New Ferrari 599 GTO - fastest Ferrari ever

Moses7

from the press release:

The 599 GTO is, in fact, the company’s fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new concept, albeit inspired by a production car. In fact the 599 GTO is based on the 599XX, the advanced experimental track car, and can be considered almost a road-going version.

The 599 GTO is reserved for just 599 clients who seek the maximum expression of high-performance driving. The 599 GTO benefits directly from the technological transfer from racing and set a record lap time at Fiorano in 1′24″.

The Fiorano lap time provides just one indication of the potential of this car. Just as significant are the technical specifications – 670 hp in a 1495kg car represents a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, and ensures a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.35″ as well as a top speed of over 335 km/h.

more details and pics here.

edit: first videos

unkel

The most significant bit of the press release is that it is "the fastest Ferrari ever"

This means the traditional mid-engined "supercar" setup is now officially inferior to the front engined GT setup according to Ferrari. The 599 GTO is faster on the track than the Enzo. Porsche knew in the 70s that this was the case, but petrolheads still haven't accepted it nearly 40 years later. And RIP the manual transmission. It is officially dead. No Ferrari will ever have a clutch pedal again. Another thing Porsche saw coming back in the 70s :eek:

CianRyan

That really is a beautiful looking car.
I wonder what kind of price tag it'll hold.

unkel

CianRyan wrote: »

That really is a beautiful looking car.

It's a lot less pretty than a standard 599

CianRyan wrote: »

I wonder what kind of price tag it'll hold.

Who cares?

CianRyan

I love the standard 599, and before this it was my favourite Ferrari, but I am really into this one.


And I care... Because I can work it into my dreams that way.:o

PrettyBoy

Great looking car, the performance speaks for itself and the cosmetic changes are perfect. If I won the Euromillions I'd have mine in dark grey with a matte grey roof :pac:

This means the traditional mid-engined "supercar" setup is now officially inferior to the front engined GT setup according to Ferrari.

What?? Where did you get that idea? All it's saying is that it's currently the fastest Ferrari you can buy - what happens when the Enzo replacement gets here?

And RIP the manual transmission. It is officially dead. No Ferrari will ever have a clutch pedal again. Another thing Porsche saw coming back in the 70s

No. You can get a California with a manual transmission. Ferrari aren't conservative when it comes to technology and setting performance benchmarks. Why would you want to get a manual gearbox when you know it will compromise performance?

BostonB

unkel wrote: »

The most significant bit of the press release is that it is "the fastest Ferrari ever"

This means the traditional mid-engined "supercar" setup is now officially inferior to the front engined GT setup according to Ferrari. The 599 GTO is faster on the track than the Enzo. Porsche knew in the 70s that this was the case, but petrolheads still haven't accepted it nearly 40 years later. And RIP the manual transmission. It is officially dead. No Ferrari will ever have a clutch pedal again. Another thing Porsche saw coming back in the 70s :eek:

Er what?

They can engineer cars to be faster or slower to suit the product line, so that a cheaper car doesn't savage the sales of a more expensive one. Regardless of front, mid or rear engine layout. Porsche being a perfect example of this, protecting sales of the 911, a car which has its engine in the wrong place. The 599 is in terms of weight balance almost a mid engined car anyway with the engine inside the front wheels, and most of the major weighty components/mechanicals inside the wheelbase. To quote Evo "car’s masses are configured to give a rearward weight bias"

Theres no escaping physics.

D_BEAR

unkel wrote: »

The most significant bit of the press release is that it is "the fastest Ferrari ever"

This means the traditional mid-engined "supercar" setup is now officially inferior to the front engined GT setup according to Ferrari. The 599 GTO is faster on the track than the Enzo. Porsche knew in the 70s that this was the case, but petrolheads still haven't accepted it nearly 40 years later. And RIP the manual transmission. It is officially dead. No Ferrari will ever have a clutch pedal again. Another thing Porsche saw coming back in the 70s :eek:

While its the fastest ferrari ever this is in a straight line the F430 scuderia is still the fastest road going ferrari ever around the fiorano track.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorano_Circuit

robtri

Fastest ferrari ever........

bit confused how they came up wit that.....

the F430 beats it on the track,

the Enzo beats its 0-60 and its top speed......

beautiful car but think they selling it for a little bit more than it really is

Tea 1000

Mid-engine is still the quickest and best layout for a track, despite what Unkel says. However front engine layout is safer and probably quicker for the joe soap who buys these cars. (rich Joe Soap that is!).
New auto transmissions are best for performance, but I'd still love a manual Ferrari just for that open gate nostalgia!

unkel

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Mid-engine is still the quickest and best layout for a track, despite what Unkel says

I was exaggerating a little bit

My point is that there is very, very little between the two setups.

Supercars aren't by definition 2 seat only with a mid engine anymore. And nobody buys their supercar just for the track. Did I mention the practicality of the Skoda Octavia style massive boot of a front engined GT hatchback?

BostonB

unkel wrote: »

I was exaggerating a little bit

My point is that there is very, very little between the two setups.

Supercars aren't by definition 2 seat only with a mid engine anymore. And nobody buys their supercar just for the track. Did I mention the practicality of the Skoda Octavia style massive boot of a front engined GT hatchback?

A supercar never had to be mid engined. Its just so happens that most of them are. Its a pretty vague definition. The 599 is not front engined but front-mid engined. As indeed are pretty much most of the Supercars most think of as front engined. Some supercars are rear engined, the 959 for example, or any of the 911's that might be consider supercars.

Altreab

unkel wrote: »

I was exaggerating a little bit

My point is that there is very, very little between the two setups.

Supercars aren't by definition 2 seat only with a mid engine anymore. And nobody buys their supercar just for the track. Did I mention the practicality of the Skoda Octavia style massive boot of a front engined GT hatchback?

bloody hell unkel you own me for a coffee spewed keyboard and wipes for my screen

BostonB

unkel wrote: »

... Did I mention the practicality of the Skoda Octavia style massive boot of a front engined GT hatchback?

I raise you this....
http://www.supercars.net/Pics?viewCarPic=y&source=carGal&carID=3181&pgID=1&pID=872081

af_thefragile

The Cooper T51 was the first mid engined F1 car to win a race and proved the better weight distribution of a mid engined car would make the car handle better and therefore go faster. Since then the mid engine layout became the standard in F1 and LeMans .

Lamborghini Miura was the first road car to have a mid engined layout. Technically speaking, its a rear mid-engined layout. This then became the template for most supercars to go by. Yes you were losing a lot in the name of practicality by the engine taking over the rear passenger and boot space but you'ld gain that in performance and handling.

Most front engined supercars are unlike front engined normal road cars where the engine sits on top or just behind the front wheels, they're front-mid-engined supercars. The engine sits much further back than normal cars and also a lot of times even the transmission is mounted towards the rear of the car before the rear axle. This gives them still near perfect weight distribution with a little bias towards the front making the car slightly more slide/drift friendly. It also makes the car a little more understeery and predictable. Also practical as you can have space in the back of the seats for two more passenger seats and a big boot.

Porsche 911 is the most famous rear engined super car. The engine sits on top of the rear wheels. The weight of the engine sitting on top of the rear wheels improves its traction which is why you rarely get any wheelspin in a 911. Though on the downside it makes the car very oversteery with no weight on the front wheels and very unpredictable. But after years of development and refinement, Porsche seem to have cracked it and make the 911 one of the best performance sports car you can buy.

So this means the Ferrari 599 GTO is not a front engined Ferrari like a Skoda Octavia but instead a Front-mid-engined supercar like the Mercedes SLR Mclaren.