Ferrari 612 Scaglietti manual: PH Carpool

We've been enjoying the FF here at PH; this week's featured owner prefers its predecessor

Name: Mark Florko
Car: 2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti with manual gearbox!
Owned since: "I have owned the car a little over a year."
Previously owned: "Audi RS4, Audi RS6, Porsche 997, TVR Griffith, Mercedes C63, Lotus Elise, Lotus 2-Eleven."

Why I bought it:
"I have always tried to buy interesting cars when I have the opportunity. I do many miles a year, and always want to enjoy the experience as much as possible. For me, and for many, Ferrari is the pinnacle. But four seats are a must, so this narrowed my choice considerably! I was lucky enough to test drive a Ferrari FF for the weekend, a generous offer by a friendly independent Ferrari specialist in the hope I would be hooked, and would endeavour to strangle myself with finance!

The major motivating factor in 612's purchase

"But it wasn't for me. Although I loved the looks, it was just too polished and refined, it took care of everything, the four-wheel drive traction was immense and the gearchange smooth to the point of being characterless. I needed something more analogue, something that would involve me in the process of driving. This left me with virtually no option, the 456 was a great car in its day but was just too old and potentially unreliable. And the only other four-seat stallion in Ferrari's stable was the 612 Scaglietti. So I tried one, an automatic, and was left cold! Agrhh! By now I was desperate. I turned to Porsche's website to configure a Panamera before realising they are just so ugly! But this digression did bear fruit however, you COULD order a Panamera with a manual gearbox. Just imagine a Ferrari 612 with a manual box, did they make any? I remembered reading about a Ferrari 599 that was specced with manual, so in theory it would have been possible, so the search began..."

What I wish I'd known:
"How rare they are! It was proving difficult to find any. In the classifieds an ad would often state manual when what they actually meant was 'F1 paddles with manual override' so not a manual at all! When I did eventually find a car, I was in a pretty weak position. But after protracted negotiation she was mine. My first and only concern has been the size of the boot; for a car which can easily swallow four adults it is a shame that they have very little space for their luggage. Parking can be a squeeze; the car is large but doesn't feel it when you are on the move, so you really have to take care in car parks. But so far so good."

Looks are divisive but work in the metal

Things I love:
"Where do I start? The V12 steals the show. 5.7 litres of delicious creamy torque, made all the better by that manual transmission. It's an absolute joy to use, the clack-clack as the gearstick moves across the open gate is just so evocative of a time that is now firmly from another era. Ferrari no longer makes a manual car and I think this is a real shame, for driver involvement nothing can beat it. But for me, the thing that stands head and shoulders above everything else, even the gearbox, is the looks. I know this car has had mixed reviews back in the day, and, photographed badly, it can look a little disproportionate. But to see one in the flesh is quite something, it's ageing very gracefully indeed. I am still in awe of the shape, the side scallop is a work of genius. The same designer, Ken Okuyama, also penned the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati's 75th anniversary present to itself, the futuristic new 'Birdcage'."

Things I hate:
"I hate nothing about the car, but I would like a little more volume from the exhaust. An easy fix when my bank balance will allow. The fuel bill is large, but then I always knew this would be the case. The way it disguises speed is a little disconcerting, something that will get me into trouble one day!"

Hanging out in Spain with local owners

Where I've been:
"I love taking trips into mainland Europe, my favourite destination being southern Spain. The road from Bilbao south taking in Salamanca, Caceres, Seville and ultimately Ronda has been my longest trip so far, and the most memorable as I had the opportunity to meet with the Ferrari Owners Club of Andalucia and join them for a drive into the mountains. This car was made for trips like this, and the lightly trafficked 'A' roads of Spain are a playground. When I'm driving in the UK they are all I can think about!

Costs:
"So far very little. When I bought the car it came with a fresh service by a Ferrari main dealer, the tyres are wearing evenly across the tread and so are lasting well. One minor irritation was a rocker switch that operates the drivers window got broken by an over enthusiastic embarkation. I was given a replacement part by my friendly specialist, which I replaced myself! So far, so good!"

What next?
"Difficult question... Whilst researching manual 612s I discovered that very few were built. A friend at a main dealer told me there are as few as seven in the UK. So I really do have the last of an era in my possession. The last four-seat manual V12 Ferrari that Ferrari will ever make, I feel very lucky indeed."

Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!

[Sources: Ferrari Owners Club of Andalucia]

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