CHASSIS & SAFETY

"We started with a blank sheet on the design of the F 137, but we did have a very specific objective: we wanted to create a car that would be a break with the past in terms of its performance and roominess, one with a highly innovative character that would open the way for a whole new generation of Ferrari GTs.

The decision to go for an all-aluminium chassis and body seemed completely in tune with the design as a light, rigid structure guarantees weight reduction, dynamic handling, and passenger comfort and safety all in one. We brought this advanced technology to even more sophisticated levels in the 612 Scaglietti, thanks to Ferrari's previous experience in the area and the fact that we had a centre of excellence in the Scaglietti Light Alloy Technologies complex in Modena."

The 612 Scaglietti is the first Ferrari 12-cylinder to be built entirely from aluminium. It is no coincidence therefore that it has been named after Sergio Scaglietti, a Modenese coachbuilder who worked closely with Enzo Ferrari in the early years of his great adventure and excelled at the art of sculpting this highly unusual material (its specific weight is just a third of that of steel) into the bodies of some of the most glorious racing and road cars of the past.

Moving a step forward from Ferrari's experience with the 360 Modena, aluminium is used both in the chassis and the body of the 612 Scaglietti. The sophisticated technologies used in the manufacture and assembly of the various structural components were developed in collaboration with American company Alcoa. They significantly cut the car's weight and improved its torsional stiffness, both of which were essential to achieving the kind of breathtaking performance that Ferrari was determined to deliver in its new model.

The 612 Scaglietti has a SPACE FRAME CHASSIS. In fact, its structure is made up of straight aluminium extrusions (38%) connected by casts (34%) which act as joints. The sheet aluminium (28%) reinforces the structure.

The chassis architecture also includes four large castings on which all the suspension and steering mounting points are CNC machined. This guarantees the correct dimensioning of the structure in the area of greatest stress which in turn improves the car's performance. Another two robust castings for the A-posts interface perfectly with the doors.

The aluminium alloys used to build the 612 Scaglietti are extremely ductile during the pressing and extrusion phases and then become incredibly resistant and tough once they have been subjected to special heat treatment.

In addition to this, each casting has different mechanical characteristics in its different areas as a result of differentiated heat treatment. This means they are highly resistant at the entry points of the forces and highly ductile in the areas subject to deformation in the event of a collision.

Body

The body too is made entirely from aluminium: both the skin and the frame are pressed sheet aluminium and are strengthened by casts and extrusions at the critical points of the door and roof. The components are assembled using different processes depending on their different functions: MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welds, spot welds, self-perforating rivets.

The result is that the 612 Scaglietti is 40% lighter than other vehicles of similar dimensions. Its structural performance is also excellent, with the complete body around 60% more efficient in terms of weight-rigidity ratio than the 456.

High static and dynamic rigidity (stiffness) combined with an initial torsional frequency mode of 47 Hz also mean a significant improvement in the car's vibration and acoustic values, which in turn enhance occupant comfort and handling.

Chassis Construction

The classis costruction process is carried out by Alcoa in the same section of the Ferrari-owned Scaglietti Light Alloy Technology facility in Modena in which the 360 Modena was developed and built.

After undergoing a series of extremely strict dimension and quality controls, the chassis is transferred to the bodywork assembly line, also housed in the Scaglietti facility. The line itself was designed and built specifically for the 612 and consists of 10 geometry stations. After assembly is complete, the mobile components (doors and boot) are added. These too are aluminium, of course. The final stage of the 612 Scaglietti's production process is a complete review and final controls using numerical control robots which automatically measure 450 verification points.

The painting and assembly of the engine unit and mechanical components, as well as the interior trim work are carried out in Maranello.

Safety

Naturally enough, safety is an integral part of the design. In fact, our priority with the structural capacity of the 612 Scaglietti has always been occupant protection in the case of a collision.

Unprecedented levels of robustness have been achieved with the new Ferrari's chassis and bodywork which actually significantly exceed current international standards and cover many collision configurations which have yet to be applied.

Frontal impact crash tests were performed in line with the new offset standard with a deformable barrier at 64 km/h (8 km/h faster than the current standard). In this case, deformation of the cabin and steering wheel intrusion were very slight. The rear impact tests were performed at 80 km/h (30 km/h faster) with equally positive results. The standards we applied, in fact, will not come into force in the United States for at least another four years.

Particular attention was also focused on side impacts. The specially dimensioned structure of the doors, A and C-posts, are 50% more resistant to cabin intrusion in addition to the fact that the collapsibility and energy absorption of the interior trim has been optimised. The 612 Scaglietti thus offers exceptionally high occupant protection even without the use of side air bags.

Occupant Protection

However, occupant protection is completed by the adoption of highly innovative restraint systems. The two-stage front airbags automatically adapt their inflation rate to the severity of the collision and are designed to offer optimal protection even when the occupants are not in the correct position. Special sensors in the engine compartment use specific parameters to recognise a violent deceleration signalling that a collision may be about to happen and thus "alert" the airbag system.

Last but not least, the 612 Scaglietti offers a highly adaptable seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters as well as Isofix on the rear seats so that child seats can be used in perfect safety.

Needless to say, the 612 Scaglietti offers an exceptionally high standard of ACTIVE SAFTEY. Thanks, of course to its unparalleled chassis characteristics, architecture, and sophisticated suspension, stability, traction control and braking systems.