Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 'China Tour'

About this model

Since China and Italy established diplomatic ties in 1970, this very special grand touring event titled 'Ferrari 15,000 Red Miles' was planned by Ferrari and recommended by the Italian government as a prelude to 'The Year of Italy in China', kicking off on August 29, 2005. A pair of Ferrari 612 Scaglietti grand tourer sports cars started from Shanghai, passed through 19 provincial level administrative regions in East, Northeast, North and Northwest China, and covered 24,000 kilometers in two months, accomplishing the magnificent feat of traveling around China.

No other constructor had ever undertaken such a daunting task. The route covered an enormous range of very different terrains and challenges. The cars endured extremes of cold and heat, incredibly tough road conditions and environmental obstacles of all kinds.

The 612 Scagliettis first headed north and then east toward Manchuria. After this they drove south-west to Beijing and then along the Great Wall as far as Lanzhou. From there they covered over 3,000 km at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres as far as Lhasa in Tibet before heading back west through the Gobi Desert to the ancient city of Kashgar (Kashi), site of Marco Polo’s famous silk market. After a further dash through the desert, the two 612 Scagliettis drove on to Urumqi and then down through the tropical part of the country to Guangzhou, which is more familiar to us as Canton. From there they continued on through the most modern and western part of China back to Shanghai after a round trip of 15,000 miles, completing their tour of China in around 45 days.

The Tour received the valued support of the Chinese authorities as well as logistical support from some of Ferrari’s most faithful sponsors, including Shell (fuels and lubricants with specialist support in the toughest areas), Puma (for crew clothing), Alcoa (technical partner and builder of the 612’s aluminium chassis), Pirelli (supplier of specialist tyres for the various terrains) and Saima Avandero (transportation of the cars, wheel rims and spares). Assistance and spares were provided by four vehicles: two Fiat cars and two specially equipped Iveco trucks.

The two 612 Scaglietti cars are in complementary colours. One is red with a silver bonnet and the other is silver with a red bonnet. They were modified minimally - they had a larger fuel tank with petrol filters that are easily accessed for cleaning purposes, under body protectors and slightly higher suspension to cope with the more challenging terrain. Their headlights were protected by a metal grille and some of the air intakes were modified to allow them to traverse water-logged areas in safety. In every other respect, however, the cars are normal production models with a 540 hp V12 engine and a maximum torque of 588 Nm, dry sump lubrication, a six-speed gearbox and a Transaxle transmission.