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FERRARI 599 "GTO"
OFFICIAL PHOTOS
599 GRAN TURISMO OMOLOGATO (SEE PRESS RELEASE BELOW)
The new 599 GTO - The fastest ever road-going Ferrari will be
unveiled to the public at the Beijing Motor Show
Maranello, 8 April - Now available on www.ferrari.com are the first
photos and information on the new 599 GTO, an extreme V12 berlinetta
developed to a specific performance-oriented brief. The 599 GTO is, in
fact, the company's fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited
edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new
concept, albeit inspired by a production car. In fact the 599 GTO is
based on the 599XX, the advanced experimental track car, and can be
considered almost a road-going version.
The 599 GTO is reserved for just 599 clients who seek the maximum
expression of high-performance driving. The 599 GTO benefits directly
from the technological transfer from racing and set a record lap time at
Fiorano in 1'24".
The Fiorano lap time provides just one indication of the potential of
this car. Just as significant are the technical specifications - 670 hp
in a 1495kg car represents a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp,
and ensures a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.35" as well as a
top speed of over 335 km/h.
Fundamental to the GTO's performance is the
innovative approach to chassis development which, for the first time on a
production car, saw the integration between a handling set-up tuned for
a level of responsiveness that is close to the limit and highly
sophisticated electronic controls. The result is the almost complete
absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.
As is Ferrari's policy, every new Ferrari features new solutions for a
road car. Thus the 599 GTO is equipped with the latest,
second-generation carbon-ceramic brakes which are lighter and offer
better performance, new aerodynamic innovations, such as the wheel
doughnuts which increase aerodynamic efficiency as well as improve brake
cooling, and the Supersport tyres developed by Michelin include a wider
front tyre for greater roadholding. The driver-car interface is also
new with the adoption of the Virtual Race Engineer (VRE) which provides
the driver with instantaneous information on performance.
The 599 GTO's more aggressive character is also apparent in a number
of styling elements that recall the 599XX and from the powerful sound of
the V12.
The GTO (Gran Turismo Omologata) moniker instantly calls to mind two
Ferraris that have entered the collective imagination as symbols of
performance. After the 1962 250 GTO, which swept the boards in GT racing
categories in the 1960s and is now a highly prized collector's car,
came the iconic 1984 GTO, which basically invented the entire modern
supercar genre.
The web special includes photos, videos and interviews on the new
car, while an exclusive preview for a small number of Ferrari clients
will be held on April 14th at the Military Academy in Modena. The public
debut of the 599 GTO will instead be at the Beijing International Motor
Show at the end of April.
599 GTO TECHNICAL CONTENTS
ENGINE AND GEARBOX
The 599 GTO's engine is
directly derived from the 599XX unit implementing, however, the
necessary modifications for road-going homologation. It thus complies
with Euro 5 and LEV 2 standards. The 5999 cc 65-degree V12 engine
punches out 670 CV at 8250 rpm with maximum torque of 620 Nm at 6500 rpm
and there is a smooth, constant rush of power all the way to the
redline with no loss of flexibility even at medium and low revs. This
result was obtained by working on the fluid-dynamics and components to
reduce internal friction and by adopting, amongst other things, the
599XX's redesigned crankshaft. The car also has a racing-type intake
system with a new manifold with diffuser-type intake geometry and short
inlet tracts designed to improve power delivery at high revs and reduce
losses. To maximise volumetric efficiency per cylinder, a connection
between the two plenums at the front compensates for variations in the
volume. This is how the engineers managed to achieve maximum performance
at high engine speeds. The engine sound inside the car is carefully
controlled to balance the intake sound with the exhaust, which features a
599XX-derived 6-into-1 manifold.
The 599 GTO features the same,
lower 60 ms shift times and the possibility to make multiple downshifts
as on the 599XX.
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
One of the most significant
innovations on the 599 GTO is the close correlation between the chassis
set-up, which is close to the handling limit, and the input from the
electronic controls which are developed to increase overall levels of
performance.
Since the very earliest states of the two cars'
development, Maranello's engineers worked to ensure that these two areas
of the car would be seamlessly integrated thus pushing responsiveness
to the limit. The result is, of course, superlative driving involvement
as well as faster lap times. Apart from new springs and a stiffer rear
anti-roll bar, the car also features a second generation
magnetorheological suspension control system (SCM2). The suspension
works in tandem with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and
latest-generation F1-Trac traction control. This makes the car extremely
responsive to driver inputs - thanks in part to the adoption of a very
direct steering ratio - but also very stable under braking, sharper on
turn-in, more precise in cornering and quicker out of corners.
