My GTO impressions after really giving it the beans... | FerrariChat

My GTO impressions after really giving it the beans...

Discussion in '612/599' started by johns930, Mar 30, 2015.

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  1. johns930

    johns930 Formula 3

    May 9, 2005
    1,459
    #1 johns930, Mar 30, 2015
    its been 2 months now, and i have done all the driving that i usually do,..... which is mostly hauling the behind !

    i have a racing license that a written test and fifty bucks can buy, so by no means im a fast driver, but i can report that my GTO is super lively compared to the newest computer optimized offerings like the huracan and the 650s. It is definitely slower than those cars around twistys mainly it scares u sometimes and every move u do gives different results which makes it feel very alive!
    Its not like those new machines which do exactly what u think it will do, and with great speed. I really have to work the gto to make it move, change direction, stop,.... if not fast.

    It is even livelier than my scud ,which as far as fcars go is the most temperamental modern fcars out there. 458 need not apply, it is too good and easily faster.
    The steering especially after the 458 is much slower, u have to turn more, much more than the 458's fast steering for it to go around the same turn. Throwing it into a corner and steering it with the throttle is much required, unlike the super fast & intuitive 458 steering.

    i think every car has its own character so i dont think which is better, i love them all in its own way. But im loving the GTO now in a new and very interesting way, because it almost has its own pace and temper that no matter how hard u want it to go faster than the 458, hurcan, 650s, gt3, etc... ahead or behind u, it doesnt give a damn.
    I went up the local track giving it all i got and more, sweating like a pig, just to see my buddy in a gt3 behind me barely breaking a sweat.
    Its almost like when i dont have the skills, my gto lets me know by not catching or leading the said car. But if im in my 458 with the same drivers in the others, i dont have this issue.
    And the GTO lets me know immediately by pushing wide when im not apexing perfectly or slows the way down when i brake too early, this is very interesting, because with other "smart" cars, u can over or under drive it and you wont notice a thing.

    When i can not drive my CGT faster than my 458, i know i dont have the skills to do so, so i take out the tops and enjoy it in a grand way. I know the CGT can be fast when i grow an extra pair of balls, but i dont have the urge to chase down 458s or the like.
    With the GTO however, i enjoy wrestling the car and discovering how lively it is, ..... even if its slower than my gt3 on the track, i enjoyed it much more.

    as for my old 599 comparison, i have to say that i was wrong at first.
    I thought it was similar, but even by looking at it now, its much better looking than my old 599 with all the goodie options. I dont know its my colors or things that i did, i really enjoy looking at my GTO, while i didnt cared for my 599 very much before.
    And the way it drives and sticks to the road is much better than the scary understeering and uncontrollable beast of a 599.

    the only thing that prevents me from driving it everyday is because people here keep telling me the values are going up!!
    sometimes i just see it as a regular 599, otherwise i dont have the heart to do what i do in it.

    more pics added :

    my GTO.... - Rennlist Discussion Forums
     
  2. tortesq1

    tortesq1 Formula Junior

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    Stephen H. Frankel
    #2 tortesq1, Mar 30, 2015
    Nice write up. I also found the 458 Italia, which I drove daily for 2 years, much easier to drive fast than the GTO which I only drive once or twice a week. While the 458 was an EASIER car to drive fast I believe with equally qualified "race car drivers" the GTO wins on every track. I also think that the 458 was a super simple car to drive fast with wonderful rotational capabilities. The GTO is just much much more challenging at the limit and it might just never be as fast as a 458 for an average driver. That being said the GTO demands your full attention and makes you respect her - or she will bite back HARD. I can't say that about the 458.
     
  3. riozilla

    riozilla Formula Junior

    Jan 25, 2006
    596
    Austin, TX
    #3 riozilla, Mar 30, 2015
    GTO sounds amazing. We are all fortunate to own and drive these lovely beasts.
     
  4. Andrew 912

    Andrew 912 Karting

    Dec 18, 2010
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    #4 Andrew 912, Mar 30, 2015
    +1
    absolutely fortunate to own and drive one. The sound is really amazing that money can't buy.
     
  5. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
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    #5 tbakowsky, Mar 30, 2015
    No..money bought the car and the sound. You just have to pay an awful lot for it.
     
  6. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
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    #6 Caeruleus11, Mar 31, 2015
    There is no doubt the GTO is a really special car. I'm glad you're enjoying yours.
     
  7. SierraBravo

    SierraBravo Karting

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    #7 SierraBravo, Mar 31, 2015
    Not having driven either car, I find this and the OP's comparison review fascinating. Makes me realize how much I don't know about these cars. Thanks for the write ups. Now to do a Google search to see if any of the magazines have done a track comparison of these two icons.
     
