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Spy shot Ferrari Scaglietti

Ferrari fans will have to pay a lot more for the upcoming replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, which has been scooped by Carparazzi. (Pic: Carparazzi)

The Ferrari F458 is a sellout success before the first car is even built.  It's typical of the following for the Italian sports car brand, which typically runs two-year waiting lists on its popular models in Australia despite prices that currently start at $459,650 for the droptop California.

Ferrari fans will have to pay a lot more for the upcoming replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, which has been scooped by Carparazzi.  The European computer illustrations give the best idea yet of how the V12-powered grand tourer will look when it is ready for showrooms in late 2010 or early 2011.

The link to the current 612 is clear, but the next generation will be more elegant and tightly-drawn in the bodywork than today's Scaglietti.  It is expected to retain the same mechanical layout, with a front- mounted engine turning the rear wheels, which will make it a direct rival to the Mercedes-Benz SLS Gullwing just unveiled in the USA ahead of Australian deliveries next June.

No-one at Ferrari is commenting on the Carparazzi picture of the new Scaglietti, which could also get a new name as Ferrari switches to Italian place names for its cars.But the company has plenty to concentrate on as it readies the 458i Italia for showrooms, starting with the first press drives this week at its Maranello headquarters in Italy.

Carsguide will have a first driving impression of the 458 next week.