The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Sets a New Benchmark in the Sports Car World

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano set a new benchmark of excellence in the sports car world after it was introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. This stunning new all-aluminum two-seater is summed up rather succinctly by its own name and delivers everything that this promises. Fiorano after the circuit Ferrari uses to hone the performance of its track and road cars; GTB as in Gran Turismo Berlinetta after the most famous Ferrari berlinettas ever built; and 599 to reflect the displacement of its V12 engine divided by 10.

The Ferrari 599 GTB was designed with several specific objectives in mind: to surpass the intense driving pleasure of such renowned models as the F40, to guarantee stunning performance courtesy of its highly innovative content and technology transfers from the F1 single-seaters, and to deliver superior standards of roominess, comfort, ergonomics and safety. The result is the absolute pinnacle of achievement in terms of thoroughbred Ferrari sportiness and technology.

599 GTB Fiorano's Styling and Personalization Options

The 599 GTB Fiorano is a strikingly sculptural car. The design is so supple, in fact, that each new angle brings something new to light. Its forms say it all about its extreme sportiness yet still retain a unique sophistication.

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 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano are trimmed in sumptuous leather while the driver area and controls boast more high-tech detailing in carbon-fiber and aluminum.

In addition to the steering wheel and manettino, the central rev counter with a choice of red or yellow background and solid aluminum passenger controls, the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano also boasts attractive new styling cues including a central grip to provide extra support for the passenger and new adaptive racing seats featuring carbon-fiber side rests. Other standard accessories include front bi-xenon headlamps and rear LED lights, dusk and rain sensors, dual-zone climate control, electrically adjustable steering-wheel column, hideaway radio/CD player and key with integrated volumetric anti-theft device with motion sensors.

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano also benefits from an already vast choice of personalization options available for every Ferrari model. Four areas are covered by this program: Racing and Track, Exteriors and Colors, Interior and Materials, Equipment and Travel.

Interior and Materials options include a new Enzo Ferrari-inspired carbon-fiber steering wheel with LED rev display which can be specified along with a special carbon-fiber trim kit for the door panels, instrument panel, gear stick surround and sill kick panels. Various types of leather trim are also available for the seats and interior too. Travel and Equipment accessories include front and rear parking sensors, iPod-friendly set-up, satellite anti-theft system and a luggage set specially tailored to fit this model.

The Music of the V12 Created for the Enzo

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).

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 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 (apart from the Enzo). Its maximum power output is 620 bhp at 7,600 rpm with a maximum engine speed of 8,400 rpm. Particular attention was also paid to fuel consumption which is the same as in the previous model, under similar use, despite a significant leap in performance. Development work for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano also focused specifically on the distinctive sound the engine makes, reducing mechanical resonance in favor of a pure V12 soundtrack from both the intake manifold and the exhaust system. This not only enhances driving pleasure but makes for a quieter ride inside the cabin itself.

RSportsCars.com Exclusive: The Ferrari 599 GTB Caught Filming a Commercial

2/15/2006 – RSportsCars.com has obtained exclusive images of the new Ferrari 599 GTB and a Ferrari F40, taken during filming of a commercial in Valley of Fire State Park, Las Vegas. The filming was done by a helicopter which followed the two cars as they were driven on a narrow two-lane canyon road at fairly high speeds. The Ferrari's commercial for the 599 is scheduled to be shown in Europe in May or June 2006.

Mike Olivella, who photographed the cars, commented: "At the staging area, they spent the entire time polishing and wiping down both cars. The F40 could blow the 599 away, but the F40 driver was careful to make it look like the 599 was every bit as powerful."

"The 599 had a V-12, 620-horsepower engine, but it was not in the same class as the F40," Mike Olivella continued. "Most of the spectators (the few that were there) commented that the car looked more like a Jaguar than a Ferrari, and were more enthralled by the F40 than the 599."

"The drivers were incredible. I drove the road that they filmed the cars on, and it was a very windy, up and down two-lane road. These guys really opened the cars up and to watch them negotiate the turns and the dips was something to see."

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