Ferrari 599 GTB

With the release of the 599 GTB Fiorano Ferrari is presenting its most powerful V12-engined production car of all time. Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari's Vice General Manager will announce today at the Detroit Motor Show the birth of the latest model developed in Maranello. The new car is a concentration of Ferrari's most innovative and technologically advanced engineering solutions applied to a mid-front engined two-seater coupé. The result is a new benchmark for performance, driver involvement and design. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano boasts class-leading power thanks to its 5,999cc V12 - derived directly from the Enzo Ferrari supercar – which produces no less than 620hp at 7,600 rpm for a weight/power ratio of just 2.6 kg per horsepower. The new car is a concentration of Ferrari's most innovative and technologically advanced engineering solutions applied to a mid-front engined two-seater coupe. The result is a new benchmark for performance, driver involvement and design. The unmistakable Pininfarina design gives the Ferrari 559 GTB aggressive yet elegant lines which are perfectly integrated with the advanced aerodynamic solutions adopted to reach the performance figures attainable. This new model is the symbol of Ferrari's production - the V12 berlinetta - and represents the latest interpretation of a theme that has seen such classics as the 250 GT, the 275 GTB, and the 365 GTB4. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano replaces the last in that great line of berlinettas, the 575M Maranello, of which - together with the 550 Maranello introduced in 1996 - no fewer than 5,700 have been produced, a record for this type of model for the Prancing Horse.

This new model is the symbol of Ferrari's production - the V12 berlinetta - and represents the latest interpretation of a theme that has seen such classics as the 250 GT, the 275 GTB, and the 365 GTB4. The Ferrari 599 GTB replaces the last in that great line of berlinettas, the 575M Maranello, of which - together with the 550 Maranello introduced in 1996 - no fewer than 5,700 have been produced, a record for this type of model for the Prancing Horse.

The Ferrari 599 GTB boasts class-leading power thanks to its 5,999cc V12 - derived directly from the Enzo Ferrari supercar - which produces no less than 620hp at 7,600 rpm for a weight/power ratio of just 2.6 kg per horsepower. Ferrari has adopted the latest evolution in its tried and tested all-aluminium construction technology for the body and chassis.

The 599 GTB Fiorano is the succesor of the Ferrari 575M Maranello launched in 2002 - an updated Ferrari 550 featuring minor styling changes from Pininfarina. Updates from the 550 include a renewed interior, but with substantial improvements inside, including bigger brake discs, a larger and more powerful engine, a different weight distribution, refined aerodynamics and fluid-dynamics and an adaptive suspension set-up (the four independent suspensions are also controlled by the gearbox, to minimize pitch throughout the 200-milliseconds gear shift). Two six-speed transmissions are available, a conventional manual gearbox and, for the first time on a Ferrari V12, Magneti Marelli's semi-automatic (sequential) 'F1' gearbox. The model number refers to the engine's capacity in litres, whilst the 'M' is an abbreviation of 'modificato' or 'modified'. The technical specification of the engine speaks for itself: 366 cu in displacement, a specific power output of 103 bhp/liter (a first for a naturally aspirated production engine of this displacement). A balance has been struck in the interior between the car's sporty vocation and the feeling of intimacy and safety that only skilled hand-crafting and detailed personalization can achieve. The passenger areas of the car are trimmed in sumptuous leather while the driver area and controls boast more high-tech detailing in carbon-fiber and aluminum.

Twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank boast continuously variable timing on both inlet and exhaust cams to optimize torque delivery and drivability at both low and high revs. A twin-plate, low inertia clutch in unit with the engine also helps lower the centre of gravity. Chain driven distribution reduces noise and is maintenance-free. The Fiorano's V12 engine delivers a maximum torque of 446 lb-ft at 5,600 rpm and means that the car pulls well at all engine speeds. The new model's breathtaking sportiness is due in part to record maximum revs for an engine of this displacement.