Autoblog

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Prancing Horse, VOD Cars has put together a compilation video that's a must watch for Fezza fetishists. Justifiably, there have been plenty of complaints about certain automotive vids whose producers are predisposed to bad music choices, masking the real aural wonders that are purportedly the focus of the flick. This isn't one of them, so click on through to enjoy.

[Source: VODCars via Jalopnik]

Click image for photo gallery

To wrap up Ferrari's celebration of six decades of automotive porn, it took the wraps off a limited edition 612 Scaglietti dubbed the Sessanta -- Italian for "60."

Mechanically, the Sessanta is little more than a mildly massaged 612, sporting 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, black chrome exhaust tips and Ferrari's F1 gearbox. It's only when you open up the door and slip into the heavily bolstered seats that you get the sense that the Sessanta is something special.

The roof employs the three-position electrochromic glass that originally debuted in the Superamerica, which allows variable levels of light to swath an interior coated in custom leather by Frau. The steering wheel gets a start/stop button, the gauge cluster is a model-specific unit and in-car entertainment duties fall upon a Bose media setup that has a TV tuner and a rear-parking camera.

Appropriately, the Sessanta is limited to a run of 60, with the aforementioned mods, anniversary badging and choice of two colors: Grigio Scuro, a dark gray, and Rubino Micalizzato, what we're assuming is a dark burgundy.

We're hoping that one of these beauties makes its way over to Goodwood, so our man Frank can snap more pics than the few Ferrari made available.

Follow the jump for a video of the unveiling.

[Sources: ClassicDriver.com, OmniAuto]

Click image for high-res gallery

British police may not pack firearms, but when it comes to their motor pool, they've got us beat, hands down. True, those Vauxhall Astras might not look like much next to a fully-spec'd Crown Vic cruiser, but Scotland Yard seems to repeatedly be handed the keys to special vehicles that put even the most fantastic of exotic collections to shame, highlighted by publicity vehicles that have included a Renault Formula 1 car and a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

The latest to be adorned with the flashing lights on England's roads is a specially-prepared Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. The grand touring car was presented to British police as a sort of pace car to accompany the UK leg of Ferrari's 60th anniversary relay, a worldwide tour that has already been through the Middle East, the Far East, North America and parts of Europe, and arrives today in the United Kingdom.

Driving the GT will be police officers from five law enforcement agencies across the UK, leading a procession that will snake some 1500 miles through the British Isles from Belfast to Silverstone, passing along the way through such locations as Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London. The Scag is adorned with police livery and an emergency lighting bar along with the GTS Handling package and all the options.

We assume that the bobbies will be returning the keys at the end of the event, but it's not exactly like Ferrari GB could call the police to report the car stolen if they didn't. For our British readers, we wouldn't recommend testing the speed cameras for the next few days, just to be on the safe side.

[Source: Ferrari]

If you're going to introduce one of the world's most advanced automotive media systems, you might as well showcase it in one of the world's best vehicles. Bose has chosen the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti as its debut model. The new Bose Media System features customized 5.1-channel surround sound, an AM/FM/XM satellite radio tuner that can be accessed by genre, a 200 hours hard-drive, navigation system, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity with access through the system's display and a USB 2.0 input.

Oh, and it has an industry-first multi-format disc player. It can read and play virtually any type of disc you feed into it: CDs, DVD audio discs, DVD video discs, Super Audio CDs, MP3s, AAC and practically every other format available on recordable CDs and DVDs. It even has the Bose uMusic intelligent playback system that uses tags to identify listener "moods" and calls up similar songs from the hard drive. Of course the speakers have been optimized for the 612, as well. The system looks fairly easy to control with two large knobs and an upper and lower bank of preset function buttons. Follow the read link for more details on the system.

