Model Overview
Replaced in 2013 by the F12 Berlinetta as Ferrari's flagship production car the 599 GTB Fiorano will go down as one of the best Ferrari’s of it's generation. First revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006 it went on sale as a 2007 model year replacing the 575M Maranello before it. Whereas the 575M was criticised as much as it was praised the 599 received universal acclaim as one of the best all-round GTs ever made.
Named due to its 5999cc power displacement it's V12 engine was formatted from the Ferrari Enzo creating 612bhp making it the most powerful road car Ferrari had ever produced. Featuring an all-alumnium chassis again derived from the Enzo and with a host of technology influenced from Formula 1 including it's new traction control F1-trac, the 599 became the benchmark for other cars in it's class to aspire to.
The 599 is rightly praised for it's blistering performance and though it is available with a traditional manual gearbox the F1 'SuperFast' paddle-shift transmission is definitely the preferred option for most . The sense of occasion is almost overwhelming from the moment you sit in the innovative and luxurious cabin to the roar of the V12 engine starting up. The drive is sensational and caters for both the novice and the expert drivers with superb handling and unbelievable speed when you want it. That didn't stop Ferrari a couple of years after it's launch then introducing the HGTE package translated as 'Handling Grand Tourer Evoluzione' which improved the handling further and increased the overall response of the car thanks to stiffer springs, lower ride and revamped magnetic dampers whilst new alloys and extra carbon fibre enhanced the package.
A race version called the 599 XX was soon produced specifically designed for the track with a £1.3 million price-tag but the 599 hit it's pinnacle with the special edition 599 GTO which is widely praised as one of the best supercars of all-time and a real hardcore drivers car that is perhaps thought of best as a road legal version of the 599 XX rather than an upgraded 599GTB. With only 599 examples produced worldwide and carrying the famous GTO name only used twice before this is bound to go down as one of the historic Ferraris. Special acknowledgement must also go to the 599 SA Aperta, a convertible version of the 599 GTO of which only 80 examples were made.
