Ferraris’ 15,000 red miles challenge
The two Ferraris that will tour round China.
The route round China.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Two Ferrari 612 Scagliettis prepare to set a new record for the first full
Tour of China.
Ferrari has had a natural association with the race track since the first
Prancing Horse competed in 1947 and since then has been inextricably linked
with the leading circuits across the world. It is, however, slightly more
unusual to associate modern-day Ferrari with the kind of adventure associated
with Mille Miglia and Carrera Panamericana-style endurance events.
Those legendary historical races demonstrated the versatility and strength
of the cars of the day, but they were also much more dangerous and less
well-tested than today’s cars. That type of race no longer exists and to put a
sophisticated, powerful car like the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti to the test
nowadays requires at least 10 to 15,000 miles of very tough terrain.
Ferrari is now announcing the launch of a great adventure. Two 612
Scagliettis will leave Shanghai on 29 August 2005 for a grand tour of China,
driven by Chinese and international journalists. No other constructor has ever
undertaken such a daunting task. The route covers an enormous range of very
different terrains and challenges. The cars will endure extremes of cold and
heat, incredibly tough road conditions and environmental obstacles of all
kinds.
The 612 Scagliettis will first head north and then east toward Manchuria.
After this they will drive south-west to Beijing and then along the Great Wall
as far as Lanzhou. From there they will cover 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 Kashi, site of Marco Polo’s
famous silk market. After a further dash through the desert, the two 612
Scagliettis will drive 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 will continue on through the most modern and western part of China back
to Shanghai after a round trip of 15,000 miles. If all goes according to plan,
the two 612 Scagliettis should complete their tour of China in 45 days.
The Tour has received the valued support of the Chinese authorities as well
as logistical support from Fiat China. It is also being staged in partnership
with 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). We will
also be joined by a Chinese partner, Xin Yu Watch & Clock, the leading
distributor of Swiss timepieces in China. Assistance and spares will be
provided by four vehicles: two Fiat cars and two specially equipped Iveco
trucks. News and high definition, reproducible photos from the tour.
The Tour starts on 29 August 2005 from Shanghai and in the main territories
to be crossed the expedition members will meet with local authorities and
present them with a Prancing Horse trophy as a symbolic gift.
The two 612 Scaglietti cars are in complementary colours. One will be red
with a silver bonnet and the other will be silver with a red bonnet. They are
modified only very minimally – they will have 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 will also be protected by a metal grille and some of the air
intakes will be 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.
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