The Ferraris on Howrah Bridge and (below) in front of the Victoria Memorial. Pictures courtesy www.ferrariworld.com

After over a month’s wait, Calcuttans got a glimpse of the Ferraris that have been touring India since February 25. The two 612 Scagliettis arrived late on the night of March 29 from Balasore, Orissa, and entered the city via Vidyasagar Setu.

The day after, on a warm and bright Sunday morning, the two Prancing Horses looked a little worn, having already covered 7,176 km of the 13,000 km Magic India Discovery Tour. Apart from two tyre bursts — one front and one rear (the tour is carrying all spares in a specially-fitted Iveco truck) — “the Scagliettis have weathered the Indian roads just fine,” said Ferrari team leader Gabriel Lalli.

Parked at the porch of Taj Bengal, the white-and-red liveried berlinettas sprang to life as Gabriel touched the ignition. The 5.75-litre 12-cylinder monster revved with that ear-splitting F1 din and roared off the block in a split second. At the wheel of this left-hand drive is the iconic F1-type six-speed Ferrari gearbox that delivers a gear-shifting time of 100 milliseconds and a reduced inertia clutch to enhance the engine’s responsiveness. The manettino (auto gear switch) adjusts driving conditions.

Under the hood, the Scagliettis pack in 12 red cylinders that deliver a whopping 540 hp at 7,250 rpm and a torque of 58 Nm at 5,250 rpm. Though it has a top speed of 320 kmph, the maximum that the two Scagliettis have done in India is “240 kmph on a closed road stretch in Vijaynagar”, said Gabriel. With a kerb weight of 1,850 kg, its near perfect weight distribution (46 per cent in front and 54 per cent in the rear) ensures that it performs like a rear-engined car with the roominess of a front-engined model.

The 2+2 seater, however, is cramped for space in the rear while the front passengers are comfortably ensconced. A hard-top coupe, the Scagliettis give a feel of a convertible with the electrochromic glass roof covering the entire top of the cabin, which can be changed at the touch of a button to adjust the levels of sunlight allowed in.

The Scagliettis began their Calcutta tour on March 31 with a visit to the Victoria Memorial and the Maidan, the St Paul’s Cathedral and Government Place. After a short stop at the local Tata and Fiat dealerships, they ended at Mother House. In the evening, a gala dinner at Taj Bengal showcased the two Scagliettis along with three Ferrari models owned by the city’s F1 afficionados.