599 ?s

A few have located some of the HGTE kits, or at least partial kits. They spent a lot of time calling everywhere in the world to find them. Based on that, I am going with no to the first 2 questions. You will have to find them aftermarket. #3 is, you can get a good part of the way there. The challenge is reflashing the TCU. Bluetooth can be done pretty easily by replacing the CD changer. The last Q is a very complicated subject and there is no correct answer but your own.

 

Yes, you can still find the wheels. The "kit" will give you some the driving features but not any of the interior. I am not aware of the kit still being offered, but you can buy pieces individually. I believe you can have the computer re-flashed to HGTE by Ferrari.

 

You can replace the head unit pretty easily with one that has BT. Any competent shop should be able to do this for similar pricing to any other car. I wouldn't bother adding BT to the OEM radio.

I haven't come across anybody with aftermarket suspension but I haven't looked too hard either. KW makes a coilover kit though that I know a number of other Ferrari owners love. I'd consider them and their lift kit over OEM if I ever had to replace. I'd consider them long before hunting an aftermarket HGTE kit too because I imagine it's far cheaper and considerably better other than manettino integration--I'm always in race mode anyways on this car so I'm not too concerned.

The exhaust question is hard to answer. Preference is so varied. I like how well the valve controller works on the OEM ones personally. But I also went full 6 to 1 headers, race pre-cats, cat delete, exhaust valve controller.

I'm actually selling my TDF blue 08 w/ cuoio right now. Might be worth considering.

 

The shocks are the same on both. The hard part isn't the springs, it is the sway bars.

 

Sway bars and springs are available, not OEM but spec out the same.

 

I was sure you could get springs. I wasn't sure about the sway bars.

 

https://throtl.com/products/hr-sway-bars-front-and-rear-hr72074

 

Save yourself the agony!

Just bite the bullet (higher price) and buy an original '10 or '11 HGTE straight away, then you won't have to hassle taking precious time and energy searching for kit parts wondering whether you're doing the task correctly or not. That time could be spent enjoying the HGTE on the road with a satisfied mind.

Somehow if you need to resell in the future, there will be so many questions to field from prospective buyers who'd possibly devalue an owner-modified car and suspect that it's been a "track toy". Remember, usual Ferrari buyers are typically fickle and prefer low-mileage "virgin" cars with OEM options installed by the factory.

With all due respect, no aftermarket GTB-modified 599 will ever logically match a factory-installed HGTE car (I've owned both), value wise and in terms of being a much rarer model (reputed to be only ~200 HGTE's produced worldwide). After all, that's an excellent reason why their asking prices (and market values) are at least $20-50k higher, probably more in the future.

"Know what I mean, Vern?"

 

Daytonas were optional on the HGTEs, but most wanted the HGTE seats with HGTE embroidery. We have another FChatter whose HGTE was delivered with Daytonas because he, too, did not like the HGTE seats.

 

I am ready with my flame suit for this comment and purely my opinion, but the hgte package cars are overrated.

The little bit of "performance" and appearance enhancements that the hgte package does not justify the price. If one is going for limited production and resale, great, no argument there. But performance? Come on! Unless you are a race car driver driving at its limits, you can probably squeeze a half a second better out of the car...and I am.not talking about the subjective "this rides better" or "it shifts faster" or "it sounds better" categories/comments.

90% drivers cannot drive there cars potential...meaning most all of us cannot extract the true capabilities of even a standard 599gtb.

Get one, do what you want with it to make it "yours," and then enjoy the piss out of it.

 

No idea where You live but i assume in the USA
I live in Europe and i do own a fine 599 GTB/GTO It looks identical but cost muss less than a real GTO
HGTE is maybe the best 599 GTB you could buy.

https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/2006-ferrari-599-gtb-fiorano-gto-evocation

Have fun looking at my car
regards
Antonio

 

Kevin- The features on HGTE mirror those on earlier V12 Ferraris (HGTC/HGTS/HGT2) plus the addition of some cosmetic differences. Easily worth the money to me, and I do not even own one.

