Road test: Ferrari 599 GTB vs 550 Maranello

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.

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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