Ferrari is now ready to unveil the limited edition 599 GTO, which it claims is the fastest road car that the company has ever built.
Officially, the 599 is set to launch at the Beijing Motor Show at the end of April, and will be limited to just 599 units. The car marks the return of the GTO badge, which stands for Gran Turismo Omologata, and was inspired by the 599XX race prototype.
The 599 GTO uses the same 6.0-litre V12 engine as the 599XX, which is modified from the Enzo supercar and produces 670bhp and 620Nm of torque. The same engine produces 700bhp in the 599XX concept, and 620bhp in the standard 599 GTB.
The six-speed sequential gearbox enables the car to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.35 seconds, shifting gears in just 60 milliseconds, before reaching a top speed of 335km/h. According to Ferrari, the 599 GTO is able to lap it Fiorano test track in 1 minute 24 seconds, a full second faster than the Enzo supercar.
In order to improve the handling, the other changes include the addition of new springs and a stiffer rear antiroll bar as well as a second generation magnetorheological suspension control system, or SCM2. There is also a new, lighter carbon ceramic braking system that helps the car stop from 100km/h in 32.5 metres.
Thanking to a series of weight saving measures, the 599 GTO now weighs just 1495kg, 84kg less than the standard 599 GTO. These include widespread use of composite materials such as aluminium, and also aerodynamic changes such as, a new front spoiler that incorporates a separate lower wing, a new double-curve rear diffuser, modified underbody panels and F1-style ‘wheel doughnuts’, which is a disc which channels hot air and drag away from the brake discs.
The 599 GTO also gets a new bonnet design with air-vents and a matte gray rooftop finish, as well as new 20-inch alloy wheels.
Meanwhile, the interior has been fitted with bespoke carbon-fibre F1 gearshift paddles, a pair of bucket sport seats, carbon fibre trim, a leather/alcantara steering wheel, and what Ferrari calls a “Virtual Race Engineer”, which is a system that monitors the status of the car and gives the driver immediate visibility of vehicle performance.