Joe- Great stuff, thanks.
Some people claim there were 4-5 made upon special request. I do not believe this to be true and have spoken to a few people at the factory, all of which nullified these claims - All these terrible manual conversions (Murcielago/F430/599 and so on and so forth) make for annoying rumors...
I truly love manual gearboxes but I think I agree with this. The GTO gearbox is a great balance I feel. Not as quick as a dual clutch, but definitely not slow either. It's not as robotic as others. Perfectly imperfect.
You need to interact with it, there is a mechanical feel to it which is different to a dual clutch. The multi downshift feature is very cool to use on track!
The blue seats got me thinkin'! Though can see how it could be a "not possible".2 - since even though the F1 is a manual gearbox, there might be some interface between the F1 electronics and other systems in the car may need to be accommodated beyond a shifter and an extra pedal?
Official Ferrari SpA dimensions blueprint as used in the 599 GTO owners manual and other literature. Of note the car sits 0.4 inches lower (ground to roof height) than the GTB and 1.7 inches longer (bumper to bumper) courtesy of the front and rear aero. Image Unavailable, Please Login
You have to remember the era in which this car was conceived, circa 2009, and the fact that it is essentially a derivative of the 599XX.
The 599 manual gearbox was manufactured in England and added 6 months to the delivery schedule. Perhaps the delay quoted in 2006 was in part to dissuade 599 Fiorano customers from bypassing the F1 version to get three pedals. The cost to develop a 3 pedal version of the GTO for emissions testing made the decision easy. Especially with the knowledge of the poor reception the 3 pedal version of the 599 received. Only 27 manual transmission sales if I remember correctly. A long way from the 550 Maranello that was only offered with 3 pedals.
Another gift provided to owners who attended the launch at the military academy were lovely drawings of the 599 GTO, 288 GTO and 250 GTO.
GTO, the ultimate Ferrari lineage as captured by our friends at DK Engineering. Image Unavailable, Please Login
This Swiss-registered GTO gets around, spotted in Croatia, thanks to the person who shared this. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Apparently currently staying at the lovely Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria, Croatia, but for purposes of this thread, the question is, do owners & enthusiasts agree that this 599 GTO has been lowered? Image Unavailable, Please Login
We know the 599XX was the inspiration for the 599 GTO so it's worth a study, not least because Ferrari SpA has described it as a 599XX homologated for road use. In the detail images below, check our the rear venting in place of tail lights, and in the last image, notice the the 599XX’s dual intake plenums which allow pressure compensation between the two cylinder banks and improve volumetric efficiency at high revs, these were passed on to the 599 GTO. The XX's heads have DLC-coated tappets and blueprinted camshaft lobes, a crankshaft with oleo-dynamic counterweights and pistons with printed graphite coating on their skirts, all these are in the 599 GTO's engine. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Much like the 288 GTO a lot of the additional work done to the car to make it different and 'special' over the base car was unnoticed and under appreciated by most. It took decades before the 288 was finally recognised for it's greatness and prices were propelled into the stratosphere. There is an element of history repeating itself here and I am convinced the 599 GTO's time will come. This a great thread which has begun to highlight and educate many on the complexity of work and effort that went into the creation of the third GTO, the blueprint for the modern LE V12.
I'm only sorry the thread wasn't started sooner. One thing I have learned over the past 30 years (which has included 288 GTO ownership) is that the appreciation for certain halo cars comes long after production has ended. In the case of the 599 GTO, I think the poor press coverage post-launch, which happened partly due to the big recession that preceded it and the subsequent diminishing importance of the print media, had lots to do with it. Timing, as they say, is everything. By the way, a Ferrari SpA employee told me, when you say the name '599 GTO' to certain people who were on the team and who are still at Maranello, they become quietly misty-eyed because they know the car is a little bit special.
Agreed, the press coverage was somewhat iffy but then again the press coverage of the 288 GTO was also not particularly good at time, very few journalists were allowed to drive the car which certainly did not help and likewise the 599 GTO also did not have a huge amount of press coverage. I think I recall reading somewhere that Dario set up the 599 GTO to be much more aggressive than any front engine Ferrari before it, its not a car which flatters, you need to be on your toes at all times and there is an intimidation factor.
Yes he did and many people at the time criticised the approach and driving dynamics calling the car ‘unruly’ amongst other things. Ironically the same terms were celebrated in both the TDF and 812 Comp being a test of a drivers limits and thrilling! As I mentioned earlier the GTO approach has ended up being a blueprint for all front engines LE’s that followed it.
It would be true to say that wet roads call for a fair degree of care in a 599 GTO (as they would with any other high power car to be fair)...thankfully on this occasion it was possible to mostly avoid the worst of the weather. For me one of the aspects which makes the GTO a very aggressive proposition is the front end grip, under steer is something that simply is not on the agenda, well most of the time anyway. That all being said its quite easy to cruise around but for me at least the beast the lurk within is never far away. As an aside these two have consecutive chassis numbers. Image Unavailable, Please Login
If I recall correctly you had yours from new...I take you've fitted more modern tyres to it now? Given how much tyres have advances how has the nature of the car changed? Has a newer tyre given it more ''predictability'' so to say like the Carrera GT?
The 246 Dino was the first Ferrari I ever saw in person and I was in love. Ultimately, the 288 became my goto/icon car but way out of reach. OK, I would take a Balzarini over a 288 but both a great choice. I never imagined I would own a Ferrari, let alone an a V12 Ferrari, so I consider myself VERY lucky.
