Ferrari 612 Scaglietti review: the V12 Ferrari that actually seats a family of four
4/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The 612 Scaglietti is the sensible Ferrari V12 for a Bahrain buyer who genuinely needs to carry two more people, not a compromise dressed up as one. It is overlooked next to the smaller 550/575/599 line precisely because it prioritises space and comfort over outright drama, and that neglect has kept prices lower than the engine and badge would otherwise justify. Buy it for what it actually does well — long-distance, four-up grand touring — and it rewards that honesty completely.
Pros
- Only genuinely usable four-seat, front-engined V12 Ferrari on Bahrain's used market
- Most affordable route into a naturally aspirated Ferrari V12 in this market
- Real boot and rear-seat space for a proper causeway trip with four people
- 5.75L V12 tuned for smooth, relaxed grand-touring delivery
Cons
- Nearly five metres long and close to two metres wide is a real handful in older Manama parking
- Weaker desirability than the 599/550 line has always kept it overlooked, not undervalued for no reason
- Finding a specialist with genuine 612-specific experience takes more effort than for the 599
- No factory-authorised showroom physically based in Bahrain
Ferrari built the 612 Scaglietti to replace the compact, strictly two-seat 456M with something genuinely larger, and the result is a 2+2 grand tourer that most people underestimate until they sit in the back seat and realise adults actually fit there. At 4,902 mm long on a 2,950 mm wheelbase, it is noticeably bigger than the 599 that shared its era, and the extra length goes almost entirely into cabin and boot space rather than styling flourish.
The most practical classic Ferrari V12 in Bahrain
A genuine four-seat, front-engined V12 grand tourer is a rare thing to find on Bahrain's used market, and the 612 fills that gap almost alone. Families who want the engine note and the badge without accepting a strict two-seater find the rear bench a real usability advantage — it means the car can do a causeway trip to Saudi Arabia with four people and a proper amount of luggage rather than forcing a second vehicle.
That practicality has never translated into strong desirability, which is precisely why the 612 remains the most affordable way into a naturally aspirated Ferrari V12 in this market. The 5.75-litre engine is a close relative of the 599's unit, detuned slightly and tuned for smoother, more relaxed delivery rather than outright aggression, which suits the grand-touring brief this car was built for.
Ownership realities and the flaw to know
Servicing follows the pattern of every older V12 Ferrari here — no factory dealer in Bahrain, work routed to the wider GCC network or a trusted independent specialist, and a real premium on finding a mechanic who has actually worked on this specific model rather than assuming 599 knowledge transfers directly. The flaw most owners notice is size-related rather than mechanical: at nearly five metres long and close to two metres wide, the 612 is a genuine handful in Manama's older multi-storey car parks, and buyers coming from a smaller Ferrari should test-park one before committing.