WEIGHT REDUCTION
The 599 GTO inherits much of the
development work - using the same principles as employed in F1 - that
went into making the 599XX such an extreme performance car. Reducing
weight was a vital objective and the result was the widespread use of
composites and components manufactured with technologies more akin to
racing specifications. The areas involved include the bodywork and
greenhouse (with thinner gauge aluminium and thinner glass), the brakes,
transmission and exhaust system. The result is a dry weight of 1495 kg
and a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, a very significant
figure that underlines the GTO's performance potential.
AERODYNAMICS
The 599 GTO's aerodynamics have
benefited significantly from Ferrari engineers' experience in F1 and
with the 599XX which allowed downforce to be greatly increased without
impacting on drag. Thanks to solutions transferred from the track car to
the road-going version, the GTO generates downforce of 144 kg at 200
km/h. The entire car was honed, including the front, the sides, the flat
underbody and cooling flows. In the latter instance, the GTO can count
on 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 car 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 optimise downforce, and a
new double-curve rear diffuser.
WHEEL RIMS AND TYRES
Here the difference in size
between the front and rear tyres has been changed. The GTO's front tyres
are now 285/30 on a 9.5'' channel with 315/35 on an 11.5'' channel at
the rear. The 599 GTO has 20'' rims. Roll rigidity is greater at the
rear to minimise understeer. These solutions guarantee improved lateral
grip and quicker turn in.
BRAKES
The new CCM2 braking system is lighter and
even more consistent in high performance situations. Its consistent
coefficient of attrition meant that the ABS could be calibrated to a
particularly high performance level, further reducing lap times, thanks
to improved deceleration and shorter stopping distances. In fact, the
599 GTO boasts an excellent 100 to 0 km/h braking distance of just 32.5
metres. As well as their role in improving aerodynamics, the Formula
1-derived wheel doughnuts also improve braking efficiency by optimising
brake cooling.
CAR-DRIVER INTERFACE
The car-driver interface was
designed to maximise car and driver performance with a layout of the
main commands that ensures absolute efficiency and minimum distraction.
The Racing manettino also puts the emphasis firmly on sporty,
track-specific driving settings by offering the driver full choice with
regard to the electronic control parameters. The ICE position on the 599
GTB Fiorano has been replaced by CT-Off (traction control off). The GTO
is also fitted with bespoke, longer carbon-fibre F1 paddles for easier
use in high-speed driving. In addition the GTO also features the Virtual
Race Engineer, a system that monitors the status of the car and gives
the driver immediate visibility of vehicle performance.
599 GTO TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
Length: 4710 mm (185.4 in)
Width:
1962 mm (77.2 in)
Height: 1326 mm (52.2 in)
Wheelbase: 2750 mm
(108.3 in)
Front track: 1701 mm (67.0 in)
Rear track: 1618 mm
(63.7 in)
Dry weight*: 1495 kg (3296 lbs)
Kerb weight*: 1605 kg
(3538 lbs)
Weight distribution: 47% front - 53% rear
Fuel tank
capacity: 105 litres (27.7 US gal/23.1 UK/gal)
Boot volume: 320
litres (11.3 cu ft)
ENGINE
Type V12 - 65°
Bore & stroke: 92 x
75.2 mm (3.62 x 2.96 in)
Unitary displacement: 499.9 cc (30.51 cu in)
Total
displacement: 5999 cc (366.08 cu in)
Compression ratio: 11.2:1
Maximum
power: 500 kW (670 CV) at 8250 rpm
Maximum torque: 620 Nm (457
lbs/ft) at 6500 rpm
GEARBOX
F1 6-speed + reverse
SUSPENSION
SCM2 - Magnetorheological Supension
Control
TYRES
Front: 285/30 ZR20''
Rear: 315/35 ZR20''
CARBON-CERAMIC BRAKES
Front: 398 x 38 mm (15.7 x
1.5 in)
Rear: 360 x 32 mm (14.2 x 1.3 in)
ELECTRONIC CONTROLS
CST with F1-Trac: Traction
and stability control
TPTMS: Tyre pressure and temperature monitoring
system
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: over 335 km/h (over
208 mph)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 3.35 sec
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Combined cycle (ECE)*: 17.5
l/100 km
CO2 EMISSIONS
Combined cycle (ECE)*: 411 g/km
*European version
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