Found a great video off a 599 following a 550 both being pushed through the formerly idyllic Tuscany countryside Its flimed by a the Evo magazine (uk) on there test of the 599. The 550 is owned by Harry Metcalfe owner off the mag ! the 599 is driven by Richard Meaden, Editor/part-time racer .. u might need to log into the site to view it, its free and quick, but its worth the effort, its a great vid u will find the vid in the "evo tv" "supercars videos" http://www.evo.co.uk direct link: http://www.evo.co.uk/evotv/supercarvideos/200484/ferrari_599gtb_v_ferrari_550m.html enjoy !
sorry guys, the second i posted i saw it was a repost !!!! the thing was i saw the vid weeks ago and only remembered tonight to post it, oh well !!
What seemed interesting to me was how solid the 550 was in comparasion to 599. Watch the lines of both cars carefully, esp the rear end of the 550 in relation to the 599, as it takes corners or powers out on short straights and in the pass around the hay truck. It was MUCH smoother, and easily as quick in the tight corners. On many corners, the 599 used its traction control systems and a ton of opposite lock to stay in the game and out of the gutter. Then on the short straights the 599 used its more than 100 extra hp, and F1 quick shifts, to rapidly close the gap that the 550 had opened up. I'd guess its the drivers as much as the cars--Harry has put 25k on his 550 over the past 18 months and is very experienced in its seat BUT Richard is no newby for sure so IMO he should have been able to give better account of himself than it appears to me he did. And, since I've read the article where the two were compared--EVO, my favorite car rag in the world, honestly gushes over the 599 and its technological tour de force as an automobile--I'm not about to say the 550 is better or 599 a slouch. Instead, EVO declares the 599 a leap ahead of the Maranello--but, it also heaps praise on the old war horse as a stellar car of uncompromising beauty, style and solid performance. But, let's give her fair due. She's 10 years old now and gives the new boy a solid run for his money in the video. So, buy a 550, even today, you get one hell of a car. Buy a 599, you get a super car, at least technologically, worth being called the 550's successor.
No doubt. The 550 driver was far smoother than the 599's. The 550 was in control all the way while the 599 was struggling. He was very lucky this was a lightly traveled road or he would have been a great danger to himself and others. The 599 was clearly more powerful but the wheelman had no idea how to control it and without the electronic hand would have been in the ditch or worse. This points up what I've said before about journalists and their tests. They're rubbish and you shouldn't put much stock in "Monster Comparos" or "Supercar Roundups". These guys are wannabes behind the wheel. They think because they write, they know how to drive. Often they write as poorly as they drive. C&D wrecked a 599. Good Lord!
Can't understand why people keep slating Dickie Meaden's driving - the original thread where this was posted is here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=112969 Check out his credentials and some of the other (on track) vids on the Evo site, and maybe you'll come to the conclusion that he was just hooning around and showboating for the sake of making an ENTERTAINING video for their website - the focus of this vid was obviously never to show the 599's full ability
Still, the 599 is all over the place. There is only so much power you can transfer from the wheels to the tarmac... and 620HP is way too much for twisty tuscan roads. I found myself in a similar situation, being totally unable to unstick a 192HP Lotus Elise from the tail of my 550 Maranello on a very twisty road in Tuscany. It's simple physics - there was only so much power you could use on those narrow switchbacks, and a light, well-balanced car like the Elise had plenty enough to keep up with the heavier 550. Power is not everything - balance and weight are just as important. I don't think I would be a lot faster in a 599GTB across an Alpine mountain pass compared to my 550, and probably a Gallardo or an F430 would be much quicker.
The 599 driver has sloppy car control skill, watch his hand postion on the wheel and listen to how wild his throttle applications and transitions from brake to throttle are. This is an example of a hack with no finesse, and you can see it dosn't make him muck quicker than the 550. Really kind of a pathetic example coming from a "automotive" journalist. Is this the same jack that stuft the 599GTB for the Road & Track article?
