In spite of its size and huge Enzo-derived engine, the 599 GTB Fiorano is begging to be driven hard. Real hard. The steering, precise and direct, better weighted than its predecessor, feeds back all the right information coming from the front tires unhindered. Well balanced, agile under throttle lift off but without the twitchiness of its read mid engine berlinetta cousins. The Fiorano exhibits commendable poise in faster sweepers, with excellent grip from the front wheels, and a slight understeer if you are a bit optimistic. Damping is firm but deals with uneven road surfaces much better than the Maranello set-up. Its agility is remarkable and homogeneous and the car never appears to be over powered. No small feat when you check the power figures in the spec sheet.

With the Manettino on “Sport”, the F1-Trac system modulates torque amazingly well out of tighter corners. With maximum shift speed and larger degrees of wheel spin, exploring the dynamic envelope allowed in “Race” mode must be fascinating, saved best for track days and wide run offs, or for the very skilled and brave. That system is much more subtle than a 575’s ASR which, even in “Sport” mode, interjects itself rather abruptly.

At such levels of performance, the aptly named F1 Superfast sequential gearbox is the preferred option to explore such massive potential. With such straight line pace, the certainty of precise and lightning fast up- and downshifts is vital. Hoping to best the electrohydraulic actuators with a stick would be foolish. Customers aren’t, and almost all 599 GTBs are ordered with that sequential gearbox option, to the extent there is talk about suppressing the conventional alternative altogether. As for me, the automatic mode still has some room for improvement, the traction control does makes optimum standing starts possible and remains compliant in low speed maneuvering, but unpredictable upshifts remain rather unsettling and uncomfortable.

The Ferrari 599 GTB is a league of its own. It eclipses its highly competent predecessor; combining both the performance of a hypercar and the living space of a GT. It has a large trunk, excellent visibility, is reasonably easy to handle on the road, with an engine that can putter around in town and is close to the pinnacle of motoring at full swing. The 30-month delivery time or the $300,000 cheque….which one will be the more painful?  Also expect sizeable maintenance budget with the amount of technology and off the charts performance. The price tag may look sizeable too, but when compared with an Enzo, which has a similar engine and performance figures, the 599 could almost be considered to be a bargain.

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