2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in Tibet

(from Ferrari Press Release)  A request has been made to Guinness World Records to register the record-breaking achievement of two Ferrari 612 Scaglietti which are currently participating in the Tour of China. This marks the first time that a standard, road-registered 540hp two-wheel drive production car has achieved an altitude of 5,231 metres – across the Tanggulashan mountain pass, on the border between the Autonomous Region of Tibet and China.

The cars, driven by international journalists, reached the mountain pass easily. Despite the reduced oxygen levels available at such a high altitude, and the lower quality of fuel available in the area, the Ferrari’s 5.7-litre V12 engine, performed effortlessly without any necessary modifications.

The expedition has crossed the Tibetan plateau, one of the most isolated regions of the world, with the cars being driven for thousands of miles at over 3,000 metres altitude, from Lhasa, Tibet’s main city and the ancient home of the Dalai Lama.

In Lhasa, as in other cities reached by the Tour, the Team was welcomed with enthusiasm by more than 200 children of a local school which received books, school equipment and toys for the children as part of the Tour of China’s programme to help schools most in need.

The China Tour started on 29 August in Shanghai and now moves on to the Gobi Desert, passing through Kashi (Kaxgar), the most continental city of the world and home of a wealthy silk market which dates from the days of Marco Polo.