1st March 2006- One of the more exciting releases of 2006 is the 599 GTB Fiorano. It replaces the 550/575 Maranello and offers more interior space and power than its predecessors. It also leaves behind the 575 as the last Ferrari to use a steel chassis and completes Ferrari’s overhaul of their entire range which is now all-aluminum.

As with all Ferrari introductions, the 599’s initial screening was completed over dinner with trusted dealers and friends, this time at the Palazzo Re Enzo in the Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna. By dinner time, so many photos of the car had surfaced, that the Geneva Motor Show release was almost old news. However, the accompanying ladies at Pininfarina’s and Ferrari’s Geneva stands ensured excitement, even if the cars didn’t.

But how can the 599 not impress? Underneath its purposeful skin, the 599 retains the same front engine V12 layout which the 550/575 Maranello line successfully reintroduced, and to make up for its longer chassis, the 599 uses a 6.0-liter engine engineered from the same one found in the Enzo supercar that can reach 612 bhp and 8400 rpm! With it, the 599 is the most powerful front engine Ferrari!

Attached to this engine and sitting in the rear, is a considerably upgraded flappy paddle transmission called the ‘F1-Superfast’ that changes gears in just 100ms. This is a huge improvement compared to 250 ms in the older roadcar systems, but lags behind the 80ms FXX and 30ms Formula One unit it’s named after.

Unfortunately, Ferrari’s fully electronic E-Differential, first seen in the F430, is absent. It is instead replaced with intelligent mototronics called Manettino that adjust the brakes and engine to control power delivery. Ferrari says this type of system is more suitable for the front engine design. When the Manettino switch is turned onto Race or Sport mode a system called F1-Trac monitors the difference between the front and rear wheels for optimum traction.

Providing a base for the the 599 are three extruded aluminum sections on which the body is riveted and welded to. This lightweight design makes the 599’s chassis 100 kg lighter than the 575 despite being 250 mm longer. And since the V12 engine is 8 percent lighter and more compact than previous versions, it can sit further back in the engine bay. This means almost 85 percent of weight is contained between the wheels.

At first glance the GTB’s styling seems to mimic its larger 4-seat brother, the 612 Scaglietti. Both were designed at the same time and share the common interior bits, as well as similar front end designs which Pininfarina now sets as the enduring face of Ferrari. But unlike the 612, the 599 has an entirely new roof line and much tidier rear end treatment with two sexy rear buttresses that create 25 percent of the 599’s downforce. Specifically it produces 160 kg at 300 kph.

One aspect that gets constant debate are the Delphi-sourced magnetorheological dampers that actively stabilize the car and are totally adjustable. They use special fluid in the dampers that can change viscosity almost instantly with a magnetic field. What this means is that 599 reduces about 30 % more bumps than the 599, and the damping can adjust to whatever suits the driver. The exact same system is used on GM cars such as the Corvette but Ferrari are adamite that their own controlling software is unique.

Like all Ferraris, the 599 comes with a range of options, and for the spirited customers the ‘Racing and Track’ options include CCM (Carbon Ceramic Material) brakes, 20 inch Challenge one-piece rims with run-flat tyres, four-point harnesses and a cockpit roll-bar.

With the 599, Ferrari seem well on their way. Each year they are selling more cars, and offer increased levels of uncompromising luxury and power. The next chapter for the 599 will hopefully start on the track and end at LeMans.

Specs & Performance

2012 HGTE Package

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano HGTE (HGTE being an abbreviation of Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione) is an upgrade package for the 599 designed to improve the car’s handling. The HGTE package is designed to deliver even sportier, more dynamic driving, to highlight the 599 GTB Fiorano’s positioning in the “sports car” segment. The technical modifications introduced with the HGTE Package to the car’s set-up and tyres ensure tighter, more dynamic handling, with sharper cornering and improved responsiveness whilst still being easy to drive. The HGTE package further underlines the 599 GTB Fiorano’s different mission from Ferrari’s other current 12-cylinder, the 612 Scaglietti which, along with the 8-cylinder Ferrari California, represents the Grand Tourer personality of the Prancing Horse’s current range.

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Pictures

See full 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Gallery here