Received the new issue of UK CAR mag today, and saw this.
Huhh..... At first glance, its front resembles a Ford Thunderbird....Is it a V8 or V12? When is it supposedly available and how is it priced?
I like the car, except for the front bumper. It does not need to have the character lines carry down from the headlights. It makes it look like one of those grinning cars from the Tesoro commercials from a few years ago.
It has a v12. The v12 is a detuned Enzo engine, that will pump out ~550 bhp. It should be at dealers by June, but I am not sure on the price of it. From what I have read, it looks a lot better in person and it is supposed to be quite the performer. MJG
I saw the car in flesh at the factory, really does not have the balance and grace of the 456. Very bizarre proportions. On top of that, some details such as the funky looking ribbed cylinders housing the headlights really look bizarre. So do some interior details too (AC controls) although the instrument panel is not bad (if it ends up working ...). Maybe it's still less dull to drive than a CL600 ...
Matt, I thought in the big 612 thread they said it ended up being an evolution of the 575M engine and not an Enzo engine. In any case, I hate the goofy grin look of the front end. A revamped fascia next year might salvage some dignity for the car.
It will be priced around $240,000 but difficult to say because of the declining dollar. Ferrari dealers are taking names.
Non F-car biased eyes call it like they see it. This car, the 456, and to a lesser extent, the 550/575, are boring, uninspired, and derivative when talking about their physical traits. And that's being nice. I will say that the interiors of all three of the aforementioned cars, as well as their powerplants, are great and definitely worthy of the Prancing Horse. But the exteriors are substandard, ugly frankly, and if you feel differently you walk in the minority. The 612 is an abomination, hopefully Ferrari's next model launch (the 575 replacement) gets them back on the path.
I think that is the WORST looking ferrari in a long long time. It will be fast, no doubt, but it is not pretty to look at.
Yeah that clown shoe looks GREAT. Jesus man, are you blind? Do you also love the TVR, which is similarly awful? LOL
It's those damn headlights that ruin the car. redesign those and make a nicer front bumper and it may look good. This looks like a job for our photoshop team!! But as the car sits now..it's one ugly duckling.
These are going to sell worse than the 456, which dealers cant even GIVE away nowadays. Were talkin 612's sitting on floors at MSRP for months at a time. There wont be a list for this car, thats for sure. Walk in to a dealership and pick the one you want off the showroom floor (or maybe lot in this case, showrooms might not be big enough to hold all of these monstrosities that go unsold). So its like buying a toyota!
Looks like the front of a Z8, sides of a 1st gen vette, cabin/roof of a 360 and the back of a maserati. I'm not questioning its performance, im sure its a great car, its just not much of a looker. Im afraid to see what they will replace the 360 with.
I think the 612 is certainly a huge styling dissapointment.I took a look at it in philly and must say it's pretty bland.Not to mention that fugly smiley face front end.Although I like the Enzo I don't think that styling will work on the 360 replacement.I'm not to optimistic about the ferrari's of the near future honestly.
Really? I will have to look at that. Everything I read in the magazines (AutoWeek, Car and Driver) they said it was a detuned Enzo engine. I'll look into it a little more.
Ryan, You were right. I got this excert off of the Ferrari site. Engine The 12-cyllinder, 65°V 5748cc engine with its 540 bhp at 7250 rpm delivers a not-insignificant 98 bhp more that the 5443cc unit used on the 456M. The engine has been modified a little compared to that mounted on the 575M Maranello: performance has been tweaked and the fluid dynamics improved. In particular, a new, more permeable suction routing and two air intakes set at the sides of the central opening in the bumper, a new shape and resized exhaust system to reduce counter-pressure that ups the compression ratio to 11.2:1, the optimisation of the fluid dynamics of the internal conduits in the inlet tracts and exhaust porting are some of the main changes. A Bosch Motronic E7 unit looks after the engines electronics and provides precise and responsive - yet driver friendly - performance in any road conditions.
You guys are being too harsh on the 612. Trust me, it looks a lot better in person than in photos. Plus, my guess is that the 99.99% of the people on F-Chat are not the target market for this car. Indeed, my guess is that the typical 612 buyer wouldn't be caught dead on any kind of chat board. Who is the market for this car? My guess is two basic types: 1. Older multiple Ferrari owner who is looking for a daily driver car. This guy could care less about depreciation. 2. A young guy like me (51 ) who is a successful doctor, lawyer or indian chief who would really like to get a 360 Spider (in Yellow, no less), but whose wife is no fool. She knows what type of women are attracted to 360 Spiders. Let's just say that these women typically work as "dancers" on a part-time basis. There is no way that she is gonna let him get a Yellow 360 Titty Dancer attractor. HW, he can convince her that the 612 is a "family car" just like a MB. BTW, this guy could care less about depreciation. My prediction? Ferrari will sell every 612 it brings to the states for sticker. Hey, we're only talking about maybe 200 cars a year. Dr "No Titty Dancers Here" Tax
