Ferrari 599 2006 News

This patent image may look like an upcoming GTO version of Ferrari’s F12 Berlinetta, but it’s actually the first official hint at the upcoming one-off Ferrari SP Arya supercar. Comissioned by petrochemical magnate Cheerag Arya, the SP Arya will be based on the previous 599 V12 supercar, and built by Ferrari’s Special Projects team. The SP Arya will be the sixth model to emerge from Ferrari’s bespoke skunkworks, following the Eric Clapton SP12 EC, the 430-based SP1, the P540 Superfast Aperta, the Superamerica 45, and the 612 GTS Pavesi. Like its predecessors, this patent image leaked to Car News China suggests the SP Arya will feature unique bodywork, blending details from the F12 Berlinetta and the flagship GTO version of the 599.  The hockey stick headlights, front facia and side scallops are clear F12 references, while the quarter panel winglets and the glasshouse and doorframes are pure 599 GTO. Arya has already accrued a formidable collection of prancing horses in his 32 years, which include an F40, Enzo, and a 599XX, and reportedly chose the SP Arya’s design from twelve concept sketches. Whether the Ferrari SP Arya will ever make a public debut is unclear, but is expected to be completed in the near future. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn    

The new, big sister to the 458 Italia aims to put down about 525kW from its 6.2-litre, direct injection V12 engine borrowed from the four-seater FF. But the front-engined coupe won't get the FF's all-wheel drive system - rather will keep the weight (and price) down with rear-wheel drive through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It won't even expand on Ferrari's carbon-fibre program, sticking with an aluminium chassis and body panels. It follows the limited-edition track-only 560kW 599XX launched in December that traditionally signifies the tail-end of a model series. The new car is known inside Ferrari as the F152 but has more recently been dubbed the 620. Ferrari Australia says the 620 name is just - at this stage - speculation, though carries some logic. It would signify a 6.2-litre engine with a superfluous "0'' to hint at its engine.  But Ferrari seems intent on keeping names as unpredictable as possible - the FF carries no numbers; the 458 indicates 4.5 litres and eight cylinders but is actually a 4.8-litre unit; the "F'' prefix is added and removed at whim - such as F360 but 458; and after Maranello, Modena, California and Italia, Ferrari is running out of choice geographical names. The 599-replacement (which is the most accurate name to date) goes on display at next month's Geneva motor show. It will stabilise the range at four models, adding to the 458, California and FF.

As Australians go through the discussion about same sex marriage, Americans also face the same issues. The American Family Association argues that if marriage laws are relaxed, we will soon legally be able to marry anything – even our cars. And that’s a proposal that had the Carsguide journalists shopping for confetti quicker than you can say ‘I do’. “I’ll take the Lamborghini Aventador to be my lawfully wedded wife, because it’s the Batman car - and I’ve got a thing for Batman,” Mark Hinchliffe confesses - but declines to discuss whether his current wife knows of his Gotham obsession. “I’d turn up at the altar with the Ferrari 599 FTB Fiorano, not because of its tongue-tangling name or because it’s the greatest car I’ve ever driven but because it’s a gorgeous, feisty Italian - and I’m married to one of those, so must have a thing for them,” says Ged Bulmer (with the nous of a man who wants to ensure he stays happily married to one of them).     “I’ll hook up the classic 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing,” says Karla Pincott. “But it will have to be an illicit elopement – that car isn’t the marrying kind.” “I’d be prepared to enter a civil union - as endorsed by the ALP - with the new BMW 328i,” says Paul Pottinger. “It’s sleek, fast, desirable and will grow on you. In other words, it possesses many of the qualities I would like in myself.” “My bride would be a Porsche because I like the German efficiency that means it would keep things clean, its cute rounded tail and the sensual sound it makes when going hard at high revs,” volunteers Neil Dowling bravely.

Set to be at the top of the street legal Ferraris, the 599 GTB will be officially unveiled at Geneva motor show in March, but has been snapped testing by spy photographer group, Carparazzi. Under the bonnet – rather than at the rear -- will be a version of the 6.3-litre V12 also carried by the four-seater FF all-wheel-drive – however the 599 GTB will be rear-wheel drive, via a seven-speed DSG transmission. Considerable work has been done with advanced aluminium technologies to reduce weight, and with a tipped 520kW of power, is likely to get to 100km/h in about 3.2 seconds and have a top speed above 340km/h.

