FERRARI 599
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
Ferrari introduced the GTB Fiorano in 2006 as a replacement for the former 575M Maranello, and it was more of a supercar than a Granturismo.
Every car produced in Maranello had its own soul, and the Prancing Horse brand never tried to make things differently. Maybe that’s why the brand was so much appreciated. Let’s face it, it wasn’t always the fastest or the quickest car in the world, but it was always the car to beat. It was the benchmark for any other supercar in the world, and in 2006 the 599 took that burden and carried it as fast as possible.
Like most Ferraris, the 599 GTB Fiorano was designed by Pininfarina studios. It featured a slatted grille in the apron at the front flanked by a pair of side air-intakes needed to cool the carbon-ceramic disc brakes. A pair of exhaust vents adorned the hood, separated by a power-dom that was stretched from nose to windshield. The designer placed additional extracting vents behind the wheel arches to reduce the lift-effect from the wheel-wells.
Inside, there were just two seats and a parcel shelf behind them. The sport bucket seats with integrated headrests featured high-bolstered areas to keep their occupants in place during high-speed cornering maneuvers or on the track. Even though Ferrari stated that it was a GT, it was most likely closer to a supercar. The combination of an analog speedometer and a digital TFT display placed on its left side pushed the car into the new-tech era.
Under the hood, Ferrari installed the engine as far as back as possible to keep a 50-50 balance. It was hard work but worth it. The carmaker offered the 599 Fiorano with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox.
Ferrari introduced the Gran Turismo Omologata (GTO) version of its 599 supercar in 2010, and it charged about 30% more than the regular 599 GTB.
It is impossible to separate the racing pedigree from the street versions for the Ferrari brand. It seems that all the time, the Italian engineers made a supercar for the track and then adapted it for regular street-usage. For some particular models, that was the truth, while others were upgraded the other way around, such as the 599 GTO.
The car manufacturer learned from its mistakes in the 599 GTB and developed the GTO as a race-oriented car. It shaved about 100 kg (220 lbs) from its weight, added more power, and enhanced the car’s grip and aerodynamic. In the end, it resulted in a faster vehicle, which was much better on a race-track but less friendly than a gran-turismo vehicle.
At the front, the GTO featured a mesh-grille instead of the slatted one on the GTB and air-vents on the hood. From its sides, the unique light-alloy wheels revealed the carbon-ceramic brakes system, which was fitted with carbon-ceramic brake-pads as well. Ferrari equipped the GTO with a new splitter that sported three vertical slats instead of two in the rear.
Inside, the luxurious GTB was stripped down to bare essentials on the GTO version. Its Seablet carbon-fiber seas with high bolstering provided great side support and were embroidered with the GTO logo on the integrated headrests.
Under the hood, the carmaker installed an upgraded engine that provided 50 hp more at a higher engine speed. Ferrari made all these modifications to make the GTO faster than the GTB while cornering and 0.3 seconds quicker on the 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) test.