The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano compared with its predecessor, the 550 Maranello. 

It was one of those spring days, a Saturday to be more precise, with that scent of summer in the air. There she was, an imposing 599 GTB, parked in front of the dealership, shining in the sun. In fact it was quite difficult indeed to resist a drive, with a 550 Maranello looming in the rear mirror. Belted in the deeply sculpted, firmly padded carbon bucket seats, I noted that the atmosphere inside has improved considerably. Seen through the windscreen, the curves of the 550 Maranello have morphed into the 599 GTB Fiorano’s sharper lines across the front wings and long ribbed nose. Some 4 inches longer and 2 inches taller, the 599 GTB Fiorano looks a lot more imposing than the not exactly small 550 Maranello.

Shlepping around in town, it takes some time to find the right amount of brake pedal pressure with the Carbon Ceramic Brakes and their impressive Brembo Calipers.  They feel grabby and a small jab can bring you to a sudden halt, but they will prove to be precious allies when the V12 will deploys its 600bhp-plus. At lower rpms, the 6-litre V12 is docile, all things relative considering the context. Torque at 2,000 rpm is 460 Nm (approx. 350 lbft), already well over the maximum torque of a Porsche 997 Carrera S. Coming out of a narrow hairpin, a slight extension of my right ankle is all it takes to alter the exhaust note, the deep-chested growl of the V12 turning into a glorious metallic roar. As the thrust increases, I give a last glance at the gorgeous tacho, the needle is sweeping fast towards the upper third of the range. From 5,000 to 8,500 rpm, the savagery of the acceleration is sublime and striking, my ears flooded by a sonic deluge of biblical proportions. The thundering boom reflects on the rock faces on either side of the narrow mountain road. My middle finger pulls the paddle and third gear slams in, the manic rush continues without the slightest respite and that same brain-splitting howl. The next hairpin is now coming fast, the 599 stays composed under hard braking with perfectly subtle ABS interventions and turns in eagerly. Mash the throttle progressively from the apex and here comes another charge of the light brigade of Cavallino Rampante. No artificial acoustic tricks at play here, the deep induction growl screams in unison with the sharp exhaust note, an aural delight of rich harmonics that betrays the origin of the powerplant.

This is the 599 GTB Fiorano with the gloves off. Violent, stomach-turning power, a phenomenal organic acceleration that no turbocharged engine can rival, and the F1-Superfast sequential gearbox that outshines anything I’ve been given to drive, bar the more recent 430 Scuderia. Whether your musical references are Wagner, Deep Purple or the Chemical Brothers, set the volume on 11, inject yourself a full dose of adrenalin right into the aorta, bunji dive from a 1000ft cliff and ….  even then you will still be shy of the experience that the 599 offers on a winding road. The speed build up resembles a video game, the only slight difference being that your ribs are crushed against the sides of your bucket seat, and that you have in your hands a good third of a million dollars riding on the best alloys ever cast in Emilia-Romagna. With 135 hp more than a Ferrari 550, and a good 100 more than a 575, the Fiorano offers far more raw power, especially in the upper half of the tacho.