The Ferrari 599 is one of the most sought-after in the company’s history. Is God-like performance, comfort, and design really possible for one little roadster?
599 GTB Fiorano was inspired by the Fiorano circuit Ferrari. The V12 powered GT was designed with safety and comfort in mind, as well as guaranteed performance and advanced ergonomics.
It’s functional enough for the everyday driver and more comfortable than you’d expect a
and the Miura to “give the company’s flagship a thorough makeover through developing a mid-engined car.” So, the automaker spread the Colombo V12 to 180 degrees and moved it mid-rear.
Ferrari aimed to offer exceptional performance and undeniable comfort, unlike the impractical Countach. He went through a series of concepts including the unsuccessful BB Series, the legendary
, the F430, and the 575M. The 575M inspired a new generation of Berlinettas and at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari Berlinetta (aka the 599 GTB Fiorano) debuted. GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta and proudly holds a 5,999 cc engine displacement.
originally started around $300,000, but that price quickly shot up due to incredible demand. “The aluminum spaceframe design allowed the 599 to have increased wheelbase and length compared to the 575M, all without compromising structural rigidity,” notes Sports Digest. It also weighed 132 pounds less.
Consumers were intrigued by the exciting manual six-speed gearbox and spent more money than ever before on this type of Ferarri. According to
, “The vast majority of the Ferrari 599 GTB’s have been equipped with the semi-automatic gearbox as opposed to the manual 6-speed gearbox.”
Only 30 examples actually had a manual gearbox, 10 of which remain in Europe. The rest reside in the U.S. and you can bet they’re up to five times more expensive than their F1 SuperFast-equipped counterpart.
It is fast. We’re taking 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 7.4 seconds.
Nudging perfection, the 599 is the most powerful front-end Ferrari. The Italian sports car shares the same V12 engine as the 550/575 Maranello line and has a 6.0-liter engine. The
changes gears in 100 ms and is appropriately called the F1-Superfast.
Some may compare the styling to the four-seat 612 Scaglietti, which was designed around the same time. “But unlike the 612, the 599 has an entirely new roofline and much tidier rear end treatment with two sexy rear buttresses that create 25 percent of the 599’s downforce. Specifically, it produces 160 kg at 300 kph,” according to
Track options include a cockpit roll-bar, carbon ceramic material brakes, four-point harnesses, and 20-inch Challenge one-piece rims. Ferrari took cues from the F430 when it installed semi-exposed single stop lights and a striking rear air diffuser. On the C-pillars, were aerodynamic buttresses that bypass the use of trunk spoilers to give drivers extra downforce.
The interior displays master craftsmanship with fine leather and brushed aluminum finishes. The cockpit can even come with 15 different shades of leather, with two-toned options as well. If you want a more engaging ride, you can opt for an “illuminated steering wheel with lights indicating the perfect timing to shift the gear,” according to Sports Car Digest.
As far as suspension, Ferrari used technology from Formula 1 cars at the time, installing F1-Trac traction control. If you want to get fancy, you can get the $30,000 Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione (HGTE) package that was first introduced in 2010. It doesn’t mess with the horsepower or torque and includes features like stiffer springs, revised exhaust, lower ride height, and new suspension calibration settings.
The GT that keeps on giving
Since its inception, the Ferrari 599 has inspired countless spin-offs inspired by its phenomenal craftsmanship.
Commissioned by film producer Edward Walson, the 2009 P540 Superfast Aperta was a tribute to the striking Ferrari 330 LMB Fantuzzi. With only 80 pieces produced worldwide, The 2010 SA Aperta has a removable top and 670 hp.
While the Ferrari 599 wasn't designed to compete, the automaker did make a variant that was designed for the track.
For Ferrari Corse Clienti program only, “The 599XX was a stripped-down variant of its roadgoing counterpart, adorned with a new downforce-generating aerodynamic kit, a significant power bump to 720 horsepower at screaming 9,000 RPM and center-lock wheels with racing slicks,” Sports Car Digest points out. You could buy one, ride it on a closed course in Europe or the U.S., but you can’t take it home.
The Ferarri 599 was and still is a state-of-the-art vehicle that ended up becoming a backbone for all subsequent two-seater grand tourers. The Italian company held on to its traditional values while creating a roadster that propelled modern sports cars into the future.
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