The highlights at the Ferrari stand at the 61st Frankfurt Motor Show last month were the presentation of the 612 Scaglietti Model Year 2006 and the world preview of the F430 Challenge, the 8-cylinder berlinetta-derived competition car that will be taking part in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli from the 2006 season.
The German Show came at an important moment for the Prancing Horse. 2005 has been a year of both change and affirmation for the company. A year that has seen it separate from Maserati and consolidate its strong sales figures (the number of cars sold by 31 December will exceed 5,000 compared to the 4,975 delivered to new owners in 2004).
Ferrari has also reaffirmed the strong link between its GT and sporting divisions with the new F430 Challenge, which is specifically designed to meet the expectations of its sportier clients. The F430 Challenge retains the same general look and 490 hp engine as the road-going version. However, it also incorporates a large number of significant track-oriented modifications and a host of new features not seen in the car currently used in the series, the 360 Challenge, which it joins on the track next season and completely replaces in 2007.
Although Ferrari has worked hard this year to meet the demands of its sportier clients, that has not stopped it from producing the Model Year 2006 version of the 612 Scaglietti for owners who like ultra-refined elegance as well as performance.
Unveiled at Detroit in 2004, the flagship of the Ferrari range now has an even more impressive standard spec than ever with leather trim in the same colour as the seats now extending to the headlining and the side panels running lengthways between the A- and the C-post. The result is a brighter and even more elegant cockpit finish that can be personalised still further courtesy of the Carrozzeria Scaglietti programme.
The sumptuous MY06 also boasts a new radio-CD system with satellite navigation system, voice recognition system, MP3 player, Bluetooth and a Compact Flash memory card reader that will allow the owner to store and play 4 GB of music. The system is integrated with a newly refined display on the instrument panel too. To improve handling in tight spaces, rear-parking sensors are also now offered as standard.
Also on display at the Ferrari stand was the GTC Handling package for the 612 Scaglietti which offers a sportier set-up with carbon-ceramic brakes, a specific gear change software upgrade and 19” split rims.
In addition to the two versions of the Scaglietti and the new F430 Challenge, the Ferrari stand also featured the Superamerica, the F430 berlinetta and Spider and the 2004 F1 World Championship-winning F2004. All of the road cars displayed were equipped with the F1-style gearbox that is now ordered by the vast majority of clients.
Source: Cayman net news