Arrivederci 612

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login It is with mixed emotions that my beloved 2007 612 Scaglietti HGTC departs to a new home in Florida. When it rolled off of the delivery truck on a chilly February morning in 2018 it was the realization of a childhood dream. While it has been a remarkable 2 and 1/2 years, for a variety of reasons it is time to move on. A few highlights:

-Took odometer from 11,900 to 19,300.

- Two Platino Awards at FCA concours including a Best in Class finish in 2019

- FCA group drives throughout the Northwest including Lake Coeur d’Alene, Columbia River Gorge, Northern Idaho/Western Montana and Crater Lake/Eastern Oregon

I am relieved that the new owner seems as genuinely excited as I was and by all accounts will be an excellent steward for the next chapter in the story of this remarkable automobile.

Paul, if you read this, take good care of her and have a blast.

Thanks to all who gave advice through this forum.

Arrivederci!!!

Chris

 

I guess there isn’t a short answer to your question. Here is something I posted a few months ago in a thread discussing 612 ownership experience:


I am nearly 2.5 years and 6000 miles into ownership of my 2007 612 Scaglietti HGTC. It is my first and only Ferrari. I bought it having never driven one. I have always preferred the idea of front engine V12 grand tourers and really liked the look of the 612 whenever I saw one in person.

Here are my impressions so far:

• The 612 is certainly fast, but not CRAZY fast. I actually prefer being able to use the engine at higher RPM without being instantly at illegal speeds, but I would never put someone in the passenger seat with the intent of impressing them with its sheer acceleration.
• The oft maligned F-1 transmission is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. I have never driven a more modern DCT, but I don’t find the F-1 to be unacceptably jerky or slow. Rev-matched downshifts are cool. Automatic mode is terrible, though. It shifts way too early in what I assume to be a futile quest for better gas mileage.
• I hate how loud it is; especially at cold start. There are many nice sunny mornings where I have a short day at work and would otherwise consider taking the 612 rather than my crappy daily driver, but I leave it at home to avoid waking up my wife and kids and hearing about it from my neighbor the next time I see him. I wish it had a “stealth” mode for quiet getaways.
• Even with the HGTC package, I find the exhaust sound pretty bland. It is plenty loud (see above), but I would prefer a higher-pitched exhaust note especially at higher RPM. Certainly not the “exotic” Ferrari V12 sound I was anticipating.
• I like the relative rarity of the 612. You really don’t see many of them even at Ferrari Club events.
• The lack of cruise control in a car that is designed for long road trips is a real head scratcher. It is very easy to unintentionally drift up to very high speeds, so constant attention to the speedometer is a must.
• I am surprised at how many parts are no longer available. The 612 went out of production only 10 years ago and I have come across several replacement parts that simply no longer exist. I am in a constant state of concern that the next thing to break will render the car unrepairable.
• I don’t appreciate any difference between “sport” mode and regular mode.
• The back seats are really spacious. I am only 5’10”, but I can sit very comfortably behind my normal driving position. I take my 6 and 11 year old kids with me frequently and have had four adults in the car on several occasions.
• The Bose media system is obviously outdated by now, but certainly looks better than the single DIN set up that the earlier cars came with. The sound is just OK.
• It only has 6 gears, but I am surprised that it settles in at 3000 RPM at only 80mph. I would have expected a taller final gear for a long distance cruiser.
• I bought the car with just under 12K miles and hit 18K this week. I try not to worry about the mileage and certainly did not buy the car as an investment. That said, as I approach 20K miles I am acutely aware that putting too many more miles on the odometer will make my V12 Ferrari less valuable than a well equipped Lincoln Navigator. Kinda takes the fun out of using it.

Overall, I am glad I bought my 612 and have mostly enjoyed the experience, though I’m not sure how much longer I will keep it.



Now...with that post in the rear view mirror and having ultimately decided to part ways with the 612, I can say that it came down to three main factors:


I have no place to put it. Our three-car garage is occupied by our daily drivers and the 2002 BMW Z4 that we bought new shortly after we got married and thus has significant nostalgic value. In the 31 months I owned the 612 it spent time in 5 different locations, none of which were ideal.


I live 300 miles from the nearest Ferrari service center or reasonably qualified independent mechanic. While the 612 is generally reliable, I was always driving on eggshells waiting for something bad to happen that would be difficult or impossible to fix. That never happened mind you.


Lastly, I am unfortunately one of those guys who truly despise what they do for a living. I literally have an app on my phone that shows the hours, minutes, and seconds until the day before my 65th birthday. I was hoping that the 612 would be a pleasant distraction during the decades that I have left until I can retire. What I didn’t anticipate is that I would start to see it as just another financial obligation between now and the day I ride off into the sunset. I suppose that it a bit personal and more than a bit depressing from a 45 y/o man, but hey...you asked!


Was it perfect? No


Was it EVERYTHING I was hoping it would be? No.


Would I do it again, even for only 2.5 years?

Hell yeah!

 

I love the idea of using it as a daily driver. As you can see in the photo, that is not a year-round option where I live!


I will be curious to hear about the reaction that you get driving it around town every day especially since exotic cars are not all that uncommon where you live. Due to its color and relatively subtle styling, even here in Spokane where cars like this are much less common, it was not at all uncommon for me to be stopped at an intersection and have no one give me a second glance.


Of course, there were also people who hung out of the window of their car to take a picture or a video! Image Unavailable, Please Login
View attachment 2999871 View attachment 2999872

 

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I actually never drove it in those conditions. This photo was just taken when I needed to pull it out of its storage garage to retrieve something behind it.

I took this other arctic picture on a quick trip from my garage to the storage garage. I thought it was a cool sight that you rarely see, but it created a fair bit of concern when I posted it on F-Chat. Many were concerned that such temps were harmful to the tires. No big deal for a five minute drive it turns out! Image Unavailable, Please Login