The 599 GTO is the fastest ever road legal Ferrari.

The Ferrari 599, in all its forms, has always been one of the company's best looking front-engined GT cars - light years ahead of the 612 Scaglietti in design. And just when you think the model has reached its apex with the track-only 599XX from 2009, Ferrari go ahead and develop a road legal version of the track special called the 599 GTO. And to top it all off the 599 GTO is the fastest street legal Ferrari ever to roll out of the factory. That's how special this car is. And of course because it's special Ferrari have limited the production run to 599 units.

Fundamental to the 599 GTO's exceptional performance is the advanced chassis design which uses very clever electronics to keep the car in the best possible attitude at all times and in all situations. Derived from the 599XX's chassis and electronic aids setup, the GTO features only a different set of springs and a stiffer rear antiroll bar from its race-bred cousin. The suspension system works in harmony with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and latest-generation F1-Trac traction control.

Keeping the weight to a minimum was also an important factor when Ferrari's engineers were developing the 599 GTO. Thankfully a lot of this weight saving witchcraft had already been done during the 599XX's development. However additional areas the team worked on reducing weight were the bodywork and windows. The reduction was achieved through the use of thinner gauge aluminum and thinner glass. By adding a more luxurious interior the weight did go up slightly, but it's still only just marginally higher than the 599XX's overall weight.

Thanks to solutions transferred from the track car to the road-going version, the GTO generates downforce of 144 kg (317 lbs) at 125 mph (200 km/h). The car's aerodynamics were optimized, including the front, the sides, the flat underbody and cooling air flows. In the latter instance, the GTO utilizes improved ducting to the brake discs and pads, and the adoption of wheel doughnuts - a disc positioned outside the brake disc that ensure that hot air exiting the wheelarch stays as close to the body of the car as possible to reduce drag.

Work on the nose of the 599 GTO was aimed at reducing the width of the wake generated by the front and thus reduce drag. The front spoiler incorporates a separate lower wing that increases downforce at the front of the car and increases the flow of cooling air to the oil radiator. On the flanks there’s a new sill design with a more pronounced leading edge that improves the efficiency of the central section of the underbody. The underbody itself incorporates a new, lower front section with diffusers ahead of the front wheels to optimize downforce, and a new double-curve rear diffuser.

The engine is a 6.0 litre V12 which is mounted in a front-mid position. This monster produces 670 horsepower @ 8,250 rpm and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque @ 6,500 rpm. Power is sent to the rear wheels using a paddle operated 6-speed sequential gearbox.



Similar and related vehicles:
Ferrari 599XX
Ferrari 599 GTB