Ferrari 599 GTB - Driven and written by Mark Hopkins
I had the pleasure of going to Barcelona, Spain this year to celebrate my birthday. For my birthday present I received the awesome opportunity to drive a Ferrari 599 GTB. From the moment the car arrived I could not wait to get lost in the city. Of course i had to challenge the beast and its 5999cc engine around a few curves and along the shoreline of Mediterranean Sea.
The first thing you notice about the car is the exhaust note. I gather there is no other like it and each gear sings a different tune! I was praying the car would be a manual, however, I settled for the automatic with optional paddle shifters. Oddly enough, I was not disappointed by the touch shift mode. The car still reminds me of a clutch operated vehicle. On the hills there was a slight roll back before acceleration and gear changes still had a clutch feel up and down shifting. As far as super cars go, the suspension was great. I expected a stiffer more rough ride but was pleasantly surprised by the smoothness yet excellent responsiveness and feedback from the car. On the highway the car was content to cruise around 80-100 kilometers, but was right and ready to punch it up when asked.
Everywhere I drove the car turned heads and was photographed, but of course, it's a Ferrari! If I had the means I would surely buy one! The one downfall is that I have opened up a bag of worms. I will certainly be taking advantage of any opportunity to drive more cars of this caliber.
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| Mark enjoying his birthday present |
From Wikipedia,
The 599 GTB Fiorano (internal code F141) is an Italian gran turismo produced byFerrari. It was the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model, but was replaced for the 2013 model year by the F12 Berlinetta.
Styled by Pininfarina under the direction of Ferrari's Frank Stephenson, the 599 GTB debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2006. It is named for its total engine displacement (5999 cc), Gran Turismo Berlinetta nature, and the Fiorano Circuit test track used by Ferrari.
Drive train
The Tipo F140C 6.0 L (5934 cc) V 12 engine produces a maximum 620 PS (456 kW; 612 hp), making it the most powerful series production Ferrari road car of the time. This is one of the few engines whose output exceeds 100 hp per liter of displacement without any sort of forced-induction mechanism such as supercharging or turbocharging. Its 608 N·m (448 ft·lbf) of torque will also be a new record for Ferrari's GT cars. Most of the modifications to the engine were done to allow it to fit in the Fiorano's engine bay (the original Enzo version could be taller as it would not block forward vision due to its mid-mounted position).
Performance
Performance claimed by Ferrari.
- 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds[3]
- 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 11.0 seconds[4]
- Top speed: over 330 km/h (205 mph)