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Ferrari 599 GTO will be Ferrari's fastest ever road car; full tech details; pictures

This is the Ferrari 599 GTO, the company's fastest ever road-going car.

The GTO is powered by a 661bhp six-litre V12 with 457lb ft of torque, propelling it to 60mph from standing in just 3.4secs and on to a top speed of 208mph. It is linked to a six-speed gearbox which can shift in 60 milliseconds.

See the Ferrari 599 GTO pictures

The car delivers peak power at 8250rpm, but Ferrari says fluid dynamics and component improvements mean there is no loss of flexibility even at low and medium revs.

In order to achieve its pace, Ferrari says the car, which will be limited to just 599 units, shares more with the hardcore track-focused 599XX than the production model 599.

Examples of this cross-over of knowledge include the car's ability to generate 144kg of downforce at 120mph, says Ferrari. This has been achieved through changes to the nose of the car, where a front spoiler incorporates a separate lower wing, and the adoption of F1 style wheel doughnuts, a disc positioned outside the brake disc, that ensure hot air exiting the wheel arch stays close to the side of the body and reduces drag.

By using thinner aluminium and glass, Ferrari has also been able to save weight over the standard 599. Coupled with the carbon-ceramic brakes, and lightweight transmission and exhaust systems, the 599 GTO has a dry weight of 1495kg, and delivers a power-to-weight ratio of 448bhp per tonne.

The main changes from the standard 599 are focused on the chassis, however, with Ferrari engineers keen to find the optimum balance between electronic driver aids and a body set-up fine-tuned to be close to the limit.

Ferrari claims that the result is “the almost complete absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.”

An indication of the car's pace is given by its lap record beating run around Ferrari's test track at Fiorano. The company claims it lapped the circuit in 1min 24sec - a second faster than the previous record set in a Ferrari Enzo.

Inside the cabin, the GTO has been fitted with longer and more user-friendly carbonfibre gearshift paddles. While the standard 599 has an 'ice' traction setting, it is replaced in the 599 GTO by a CT-Off function which turns traction control off.

The car is also fitted with Virtual Race Engineer, which monitors the status of the car and gives feedback on vehicle performance.

Ferrari has used the GTO tag, which stands for Gran Turismo Omologata, twice before, for the 250 GTO released in 1962 and the GTO, released in 1984.

No prices have been released, but a leaked brochure for the car last month - which Ferrari denied was accurate - suggested a starting price of around £285,000.

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Ektor 10 April 2010

Re: Ferrari 599 GTO revealed

I think it's right on the money: Meaner, leaner and with distinctive looks over regular 599s. For those who aren't taken with the matt graphite roof, you can have it in body-colour as well. The other option are the racing stripes (go to the configurator at http://www.ferrari.com/English/GT_Sport Cars/CurrentRange/599-GTO/Pages/599GTO and enjoy)

As for the purist who thinks that it doesn't deserve the O, keep in mind that the 288GTO never raced (at least in its intended role for Group B), and that this beauty could very well show up in the GT championship. Besides, losing 195kg is a major achievement, and of much more merit than the paltry 100kg Bentley removed in the supersports by deleting the rear seats (the 599 has none) and including the optional (in a Speed) carboceramic brakes. It still weighs 2.3 tons! This one, in turn, is now on par with the much-vaunted LF-A, while retaining a 6-litre V-12 and 100 additional ponies.

Lastly, the vents and scoops are pure function, providing additional cooling and downforce, making it much faster not only in a straight line but around a track, hence the "fastest road-going Ferrari" label. Not top-speed, but effectiveness.

In summary: This baby rocks.

Peter Cavellini 10 April 2010

Re: Ferrari 599 GTO revealed

Will certainly put the cat among the birds with this car.

Uncle Mellow 10 April 2010

Re: Ferrari 599 GTO revealed

I too like the black roof. This car seems much more desirable than an Enzo. A real "halo" car , made so that small boys may put posters of it on their bedroom walls and dream of one days having one.