in Maranello to discuss paint, leather, trim, and accessories, then have the car delivered to their exact specifications. The 612 Scaglietti already starts at over $300,000, and only goes up from there, depending on the buyer's extravagance.
Sounds Good:
The eight-channel, surround-sound system in the Scaglietti is worth its own mention, as it was created specifically for this car. It stores up to 20 GB of music on the built-in hard drive, then uses a program called uMusic to analyze your listening habits and make selections based on tone and rhythm rather than artist or album. The system can be controlled by voice or by buttons on the steering wheel, and tunes can be transferred via the USB port. The remaining 10 GB on the hard disk are reserved for software and the nav system.
