On the evening of Wednesday 7th May, the 13,000km-plus ‘Ferrari Magic India Discovery Drive’ made a triumphant return to Mumbai, having completed the 13-stage tour of 57 Indian cities in a little over 70 days.

The two 612 Scagliettis were received at the Gateway of India, close to the starting point of the drive, in a ceremonial flag-in event attended by a huge number of Ferrari enthusiasts. Ferrari called the Discovery Drive ‘another milestone test for the mettle of Maranello's flagship GT model’, following, as it did, the 15,000-mile Ferrari tour of China in 2005 and the drive from Brazil to the USA in 2006.



Said Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, "I want to thank all the people who made possible this event around some of the most beautiful areas of the world. The Magic India Discovery team was everywhere warmly welcomed by the Indian people that showed a great passion for Ferrari." He added, "The two 612 Scagliettis felt right at home on the Indian roads, demonstrating that Ferrari Grand Tourers not only guarantee top-class performance but also absolute safety and comfort even in the most extreme conditions."



The cars had only minimal modifications to equip them for the Indian journey, namely the addition of a protective underbody plus a slight raising of the suspension to cope with tougher roads. Otherwise they were completely standard production cars powered by Ferrari’s 533bhp 65° V12.

The tours are perhaps an increasingly useful endurance test for potential Ferrari owners, given that the annual average mileage covered by Ferrari owners has more than doubled in the last decade.

Text - Charis Whitcombe
Photos - Ferrari SpA