|
The two
612 Scaglietti that will face full Tour of China
Ferrari |
Shanghai, 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.
In 1997 a Ferrari F355 completed a round the world trip taking in all five
continents. The car was driven by 147 different journalists from the
various countries it crossed and each one left his signature on the car’s
bodywork. 1997 was also Ferrari’s 50th anniversary and the World Tour, as
it was known, was staged to tell the world how very much alive and
successful the company was and also to demonstrate the reliability of a
model that would prove of huge strategic importance in Ferrari’s
development. The adventure proved an extraordinary success with the F355
leaving New York on 18 March and returning there to finish the tour after
75 days, quite literally, on the road.
It now gives Ferrari great pleasure to announce the launch of another
similar adventure. This time, however, 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 map of
the China Tour
Ferrari |
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 meters 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 from 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
aluminum chassis), Pirelli (supplier of specialist tires 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.
A total of 15 international journalists and 15 Chinese journalists will
drive the route at different times.
|
The
two 612 Scaglietti that will face full Tour of China
Ferrari |
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 colors. 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.
In addition to the journalists, a photographer and video camera operator,
there will also be nine other expedition members who will provide
technical, logistical and linguistic assistance.
En route, the cars will stop off at the 10 Ferrari dealerships now up and
running in China, at Yanzhou where Pirelli has signed a joint-venture
contract aimed at starting the manufacturing of tires, at several of the
major Shell service stations, and at Fiat’s Chinese base at Nanjing.
|
One of the 612
Scaglietti that will face the full Tour of China
Ferrari |
Ferrari in China
Ferrari first arrived in China in 1993 through an importer but is now
present with a joint venture, Ferrari Maserati Cars International Trading,
which was launched in October 2004. Ferrari holds a majority share in the
company with its partners Poly Technologies and Wo Kee Hong. Ferrari
Maserati Cars International Trading is the exclusive importer of Ferrari
and Maserati cars in China and manages the marketing, sales to
dealerships, spares, accessories and technical assistance activities of
both marques in the country.
The local staff are trained directly by the factory to guarantee our
Chinese clients a quality service in line with Ferrari and Maserati’s
renowned high standards. Ferrari considers China to be a market of great
strategic importance. In fact, since the joint venture was launched, a
total of 42 Prancing Horse cars have been sold. The Chinese market is
expected to become Ferrari’s fifth or sixth largest world market in terms
of numbers of cars sold over the next two or three years alone.
The route and main stages
The route begins and ends in Shanghai and is divided into 11 main stages
(see attached map) which will also act as the crew changeover points. The
first stage sees the expedition leave Shanghai bound for Beijing, a
3,000-kilometre, seven-day journey away. En route it will take in the city
of Shenyang at the very north-eastern tip of China near the border with
Mongolia.
The second major stage takes the cars along the Great Wall of China from
Beijing to Lanzhou, a 2,100 km dash over four days. At Lanzhou, the cars
begin their descent into south-western China which will culminate in a
very tough stretch at altitudes of over 4,000 m and take them into the
Tibetan capital, Lhasa, after a seven-day drive, on 19th of September.
From there the expedition will retrace its steps as far as Goldmud where
it will turn north-west, stopping off at the northernmost tip of the route
in the city of Urumqi, over 2,700 km from Lhasa. Next the cars head for
Kashi, home to one of the most famous silk markets encountered by Marco
Polo on his travelers. This time the leg will be a “mere” 1,400 km, to be
covered in three days.
From Kashi the expedition turns back towards the east bound for Jiayuguan,
2,500 km away, which it will reach in six days. From there the cars will
drive down to the south-east coast through to the major city of Chongqing
(2,000 km to be covered in six days) and then on to Guangzhou (Canton), a
further 2,000 km away. After this they begin the home run, via Wenzhou
(1,500 km from Canton), back to Shanghai, where they are expected to
arrive on the evening of October 29th. Ferrari
Comments can be
sent to the author at feedback@autoracing1.com. |
