Having whetted our appetites with the wild Laboratorio Technologico 599XX experimental car, Ferrari has now unveiled a slightly tamer, but still frankly bonkers, track-focused variant in the shape of the G99 GTO.
Borrowing many of the elements showcased in the strictly-track-only 599XX and using the potent 599 GTB HGTE as a starting point, the GTO is powered by a heavily revised version of the standard car’s 6,0-litre V12 engine. Power has been ramped up considerably, from 456 kW to a shade over 499 kW at 8 250 r/min and 620 N.m of torque at 6 500 r/min while the redline soars to a stratospheric 9 000 r/min. Power is channelled to the rear wheels via an F1-style six-speed paddle-shift gearbox.
In addition, Ferrari has shaved a remarkable 195 kg from the standard car’s 1 690 kg kerb weight – combine that with the aforementioned power hike and Ferrari’s claimed performance figures of 3,35 seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint and a 335 km/h top whack are entirely plausible.
But the 599 GTO’s phenomenal power and light weight would be nothing without some seriously sorted underpinnings, and to this end the engineers at Ferrari have pulled out all of the stops to make the car as nimble and engaging as possible. One such development is the new VRE (Virtual Race Engineer) system – an interface that provides the driver with instantaneous performance information.
Augmenting the new springs, uprated steering and stiffer rear antiroll bar, is the second generation magnetorheological (magnetic ride) suspension control system. This system works in tandem with the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and latest-generation F1-Trac traction control to heighten the car’s responsiveness to driver input while aiding stability during tight cornering and fast exits. Ferrari’s engineers also claim to have worked extensively on the GTO’s chassis to such a degree that understeer has been all but eliminated. The 599 GTO sports high-performance Michelin tires, size 285/30/20 up front and 315/35/20 in the rear, behind which hides a formidable set of ventilated carbon ceramic disc brakes.
Just 599 examples of the 599 GTO will be produced once the car has made its official debut at this year’s Beijing Auto Show.
