The Ferrari Magic India Discovery started today from Mumbai - VIDEO ENHANCED

MUMBAI, India - February 26, 2008: Ferrari is delighted to announce the start of a new adventure, the Magic India Discovery Drive, which got underway from Mumbai today. The tour was flagged off by Mr. Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, and Mr. John Elkann, Vice Chairman of the Fiat Group. On the occasion, the famous Air India Building, one of the prime landmarks in Mumbai on the shores of the Arabian Sea, was dressed in Ferrari red colour along with the Prancing Horse logo.

Ratan N Tata, Chairman, Tata Group & John Elkann, Vice Chairman, Fiat Group

At the Press Conference today, the Magic India Discovery logo was unveiled. The logo dons an elephant with Indian motifs, as symbolic of India as of regalness, power and majesty, very much like the Ferrari logo of the Prancing Horse.

The tour returns to Mumbai on May 7th, with the official closing ceremony on May 8th, having covered a route stretching more than 13,000 kilometres and touching 57 cities over 74 days. The car featured in this tour is the 612 Scaglietti, Ferrari’s flagship GT model. Two of these four-seater Prancing Horse berlinettas embark on the voyage, which comes in the wake of the China 15,000 Red Miles tour completed in 2005 and the Panamerican 20,000 tour of 2006, both of which were hugely successful.

Click PLAY to watch opening ceremony video

The two 612 Scagliettis (one red, the other cream-colour, both sporting a specially designed livery) will feature a few absolutely minimal modifications to allow them to negotiate the more difficult tracts of the tour.

The modifications involve the fitting of an underbody protector made from 4 mm duraluminium rather than plastic and a slightly higher suspension setting to deal with the tougher road surfaces. Otherwise, however, they will be entirely straightforward production cars powered by a 540 hp 65° V12 engine that delivers maximum torque of 60 kgm at 5250 rpm. Both cars will be fitted with a six-speed F1 gearbox and Transaxle transmission.

The 612 Scaglietti continues Ferrari’s long tradition of excellence in the 2+2 segment. This innovative car offers the perfect combination of thoroughbred Ferrari berlinetta performance and exceptional comfort for four occupants. The 612 Scaglietti was the very first all-aluminium 12-cylinder to be built by Ferrari.

The use of aluminium for the chassis and bodywork combined with sophisticated production and assembly technologies have cut overall body weight by a massive 40% and greatly improved torsional rigidity. The 612 Scaglietti’s near-perfect weight distribution (46% front and 54% rear) means that it offers the blistering performance of a rear-engined car yet the comfort and roominess of a front-engined model. Its 65° V12 engine represents the pinnacle of Ferrari’s engine technology too and punches out 540 hp at 7250 rpm. Although clothed by Pininfarina, the 612 is named in honour of Sergio Scaglietti, the Modenese coachbuilder who, in the early years of Enzo Ferrari’s extraordinary adventure, bodied some of the most beautiful cars ever to emerge from Maranello.

The route and main stages
The Magic India Discovery will run around India, in a Southern direction, along the coast of the Arabian Sea, arriving in Trivandrum on the furthest point in the South of the Indian peninsula; the Tour will drive back up North in the direction of Bangalore and Kolkata (Calcutta), along the Eastern coast. The last stage will follow the river Ganges up to the North and the frontier with Pakistan and then driving in the direction of India’s capital, New Delhi, and back to Mumbai, after having crossed the fascinating Rajastan.

The Magic India Discovery will enjoy the invaluable support of the Tata Group, Tata Motors, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Tata Consultancy Services, Fiat India Automobiles Pvt. Ltd., Shell, Alcoa, Pirelli, Saima Avandero and OMR.

Assistance and spare parts will be provided by eight support vehicles: five Tata cars, two Fiats and one specially fitted-out Iveco truck.

In addition to the journalists driving the two 612 Scagliettis, photographers and video camera operators, the tour will also be accompanied by a technical assistance and logistics team for its entire duration.

The 612 Scaglietti is Ferrari’s top of the range model and in line with its elegant, exclusive image, our guests will be wearing sophisticated colonial-style khakis and, to protect them from the blazing sun of this particularly hot season, a contemporary take by Borsalino on the famous Pith helmet.

The www.ferrariworld.com and www.media.ferrari.com websites will feature constantly updated news and high resolution images of the tour as it unfolds.