599 gto

in my opinion if u have a GTO u wanna have an FF to compliment.

I see no sense in having a rough speciale (cause it's much rougher than a normal 458, and more uncomfortable) and then......another rough car, cause the GTO is no GT at all.

I'd have the GTO and an FF for trips.

 

Have u considered a Pagani Huayra ?

I've seen this year's Pagani gathering and 3 owners told me this car annihilates the F12 berlinetta. WHich is faster than the GTO.

 

Mid engine at 4x the price vs front engine Ferrari. Apples and oranges.

 

Are u in the US ?

 

First mistake on the road to future ownership....it is a GTO...Not gto....Not Ever.

 

I traded in my 2013 458 Italia for the 599GTO at the end of July of this year. While the Italia is about 30 hp down on the Speciale and has a slightly different bent I think my Italia experiences are relevant and material. I lived with the 458 for approx. 2 years and close to 9700 miles. The 458 was a decent daily driver with excellent high RPM power and decent mid-range punch. I always drove the 458 in race except for light snow or very bad rain. The 458 was a super easy car to drive very fast. Candidly, it was pretty effortless for me as a mediocre/average driver to look alot better than I am. I was readily able to rotate the Italia (under close to full power) through most turns with its phenomenal mid-engine balance. In the 458 you sat at what seemed to be over the front wheels like in an airplane cockpit. The 458 was a screamer and really needed/wanted to be wound out in each gear. The 458 wasn't a car I really needed to have a huge amount of respect for. Take all I have said about the 458 and throw it away as the GTO is that different a ride. The seating position of the GTO has you sitting farther back than in the 458 - at first its a bit disconcerting but you get used to it. The GTO has more power in all RPM planes. The redline of the GTO is incredibly high (like 8400 for GTO vs. 9000 for 458). Where the 458 screams at mostly higher revs the GTO bellows AND screams. The GTO is louder and 10X more raw and visceral than the 458 particularly when the GTO is wound out. When you downshift the GTO you will SCARE everybody around you outside of your car ! When you come up into traffic in the GTO the cars in front of you will pull over just because of the violent noise emanating from your exhaust. Yeah its THAT bad ass. The GTO is also a car you MUST respect. At speeds above about 120 the car will pull away from a 458 - trust me I know. The grip and overall handling of the GTO is outstanding (at least as good as the 458 and I'd argue that the GTO is the much better car at speed). The only thing that I have noticed is that the car requires a deft handler at the limit. Meaning the 458 seemed to be easier to drive at the limit. If you want easy the GTO probably isn't for you. That being said at moderate speeds the GTO can be a very pleasant car, even a DD. But really who the heck buys a GTO to drive slow. The GTO is an incredibly raw and visceral car. Candidly I think it sounds better than ANY car I have ever seen or heard. I can go on and on. My 2 cents.

 

Food for thought.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and 599 GTO Review - YouTube

Ferrari 599 GTO on the track part 3 - evo Magazine - YouTube

 

3. Does the car feel very big on the roads ? I'm based in the uk, the Italia is very manageable but if the GTO feels like an s class in size, I don't think it will be for me.

GTO size is definitely bigger than 458 but I will not compare GTO with S Class because S Class is sedan which has totally different characteristic with the GTO (aggressive characteristic) so if your consideration is only the size than forget GTO.

 

Trust me its a phenomenal driving experience. All I can say if you have the means get it and I guarantee you will NEVER regret it!

 

W,

1. The tranny in the GTO, although not a DCT like the 458, is simply amazing with respect to cog shifting times. In addition, the GTO single clutch is so advanced that it does not feel archaic nor IMHO is it in fact or feel any slower than the 458 when swapping gears.The GTO "experience" is simply more raw and visceral than the 458. The 458 just feels more synthetic and the GTO more organic (weird for an inanimate object but its the truth).
2. With respect to engine compression braking I have found both the 458 and GTO are very similar. The GTO has a significant arsenal of stabilization/traction controls and while I know they are there they do not seem overly intrusive. Like the Italia, if you are skilled (or crazy enough) to shut off all of the nannies (basically going naked) the GTO will accommodate you.
3. The car does feel bigger than the 458. IMHO this has more to do with where the seats are located and the feeling of sitting over the front wheels than actual weight or length. There is really no getting around that the GTO probably does weigh 100-150 or so lbs. more than the Italia. That being said, once on the road the GTO never ever feels like a sedan (let alone an S class sedan). In addition, once underway, the car behaves like any other sports car in that its easy to maneuver, park, drive at a plodding mundane pace, etc. BTW the steering in the GTO is simply amazing. The faster you go the better it gets.
4. With respect to what to look for I'll defer to my more experienced brethren BUT to me the most important thing besides getting the color combo. you want is a clean carfax report (ie. no accidents, proper maintenance and service records).

Truth is that I was very sad to say goodbye to the 458 as it was a wonderful car. The 458, as they say, checks off all of the boxes. The GTO checks off all of the boxes too but its much more car than the 458 can ever be. Why ? Catch a ride in one (better to test drive one like I did at an authorized F car dealer if by happenstance they have one). The shock and awe GTO sound alone will blow you away. Its that amazing. No naturally aspirated V8 will EVER emanate a sound to rival the V12 in the GTO. When I looked a couple of months ago for GTO's there were approx. 9-10 for sale in the States. I believe that there may only be 3-4 still for sale here out of that recent group (maybe less as some advertised cars have been sold). The general F car population (like me) are starting to learn about the GTO and I think there will be many less for sale in the coming years. I also think that at the current price point ($450K-$550K USD actual sales prices) there are very few competitors. Best of luck with your decision !

 

We should stop meeting like this lol........absolutely buy a 599 GTO to complement your Speciale. A perfect pair. An FF? Nonsense. Need a 4x4? Go buy a Range Rover. I have both a 599 GTO and a 458 Speciale. The Speciale feels faster and more agile than the 599 GTO. It's considerably lower too. But while both are epic cars, the 599 GTO is easily the big bro. It's hard to describe the two together.........kind of like having a fab suite in a fab hotel and then being upgraded in the same hotel to a rooftop penthouse with ocean views.