Ferrari emphatically rejects any potential for an all-electric supercar in its future.  The company's chief, Amedeo Felisa, says sound is such an important part of any Ferrari that a silent battery car will not be acceptable to customers who buy into its high-priced V8 and V12-powered road rockets. "We cannot do one," Felisa says, speaking in Sydney this week at the opening of a new landmark dealership and the local preview of the 458 Italia. "The sound is so important.  "It's part of the development of our cars. The sound of the Ferrari … is part of the image of the brand." He also questions whether electric cars are truly the answer to the needs of future motoring "If you look at global warming, full electric is not the solution. It is a marketing solution.  "Hybrid, but done in a proper way, is the best solution. But it needs a lot of development to be done." Ferrari is heading fast into the hybrid world and is set to unveil a petrol-electric 599 at the Geneva Motor Show next month in Europe before starting sales of a hybrid California in 2011. "We have to face the fact that the future brings something new in engineering. We have to face the new challenges," Felisa says.  He says the 599 hybrid will have a battery pack weighing around 100 kilograms with an electric engine integrated into the existing powertrain as a booster for the V12 petrol motor. The car will also run on pure electric power, but only at low speeds in city use. Development work is already into the second phase, heading for production use, following more than four years of research and development.  "We have a car that has been running for one year. Now we are doing the second step . . .  how to apply that technology to Ferrari cars." He says the 599 hybrid is fully operation but stresses it is only a concept car and not ready for production.  "This is not a new car, it is the concept," he says.  On the electric front, Felisa says Ferrari has considered a plug-in car but the noise problem cannot be overcome. Not even with the sort of active noise systems being developed by another sports car maker, Lotus, for more pedestrian brands. "We don't like to do it. It is not just a noise, it is the sound coming from our cars, from the engine, from the exhaust, from the gearbox, from the road," he says.  "We don't just put speakers in the car to make a noise."  

Ferrari has created a one-off special-edition Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that will be auctioned at a charity event in Beijing next month. What makes the car different is its paint scheme. This one-of-a-kind Ferrari has been given the once-over by celebrated Chinese artist Lu Hao. Instead of Ferrari's signature red or yellow, Lu Hao has used a "cracked glaze" paint pattern of the coveted Song Dynasty-era Ge Liln porcelain, signed by the artist himself. There is also a jade engine starter button, luggage featuring a map of the Silk Road trade route, Chinese script instruments and a name plaque. The glazed V12 sportscar is one of 12 special edition 599 China models that will be sold in China. Lu Hao was also responsible for the paint scheme on the other cars. However, they are less polarising. The artist opted for a body done in red - a Ferrari shade called Rosso Fuoco, or fire red - but the pillars and roof are painted a shade of medium grey. "The 599 China Limited Edition model is a true masterpiece, combining rich Chinese artistic heritage with Italian design in stunning approach," according to Ferrari Asia Pacific CEO Marco Mattiacci.

Well you're too late.

Probably not, but we all have to dream. Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa qualify on talent but now the Italian supercar company is easing the way for some of its most committed and cashed-up fans. Anyone with a proven history as a Ferrari owner can help with testing and development of the latest Ferrari 599XX - provided they also have the cash to splash on their own test car. Ferrari has already run a program with the Enzo FXX - which Michael Schumacher has as one of his personal cars, splashed in matt-black paint - and now it's doing the same with a 599XX which will only be available for use at special Ferrari-organised test track days. The 599XX was one of two cars revealed this week at the Geneva Motor Show, alongside the 599 GTB Fiorano with a performance pack called the HGTE kit. The letters stand for Handling GT Evoluzione and the pack runs to stiffer springs and rear anti-roll bar as well as A re-calibrated Manettino control system which adjusts the the 599 HGTE’s magneto- rheological shock absorbers for a more racetrack-like drive. The Fiorano - named after Ferrari's private test track - also gets a lower ride height, grippier performance tires, an upgraded version of the F1-SuperFast transmission with faster shifts and improved accelerator response, and a raunchier exhaust. Visually, the Fiorano picks up 20-inch wheels, a rear air diffuser and a cabin with carbon fibre seats trimmed in two-tone leather and alcantara. There is no news yet on sales plans or prices for the 599XX or the Fiorano, but there is almost zero chance of either car coming to Australia.