  8. johns930

    johns930 Formula 3

    May 9, 2005
    1,459
    #8 johns930, Apr 7, 2015
    i compared it to the greatest 458, the speciale, and here is what i found :

    [​IMG]


     
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #9 tazandjan, Apr 7, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  10. Camlet1

    Camlet1 Formula 3

    May 3, 2014
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    #10 Camlet1, Apr 8, 2015
    Thanks. Fascinating and believable. Mike Tyson vs Floyd Mayweather.
     
  11. tortesq1

    tortesq1 Formula Junior

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    Stephen H. Frankel
    #11 tortesq1, Apr 8, 2015
    I have always wondered why I have never ever seen a full road test on the GTO by a major American mag like R&T, C&D, MT etc. Some of the quoted figures in the graph just seem WAY off to me. For example, the graph states that the GTO 0-100 KM (which is 0-62 mph) is 3.8 seconds. That # simply can not be accurate. I believe the 599GTB was tested by R&T in 07/08 and pulled a 3.2 0-60 mph (maybe that was a fluke but I don't think it was WAY off). I also think that when the GTO was tested by Top Gear that the track was damp thus mollifying the track time. In fact IMHO Jeremy Clarkson hated the GTO in no small part because it was tested on a wet track in the rain. So respectfully, I take these #'s with a huge grain of salt. Why Top Gear never ran the GTO on a completely dry track is probably because they only had the test car when the weather was inclement. I get it, but just saying that GTO should be fully road tested in dry conditions to receive optimal results. Not saying that 458 S isn't faster, just that I have never seen a real full blown road test on the GTO.
     
  12. tortesq1

    tortesq1 Formula Junior

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    #12 tortesq1, Apr 8, 2015
    Quick internet search showed Car & Driver June 2007 test of GTB did 3.3 0-60 mph and 11.2 1/4 mile at 131. Probably countless other tests regarding GTB. We can all agree that GTO isn't slower than the GTB. Still can't believe no mag ever did a full road test on the GTO with all of the testing equipment. Must be somewhere on the net ..... Anybody ?
     
  13. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 tazandjan, Apr 8, 2015
    Stephen- Those 599s may have been test ringers. As an example, the California provided to the press and road tested by R&T had much lower than production gearing, which really helps acceleration times. They were at least honest about it and actually provided R&T with the ringer gear numbers, much lower (higher numerically) than those eventually fitted to production Californias.
     
  14. johns930

    johns930 Formula 3

    May 9, 2005
    1,459
    #14 johns930, Apr 8, 2015
    well having both the 599 and the gto, i can vouch that the 599 feels faster mainly because u get a lot more wheel spin than the more controlled gto in a straight line. im sure the numbers are better in the gto simply because it hooks up much better and if its around a track, forgettabout it, the 599 will be lucky to rescue itself from understeer, while the gto just requires more lock.
    However, the sensation of straight line speed is greater in my 599, the nose lift, dive, and body rolls alone makes it more of a beast to handle.


     
  15. SierraBravo

    SierraBravo Karting

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    #15 SierraBravo, Apr 9, 2015
    Not picking on this one post, but I'm intrigued by the many somewhat negative comments about the 599 GTB's handling in this thread. If you go back and read all the road/track reviews written in 2007 by the most respected high performance car magazines, the superlatives would overwhelm even the most jaded Ferrari sceptic. Of course the GTO should handle better since it's a road version of the 5XX but how does that suddenly strip the GTB of it's not so long ago "super car of the year" standing, which after all was based on the car's incredible performance and handling?
     
  16. southnc

    southnc Formula 3

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    #16 southnc, Apr 9, 2015
    It saddens me to see owners state they may limit or stop driving a car all-together just to protect their investment. Who are you protecting it for - you or the next owner?

    Drive the damn thing and enjoy it.

    Otherwise, thanks for the great perspective on the GTO.
     
  17. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
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    #17 Caeruleus11, Apr 9, 2015
    Agree-drive those cars!

    And if you want to get more hook up try swapping the tires to the MPSS. You can tighten up the lift and dive with the HGTE suspension.

    All I can tell you is if you really drive the GTB (HGTE or not) hard (you need a track) you will be astonished how well it handles for such a large car. But you can't really do this on a public road. And be sure to respect the power.
     
  18. HogPilot

    HogPilot Karting
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    #18 HogPilot, Apr 11, 2015

    THIS!!!
     
  19. intrepidcva11

    intrepidcva11 F1 Rookie
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    #19 intrepidcva11, Apr 11, 2015
    +1!
     
  20. 412monzaindy

    412monzaindy Formula Junior

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    #20 412monzaindy, Apr 12, 2015
    The 599 handles quite well, at Monte Tremblant you would notice and feel the rear wiggle at corner 2. With the HGTE package it is a bit better and has better turn in. Yes the 458 is faster. The Speciale even more so. But I will never use my 599 any where close to 50 of its capabilities on the street.
     

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