Ferrari 612 Scaglietti OTO buyers guide and review

A total of 3,025 612s were produced, Unfortunately Ferrari 612 sales were slow and because the economy crashed in 2008 it made the sales even slower. In total there are only 199 equipped with a manual gearbox, which is a very rare and expensive option and only about 500 with the One to One personalization like this car. Not many people at that time could afford a Ferrari let alone to customize one, so the production numbers were small. For those who could afford one Customization choices were vast. At the very beginning OTO was the name of Ferrari's personalization program. That name was later dropped in favor of "Ferrari Atelier".

All OTOs were special ordered. Ferrari stopped pushing 612s to the dealers sometime in 07 and each had to have a buyer before Ferrari would build it. So it really was a one to one experience, which was necessary to find a buyer because the OTOs were the most expensive cars Ferrari sold at that time. One of the OTO standard upgrades from previous 612s is the transmission. Many people think the 612 has a 599 tranny, however it has a 599 transmission case (with 612 innards and gear ratios) to match up with the twin plate 599 clutch. It did, however, have the F1 Superfast system with minimum shift time of 100 ms, reduced to approximately 85 ms for the HGT2 package. So for over a year, OTO 612s with the HGT2 package shifted more quickly than the 599. That all changed in 09 with the introduction of the 599 HGTE. The OTO also had the option of carbon ceramic brakes which are very long lasting, 20" challenge wheels, and sport exhaust.Ferrari likes to give their models a facelift every few years, so 2008 saw the introduction of a switchable manettino. Translated from Italian, it means "little switch" or "little lever," and that looks like what it is. But it reality, it enables the driver to control driving modes without the hands being forced to stray too far from the wheel. The OTO also placed the starting button on the wheel, although you still have to insert the key and turn it to the on position first.

A very notable feature was the panoramic electrochromatic roof which offered three tint settings at the press of a button. The interior also has a Bose audio system, a slightly different display on the dash, cruise control and back up camera. Some of the options on these cars did carry on to other 612s, such as the bose audio. They made that available in 2007, so there are some non OTO cars with some OTO style options. Like other Ferraris it has the reverse leaver, reminiscent of a stick shift. You pull back and pull both paddles for neutral. The 2+2 seating and long wheelbase gave the 612 a level of practicality. The back seat in this car is small for a normal adult, however not impossible to get into. Plus the passenger seat moves forward. it is perfect if you, your wife and two kids want to go cruise. It also had baby seat straps and coat hangers, so while most people don’t think of a Ferrari as a family car, the 612 is a pretty good attempt at one.

When buying a 612, you can rest assured knowing the Engines are strong and have few inherent faults, they are however one of the last with cambelts and these require replacing every 4 to 5 years so budget for this labour-intensive job ahead of time. The F430 and 599 were the first to use the newly developed Ferrari-Maserati collaborative engines with chained drive. An all-aluminium chassis and body mean that rust is not an issue, so while you still want to check panel gaps rust is not going to be a problem.

There is something to be said for an unassuming looking fast car that doesn’t attract unnecessary attention. It may have slightly more muted exhaust note and a comfort biased suspension settings compared to some of Ferraris more sporty models, however you will definitely want to stay below the radar as 533bhp even in a car as heavy as the 612 means rapid performance. The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is becoming more desirable with each passing year.




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