 

My early '07 GTB had Couio Daytonas with black inserts. Definitely looked nice, but during spirited driving they have less support for the hips and shoulders allowing them to slip over the low bolsters. My wife didn't like them at all believing they were uncomfortable.

There was a '10 HGTE in the market about 4 yrs ago with 8k miles, Grigio Silverstone, with brown leather Daytonas and dark grey inserts. That car was so attractive and gorgeous but the dealer was asking around $249.9k. It hibernated for so long that they eventually sold it for ~$215k.

The current '11 HGTE I own has the Recaro-supplied Sports seats made of CF, beige leather and black Alcantara. The 'Handling GTE' script was a delete option so only black Cavallino Rampante are present on both headrests. Seat, lumbar and shoulder bolsters have inflatable bladders so the seats hug and keep me in place when I experience higher centrifugal G's during turns. Interestingly, my wife said "These look so much better than the Daytonas" the first time she saw the car. So, to each his own.

As to Kevin's personal opinion that...

...have you ever driven an HGTE in comparison to a GTB back-to-back?

I have and I can unequivocally say the difference in turn-in handling capability is significant enough to shave seconds on corners in a track. Apples to apples, the time savings in shifting with the HGTE's improved tranny's TCU means a lot when both cars are driven in anger, side-by-side. In fact, most races are won by seconds or even milliseconds.

On the road, the HGTE is much superior in comfort (feels as if it had the later "Bumpy Road" feature starting on the 430 Scuderia and 458) when driven in the Race mode setting, whereas the GTB crashes and bangs on road imperfections, shallow ruts, etc.

 

Make sure you drive one first.
I bought a 10 HGTE without even a test drive.
The shifts in the F1 transmission wear glacial at normal driving and I could never get used to it.
Of course under spirited acceleration the shifts were much quicker and satisfying. Also I was very disappointed with the sound. Went capristo cat delete pipe and valve controller but it was still not right just louder. I thought about doing headers and a manual trans swap but that would be quite an investment and ultimately just sold it.


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Agree with other comments. Much better to buy factory HGTE than spend all that time and money trying to duplicate an HGTE. Yes it’s a little more money upfront but when it’s time to sell it will bring more money and be easier to sell. If modified those enhancements will likely be lost on future value.


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Fair. My car is a 2008 with a full HGTE package, Red/Tan. I even have the CF door panels and CF seats BUT they are Daytona with red straps. It has has pretty much everything: HGTE 5-spoke wheels (skinny spoke), HGTE exhaust, suspension reflash, TCU reflash, etc. The belts are red (love the look) and my tach is yellow (not white). It also sits at GTO height and has GTO grills and GTO CF mats. Personally, I find the cat delete to be plenty loud. It has a very nice bark in the cabin but from behind it is pretty loud. I kept the valves because when using it as a cushy GT, it is nice to have a bit of sound but you don't want to wear ear plugs every time you drive. Then again, I chose to DD my car so there is that

So yea, I get your point. A well done car looks as good and maybe better than other options. You get exactly what you want and the desired spec may not even exist as a factory HGTE (not many out there). Do I think it will sell for as much as a factory HGTE? Nope! But I didn't pay as much either. Fortunately the work was already don,. AND there are always things that need freshened; you clean those up as you make the car your own so it ends up perfect for you. Of course the challenge will be gathering all of the parts but that can be done with some time and effort.

As for Mike's comment about shifts being glacial, there was likely something wrong with the car he drove. Shifting at high revs and it hits like a freight train. There is NFW a manual can shift at that speed despite what so many think/claim. People forget the shift times are power to power, not the time to move the lever in your manual. Grabbing a great at high RMP and 100 MPH will slip the 315 MPS4S and remind you how much of a monster this car can really be. YET, it is a VERY comfy GT when you take the wife out.

 

Mike, re the shifts of the 599 you drove, what was the Manettino's setting?

In the Wet/Slippery setting, the TCU does delay the shifting to a relatively much "gentler" mode so as not to cause wheel spin. However, we all know that in such Manettino setting, the clutch gets "eaten up" or worn down quickly as the TCU allows the clutch to slip; same as in Reverse gear.

Or, as JZ stated above...