[Source: Bose]

click above image for larger photos of the 60th Anniversary Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Ferrari is a truly amazing car company. With an illustrious history that spans the last 60 years and then some, the company currently sits at or near the top of both motorsports and the commerical arena in which it sells its Italian exotics. This year is Ferrari's 60th anniversary, and it's celebrating the milestone in a very Ferrari way, which is to say unlike anyone else. The festivities begain at the Italian embassy in Abu Dhabi today where Ferrari owners set out on a relay that will ultimately involve over 10,000 cars on a trip across China, Japan, Australia, South Africa, American and all of Europe. The trip is actually a relay, in which a special baton will be carried that bears 60 enamel symbols representing the 60 most important events in Ferrari's history. It's topped by a platinum and diamond prancing horse – very fitting.

At the start of the relay this morning, Piero Ferrari, son of company founder Enzo, gave a speech in which he also announced that the company will build and sell 60 very unique 612 Scagliettis. The cars will be offered in a two-tone livery with available colors that have graced the marque's most memorable models from year's past. Each will have a trick electrochromic glass roof, of which the degree of opacity can be infinitely adjusted by the driver. What will make each 612 the rarest of collectibles, however, is a small enameled symbol, presumably matching one of the the ones on the relay baton, set in the center tunnel of each car. We're guessing you won't be able to arrive at your Ferrari dealer and plunk down a deposit for one of these. Chances are you'll be invited by the company itself to purchaes one. I wouldn't hold your breath for the opportunity, however.

Check out Ferrari's full press release after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari]

The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a bit of an oddity. The lackluster styling doesn't evocatively portray the heart-pounding performance, and despite the car's expansive length, it handles as nimbly as a car several feet shorter. But while the 612's incongruity might not win it as many fans as its peerless dynamics may warrant, it's still an Italian GT – one of the best, in fact. And there's few things we like better than improving on that formula. To that effect, Maranello is now offering the HGT-S package.

Ferrari has a bit of a recent history in offering these packages, having offered the GTC handling pack on the 575 M – the two-seater front-engine GT that preceded the 599 GTB and which shared the 612's epic V12. The 575 GTC mainly improved the suspension and brakes, while the 612 HGT-S focuses on the exhaust, suspension and transmission.

The exhaust valves open as low as 3000 rpm, which gives the benefit of a freer-flowing system through more of the range – considering the redline doesn't come until 8000 rpm – while reportedly producing a more enjoyable exhaust note. The adaptive active suspension benefits from a revised control system. And the F1A clutchless transmission gets updated software, bringing shift times down to a blink of an eye at just 150 milliseconds. There are also 19-inch wheels and the brake calipers are treated to bright yellow paint.

While none of the improvements in the 612 HGT-S much address the disappointing styling issues, they do manage to make a nearly flawlessly dynamic sports tourer even better, moving it even further ahead of the competition as the vehicle of choice for cross-continental jaunts.

[Source: Car Magazine]

Cornes & Co. has been importing Ferraris to Japan since 1976. To celebrate those thirty years of service, Maranello has created a very limited edition of its 612 Scaglietti grand tourer. Only 20 copies will be produced, and they will be offered exclusively to Japanese customers. The Cornes 30th Anniversary car begins as a 612 Scaglietti equipped with the factory's HGTC package. From there, it gets a slate of visual enhancements that set it apart from the rest of the prancing horses in the stable.

Outside, the  Ferrari gets an exclusive paint color called Blu Cornes, a carbon fiber filler cap, and mesh grille inserts in the front and rear fascias. The blue theme is carried over inside as well. The speedometer and tach faces are the same shade of blue as the bodywork, and the gorgeous two-tone interior mixes the deep blue with a rich tan, creating one of the most opulent cabins to be found in any Ferrari. Touch surfaces are made of carbon fiber, leather, or alacantra suede, depending on where you rest your hand. The dashboard and rear seating area each get special CORNES 30th badges, and the kickplates in the doorsills are graced with placques featuring the signature of Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo.

Price of entry is 33,980,000 Yen, which translates to around $304,000 USD. Delivery of the cars begins in November.

Check out official publicity shots of the interior after the jump. Cornes and Carview have photo galleries from the car's unveiling in Japan.

[Source: Cornes & Co. via Carview Japan]