If you believe the legend, all red-blooded Italian men will immediately stop what they are doing when two things pass them by. One is a pretty woman; the other is a pretty fast Ferrari. They say it's in their blood. Driving through a tiny village nestled in the foothills of the Apennines, overlooking what is commonly known as the Supercar Valley, I saw first hand that the legend was in danger of becoming a myth. Oh, there were plenty of beautiful woman enjoying the early summer sun, but they didn't even rate a glance from a road gang of big burly blokes, although a waitress from across the street gave a two-finger salute to a bloke on a bike in front of me; he appeared to be the local postman. Perhaps they knew each other. As for the stunning 559 GTB Fiorano Ferrari I was driving. It too didn't raise any interest from the gangers busy fixing potholes, not even when I blipped the throttle — the 599's exhaust bark is nothing short of magical as it echoed off the centuries-old stone and brick walls. This was serious. What's wrong with these Italian blokes — or perhaps they were itinerant workers from Eastern Europe. Were they blind, were they deaf, were they dumb? How could they not be impressed? Negotiating their wheelbarrows and traffic cones was the fastest V12 coupe Ferrari has built; the fastest naturally aspirated two-seat production car in the world and probably the most technically advanced car Ferrari has crafted. How could they ignore it? This is a $650,000 bespoked supercar with buyers lucky enough to get into the queue being forced to wait for at least 18 months to take delivery. Perhaps it was the that Ferrari was painted in a less than spectacular metallic grey/silver, not one of the several shades of traditional Ferrari red, or even their bold yellow. My faith in the legend was partially restored in the next village where two old men sharing a fag and a morning coffee on the footpath, stood and waved in appreciation as the Ferrari, the replacement for the 575 Maranello, squeezed through the narrow streets. They were old enough to know the true history of Ferrari and the value of this, a Pininfarina-penned supercar, which has helped to further define Ferrari's fiery spirit. Perhaps up here in the hills overlooking the home of exotic brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Pagani such cars are commonplace. Oh, surely not. Earlier that day I had been asked the question most car enthusiasts only dream about: would you care to take the 599 for a couple of hours for a run in the countryside? And there it was parked in the forecourt of the Ferrari factory, a resplendent brooding beast with a cockpit displaying a plush mix of tan leather, carbon fibre and alloy. A massive bright yellow tacho between the spokes of the steering wheel dominates the dashboard. The carbon fibre race seats look thin and hard but turn out to be wonderfully supportive. But this is a big car and hard to get a clear view of its surroundings. With nerves on edge, not helped by so many people looking on, it was time to go; remember which buttons to push first in the starting sequence and fire up the V12. Ferrari is the life blood of Modena; the factory dominates the otherwise lack lustre town. It's important enough to rate its own set of traffic lights so one of the town's busiest streets comes to a halt as you drive out of the famed gates. About 100 metres down the street there's speed radar with a huge display mounted on a lamp post just to remind you to keep the throttle under control until you get out on to the open road. The guard at the gate had already warned me the local police were getting a litte tired of the street being used as a supercar pit lane, but 50km/h in the 599 is torture. Out of town it was time to head for the hills with its narrow twists and turns, its off-camber corners, farmers on slow-moving tractors and hordes of fit looking blokes in brightly coloured Lycra suits on pushbikes. It was a couple of days before a major bike tour wheeled through the district. Just my luck. On these narrow roads you quickly appreciate just how wide the 599 GTB is. Blind corners, the lack of guard rails and buildings set right on the roadside call for absolute concentration. But the 599 is, surprisingly, an easy car to live with, once you master its Formula One style controls. Shifting is done by flappy paddles either side of the steering wheel; the wheel itself has various buttons to vary the 599's traction and control settings including sport and race modes — and one which switches them all off, if you dare. By now the villages have been left behind and the road twists and turns into open mountain country. We have set, for me anyway, a cracking pace, although the sky is darkening by the minute. The car beckons to be pushed a little harder, to go a little quicker. Power comes on fast and furious, the car swallows up the corners with consummate ease. Then came reality. Around a tight left hander was my undoing — a stream of runoff water covered the road. Too late to select the rain mode setting on the steering wheel as the 599 gracefully aquaplaned sideways before finding grip again, neatly parking itself almost sideways in a driveway leading to a farm. Time to stop, pry my fingers from the wheel, catch my breath, restore the heart rate. Plenty of mud but not a scratch on the car. I pretended to be admiring the view as one of those orange and green suited cyclists caught up and peddled past. I'm sure he was smirking. The next problem, how to get the 599 back on track. Apart from some advice on don't bend it, the factory had been a bit light on showing me how the gear selectors worked, or perhaps I wasn't listening. Finding reverse was simple enough, there's a big R on the centre console just ahead of the full automatic switch and the launch mode button. But how to find neutral? Ah, try pulling both gear leavers backwards at the time. OK call me stupid. Perfect timing, the phone rang. It was the Ferrari PR bloke asking where I was and how long before I bought their precious car back. After all they were waiting for me so they could go to lunch and next to high performance motoring, eating is the next best Italian past-time. Time to wind down to the valley below and to explore the 599's power on a blast along the valley floor back to Modena. The mountain roads had shown off the 599's handling strengths - pin point accuracy, wonderful flexible delivery of power, superb quick change six-speed gearbox and eye popping brakes. It also gave hint to its weaknesses, not that the 599 has many. The steering is too light for my liking and a perhaps a little vague and in full auto mode, gearshifting is not as smooth as manual changing. On the straight valley roads the 599 is equally at home as a long distance grand tourer. Get it right and, according to Ferrari, the 599's launch control can get this front-engined two-seater with its all alloy body and frame from a standstill to 100km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds. The 6-litre V12, a development of the famed Enzo motor but made more compact for its front end installation in the 599, develops a thumping 456kW at 7600 revs, matched by peak torque of 608Nm at 5600rpm. Top speed, three times the Australian legal limit at 330km/h. The heart of the 599 is its F1-inspired gearbox, with manual shifting taking a mere 100 milliseconds — that's the time it takes for the car's electronics to lift off the power, declutch, select the next gear, re-engage and apply the throttle. It's not the quickest system on the market but it is impressive. It almost feels seamless, only the slight movement in your body reacting to changes in acceleration forces. It is the same system Ferrari uses in its F1 cars, but tamed for standard road use. The switches on the steering wheel to control the car's dynamics are also liked to the 599's adaptive stability control system, called F1-Trac which is smart enough to predict the maximum grip available in advance and tailor the amount of power delivery for best possible traction. In the real world that equates to almost slingshot acceleration out of corners without wheelspin. This is one smart car. The other smart device on the 599 is its adaptive suspension wait for it, it’s called the magnetorheological fluid suspension system. In simple terms it can change the viscousity of the fluid in the dampers by applying an electrical charge to it. The result is a suspension which quickly reacts to different road surfaces far quicker than a conventional oil-filled damper, with its single viscosity. On the road that equates to a car which sits wonderfully flat whilst cornering. On the high speed autostrade the 599 happily cruises at speeds I don't dare discuss. Take my word it is quick. Ferrari says there is more stick-to-the-road suction created under the car because of its design than lift generated by the bodywork and the flying buttresses either side of the rear window are designed to channel the air flow, producing up to 190kg of downforce at maximum speed. The surprising thing about driving the 599 at speed is just how eerily quiet it is. It is a car you can easily drive all day — providing you can afford the fuel. Three hours in the 599 seems like a lifetime. All I need now is $645,000 for the car plus $7000 for the Daytona trim, $13,000 for the extra carbon fibre in the cabin, another $13750 for the special paint job and $12,750 for the ball-polished 20-inch wheels. That lifts the price to $691,500. Add on on-road costs and it’s a million dollar car. That’s a mere $333,000 for each hour I had it. Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano How much: $645,000; $691,500 as tested Power: Naturally aspirated 6-litre 65 degree V12; 456kW at 7600rpm; 608Nm at 5600rpm How quick: 0-100km/h 3.7 seconds; 0- 200km/h 11 seconds Co2 emission: 490g/km Fuel consumption: 21.3l/100km combined Transmission: 6-speed F1 paddle shift Suspension: adaptive magnetorheological dampers F1 Trac stability and traction control system Tyres: 245/40 19-inch front; 305/35 20-inch rear with tyre pressure and temperature monitoring Brakes: 355x32mm front; 330x28mm rear Weight distribution: 47% front, 53% rear Kerb weight: 1690kg  

