Editor's note: Ferrari recently gave journalists the opportunity to experience its flagship 612 Scaglietti coupe on the streets and around the track at the Road America racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Consumer Guide® was there and for fun, we've structured this drive report in the same way we do for all the other cars we test.
 The 612 Scaglietti is Ferrari's flagship and a four seater. |
2006 Ferrari
Scaglietti
Class: Exotic car
Drive wheels: Rear-wheel drive
Base price: $256,959
Built in: Italy
Also consider: Lamborghini Murcielago,
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Highlights
Ferrari's aluminum-bodied flagship model is a four-seat, 2-door
coupe with a top speed of 199 mph. The 612 Scaglietti is designed
to be a grand touring car that balances high performance with
passenger comfort. It uses a 532-hp 5.75-liter V12 engine. A
6-speed manual transmission is standard. Optional is a 6-speed
sequential manual transmission (SMT), which acts as a manual
transmission without a clutch pedal but can also be driven in
automatic mode. Shifting is done via steering column paddles. ABS
is standard, so is a traction/antiskid control system with a
driver-adjustable switch for high-performance driving. Neither side
airbags nor curtain side airbags are available. The optional GTB
package includes carbon ceramic brakes, uprated suspension, and
specific exhaust tuning.
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Ratings |
Base w/GTB pkg., SMT |
| Acceleration |
10 |
| Strong and smooth, with no drop in power delivery as engine speed rises. Ferrari's 4.0 sec 0-60 mph claim feels about right. No-sweat highway passing and merging. SMT provides crisp, responsive shifts in manual mode, but occasionally slurs on automatic setting. | |
| Fuel Economy |
2 |
| No opportunity to measure. Premium-grade fuel required. | |
| Ride Quality |
4 |
| Firm and sporty, but compliant over most surfaces. Sharp bumps induce some jarring, but sport suspension and high-performance 19-inch tires don't detract from comfort. | |
| Steering/Handling |
10 |
| Tenacious grip in turns, aided by GTB's uprated suspension. Steering informative, if not quite as quick as that of Porsche 911. Massive carbon ceramic brakes erase speed with near-perfect pedal feel. | |
| Quietness |
5 |
| Engine, exhaust note prominent, but are a joy to hear; they almost negate the need for a radio. Tire, wind noise minimal. | |
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Ratings (cont.) |
Base w/GTB Pkg., SMT |
| Controls/Material |
10 |
| Leather upholstery, panels, and headliner can be matched to any color a buyer desires, and can be paired with real wood or carbon fiber trim. Radio buttons are small with indistinct markings. Smallish speedometer is hard to read at a glance. Materials quality and assembly are second to none. | |
| Room/Comfort (Front) |
7 |
| Seats are long-haul comfortable, have plenty of back, leg support. More than enough room for most any driver. Visibility good all around, though high rear deck partially obscures the view directly astern. | |
| Room/Comfort (Rear) |
2 |
| Medium-size adults can fit with the front seats more than halfway back. Decent head, leg room, but seat's prominent side bolsters can be uncomfortable for small riders. Entry/exit eased by power passenger seat, hampered by low roofline. | |
| Cargo Room |
2 |
| Small for the car's exterior size. Trunk is wide from side to side, but narrow from front to back. A couple golf bags will fit, but without any additional room to spare. Skimpy interior storage limited to small glovebox, center console. | |
| Consumer Guide® Value in Class |
8 |
| Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti has all the performance of any Italian or German exotic car. It costs plenty, and there's at least a one-year wait to acquire one. But where it really stands out is its ability to go almost 200 mph and do it with four passengers aboard. That makes it a great value in this top tier of automobiles. | |
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