The Italian maker said in a press statement that the 700HP 599XX, which inspired the road-legal 599 GTO, is the first ever "production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping it in 6 min 58.16 sec."
For comparison, the Dodge Viper ACR and the Corvette ZR1 turned the 'Ring in 7:22.10 and 7:26.40 respectively, however, unlike the juiced-up Ferrari, both American sports cars are street legal.
In any case, the video of the 599XX lapping the Nurburgring is definitely worth 7 minutes of your time.
By Phil Alex
Link: Ferrari / Configurator
Set to make its public debut at the Beijing Auto Show in China at the end of April, only 599 examples of the GTO will be built.
Billed as the company's fastest ever road car, the 599 GTO makes use of the 599XX's (Enzo-derived) tweaked 6.0-liter V12 engine that punches out 670-horsepower at 8,250 rpm with maximum torque of 620Nm (457 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm. For comparison, the V12 delivers 700HP in the 599XX and 620HP in the standard 599 GTB.
Despite the increase in power over the 599 GTB Fiorano, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are both improve slightly to 17.5 lt/100km (13.4mpg US) and 411 g/km respectively.
Power is sent to the rear-wheels through the same six-speed sequential gearbox with lower 60 ms shift times and the possibility to make multiple downshifts found on the 599XX.
Ferrari announces a 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration time of just 3.35 seconds and a top speed over 335 km/h or 208mph.
More importantly, Maranello says that the 599 GTO lapped the Fiorano circuit in just 1min 24sec, or a second faster than the previous record set by the Enzo, making it the company's fastest ever road-car.
The 599 GTO inherits much of the weigh-saving measures employed in the 599XX track-racer including widespread use of composite materials, resulting in a dry weight of 1495 kg (3,295 lbs) or 84kg (185 lbs) less than the 599 GTB, and a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp.
Ferrari sharpened the supercar's handling with the use of new springs and a stiffer rear antiroll bar as well as a second generation magnetorheological suspension control system (SCM2).
There's also a lighter , carbon ceramic braking system, again derived from the 599XX, that helps the GTO come to a halt from 100km/h (62mph) in just 32.5 meters.
Other changes include the improved aerodynamics with the addition of a new front spoiler that incorporates a separate lower wing, a new sill design with a more pronounced leading edge, a new double-curve rear diffuser and the tweaked underbody panels.
The 599 GTO also gets a new hood design with air-vents and a matte gray rooftop finish while it rides on new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in beefier tires size 285/30 up front and 315/35 at the rear.
As for the interior, Ferrari fitted the car with bespoke, longer carbon-fibre F1 paddles for easier use in high-speed driving, a pair of bucket sport sears and the so-called "Virtual Race Engineer", which is a system that monitors the status of the car and gives the driver immediate visibility of vehicle performance.
The Italian company did not release pricing on the 599 GTO, but a leaked document suggest that those interested will be looking at €267,136 (~$355,000) before taxes and options.
[UPDATE - Apparently the photos of the 599 GTO are the real deal as the head (sic...) of Ferrari's notoriously friendly legal department sent us an email requesting the removal of the pics on the premise that they were shot inside a private area, a.k.a. the Italian automaker's Maranello factory.]
As the world gets closer to the official reveal of Ferrari's 599 GTO, and just a short while after the price list was leaked, the internet has spewed out what appear to be pics of an official GTO show car.
Distinguishing features appear to include a new wheel design, duck tail spoiler and design cues straight off the 599XX (such as the matte black roof, extra cooling vents in the hood/fenders, angry rear diffuser and other aerodynamic bits). Too bad we can't see the face and driver's compartment. Anyway, we're sure those will show up soon enough.
The pictures come from the TeamSpeed member Jiaim, rumored to be located in France. Good job, chief, now sneak back in there and get front three-quarter and interior shots so we can see the rest.
- By Phil Alex
Source: Teamspeed , Via: World Car Fans
No official numbers have been released, but speculation points at around 650-700 horsepower and a significant weight reduction providing a much more intense driving experience than the 599 HGTE.
As for the option list, that's available below. A few highlights include €7,050 ($9,375) for colors from the classic's palette, €6,500 (~$8,600) for the "motor compartment" in carbon fiber, €6,000 (~$7,980) for stripes of any kind (GTO heritage or modern racing), and €5,800 (~$7,700) for metallic paint. Prices are listed before applicable richy-taxes and using exchange rates as of this posting.
If you laugh in the face of options and absurd spending, then you're in luck; those four prices top the list, meaning everything else is cheaper. Have a look and see for yourself.
- By Phil Alex
Via: Autogespot
The announcement was made by Ferrari's chairman Luca di Montezemolo during the media presentation of the 'green' 599 GTB Fiorano Hybrid at this week's Geneva Motor Show.
"This is a first step of a long project and we want within three years, maximum four, to have a hybrid Ferrari car ready for every single product of our range. This is our goal," said Montezemolo. "In three years we aim to cut emissions by a minimum of 35 percent."
The prototype version of the 599 GTB uses a 100HP+ electric motor mounted at the back of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission and a set of flat lithium-ion batteries positioned below the floorpan of the car to back up a more traditional 6.0-liter V12 engine with 611 ponies under the hood.
The whole system (electric motor and batteries) tips the scales at a no-so-sporty 100kg or about 220 pounds, however, Ferrari says that the extra 100HP+ more than compensate for the additional weight in terms of performance, while at the same time, the system helps reduce CO2 emissions by 35 per cent over the stock model.
Via: Autonews (Sub. Req)
The hybrid system found in the 599 GTB prototype comprises of an electric motor coupled to the rear of the dual-clutch 7-speed F1 transmission and a set of flat lithium-ion batteries positioned below the floorpan of the car inside the aerodynamic underbody.
Weighing about 40 kg or 88lbs, the compact, tri-phase, high-voltage electric motor of the HY-KERS produces over 100HP with Ferrari claiming that it achieved its goal of offsetting every kilogram increase in weight (including the batteries) by a gain of at least one hp.
Under braking the electric drive unit acts as a generator, using the kinetic energy from the negative torque generated to recharge the batteries.
Ferrari says that this phase is controlled by a dedicated electronics module that manages the power supply and recharging the batteries. The module also powers the engine's ancillaries (power steering, power-assisted brakes, air conditioning, on-board systems) via a generator mounted on the V12 engine when running 100 per cent under electric drive.
According to the Italian maker, the prototype is not only slightly faster than the stock 599 GTB but at the same time it also emits 35 per cent less CO2 in the combined EU cycle.
