Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 2006 Review

The 599 GTB Fiorano unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show has taken pride of place at the top of Ferrari's production performance tree.

Ferrari Australia will launch the car locally at the Australian International Motor Show in October. Ferrari Australia boss Kevin Wall says: "There will be limited production numbers for Australia this year, but interest is already high.

"Ferrari owners are very aware of the new models under development and it is fair to say that our order bank for the 599 GTB is already substantial."

Wall says there has been no indication on a price for the car at this stage.

As the most powerful production car ever produced at the Prancing Horse stables, the 599 GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta) brings together a raft of innovative and technologically advanced features.

These include a V12 engine derived from the Enzo supercar powerplant, an all-aluminium space frame and a trick magneto rheological suspension-control system, in which the viscosity of the damper oil is adjusted by electric current (pioneered by GM in the Corvette as magnetic selective-ride control) to best adapt to road conditions.

Designed by Pininfarina, the 599 GTB Fiorano — named for the famous Ferrari test track — replaces the 575M Maranello.

The 6.0-litre V12 has a peak power delivery of 462kW at 7600rpm and 608Nm of torque at 5600rpm, giving the car the ability to sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds on the way to a top speed of 330km/h.

Designed with the objective of surpassing the performance and driving pleasure of models such as the F40 while delivering superior standards of roominess, comfort, ergonomics and safety, the 599 GTB represents the peak of Ferrari sportiness and technology. During development, significant effort was devoted to optimising sound from the V12 with a decision made early on to focus on the true sound of the engine.

To that end, mechanical resonance was reduced in favour of a pure V12 soundtrack from both intake manifold and exhaust system. Drive is through a new generation F1 gearbox that debuts on the 599.

The F1-SuperFast system uses elastic energy within the transmission components, together with the integrated electronic engine and gearbox management programs, to reduce gearshifts to 100 milliseconds.

Dynamically, the chassis and suspension architecture draws on thousands of kilometres of Formula 1 testing to produce what Ferrari refers to as its F1-Trac system. F1-Trac continually monitors the speed of both front and rear wheels and features predictive software that estimates the maximum available grip in advance. It compares this information with the vehicle dynamics model stored in the control system and adjusts its reactions to suit, optimising traction by modulating power delivery. The result is easier, smoother high-performance driving, thanks to maximum grip out of bends — a claimed 20 per cent increase in acceleration compared to a traditional traction and stability control system — and predictable handling.

In common with normal Ferrari practice, the ability to personalise the 599 will be almost unrestricted. Four areas are covered by the program. These are: racing and track; exteriors and colours; interior and materials; and equipment and travel.

The racing-and-track option includes CCM (carbon ceramic material) brakes, 20-inch Challenge one-piece rims with run-flat tyres, four-point harnesses and a cockpit roll-bar. The interior-and-materials option includes a new Enzo Ferrari-inspired carbon-fibre steering wheel with LED rev display, instrument panel, gear-stick surround and sill-kick panels.

Travel and equipment accessories cover front and rear parking sensors, iPod-friendly set-up and satellite anti-theft system