And the orders and interest in prestige and luxury brands has continued with stand managers claiming an increase in figures, despite a slight decline in overall attendance.The Mercedes SL500 was bought by a customer who was part of a group of VIP guests and has since sold four more models."We're generally generating around 45 to 50 leads of interest every single day during the motor show," Mercedes Benz spokesman Peter Fadeyev said.The new Bentley GT Continental Convertible has also generated a lot of interest with its first appearance at the Darling Harbour event.Bentley spokesman David Jackson said up to six orders have already been taken for the $400,000 car."We generate a huge proportion of enquiries from the motor show and we sell a lot of cars as a result of it," he said yesterday.Two Ferrari 599 GTBs, worth $700,000 each, have been sold while on display in Australia for the first time.Audi spokeswoman Anna Burgdorf said there has been a lot of interest in its R8, with 10 strong leads and major interest in the much-anticipated new TT model.BMW has already sold two cars from its stand and has generated a lot of interest in the coupes and M6. What's on today* The third nightly fashion parade features Sydney designer Nicola Finetti, noted for high fashion and cocktail wear. There will be two shows at the Saab stand at 6.30pm and 7.30pm.* When: 10am-10pm* Where: Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre* Tickets: Adults $17, 5-16 $10.50, under 5 free, family (2 adults and 3 children) $42* Follow the show online at the official Australian Motor Show website