Monday 5th October 2015

Ferrari 599 GTB: PH Buying Guide

Want a Ferrari 599 GTB? Of course you do - here's how to bag a good one!

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The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano marked an important watershed in the company's front-engined models. It brought this type into the modern age, replacing the ageing 575 Maranello with a car using a 620hp 6.0-litre V12 engine that was a detuned version of that used in the Enzo.

A modern Ferrari with the charm of the old ones

There were other important new features of the 599, such as the all-aluminium chassis, F1-Trac traction and stability control system, and the magnetic dampers that delivered semi-active control. Perhaps just as crucially as all of the technical developments, the 599 was made to a higher standard than any previous Ferrari to allow it to be used every day. The improved build quality was evident in the cabin in the fit and finish, which also means the car has lasted well as it has moved into the used market.

Search for Ferrari 599s here

Production of the 599 ended in 2012 and many on sale are still within the Ferrari Approved network, such as the Meridian Modena supplied car in the lead images. All 599s from Ferrari Approved have a two-year warranty, but if you buy a car outside the official network you can have the car inspected and buy the warranty for £3,120 per annum for V12 cars (£2,520 for V8s), with discounts for renewing each year and not making a claim. As Ferrari is keen to point out, this is underwritten by the factory, not an insurance-based product, and has no excess or maximum claim limit, up to the value of the car.

Manuals are out there but very rare; most are auto

While the 599 GTB Fiorano makes up the bulk of cars you will see for sale, there are others within which offer even greater rarity. All GTBs sold in the UK will have carbon-ceramic brakes and the F1 gearbox but there were a few cars in other markets with steel brakes and a six-speed manual; the latter in particular is definitely worth seeking out.

Ferrari also couldn't resist making more of the Enzo power unit under the bonnet, so the 599XX was announced in 2009 with 730hp. Solely for track use, it held the Nurburgring lap record for production-based cars at 6min 58.16sec. Two years later, the 599XX Evo appeared with 740hp, 35kg less weight than the XX and an active rear wing.

These two track-only cars were supplemented with the 599 GTO, only the third car from Ferrari to wear this iconic badge. The GTO cost £305,676 and came with a top speed of 208mph. It also has 680hp and is 100kg lighter than a standard GTB model, so 0-62mph comes up in 3.3 seconds.

HGTE Pack cars are worth seeking out

Then there is the SA Aperta that was introduced in 2010 as a limited edition 599 with only 80 made. Ferrari also built the 60F1 to mark 60 years of Formula One success for the firm, a Superfast Aperta for Peter Kalikow, a China Edition one-off and the HY-KERS concept car to show off Ferrari's hybrid technology.

All of these special editions are exciting, but for most buyers it's the HGTE pack that is more relevant to look for when buying. It comes with firmer springs and rear anti-roll bar, lowered ride height and modified magnetic suspension settings. The HGTE also has reworked software to make gearchanges quicker and sharpen throttle response, while the exhaust allows more of the V12's noise to be heard in the cabin.

Reckon spending from £80,000 to drive away in a 599, though most cars will cost significantly more and HGTE-equipped cars tend to start at around £130,000. As for a GTO, you'll need around £500,000 and a similar amount for an SA Aperta should one come one the market. However, for this guide, we'll stick to the mainstream 599 GTB.

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PHer's view:
"The 599 is a great car and the Aperta adds to that with greater rarity and appeal. The GTO is a very different, rawer car and ready to bite you."
Mark Quinn

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Buying Guide Contents:
Introduction
Powertrain
Rolling Chassis
Body
Interior

Search for Ferrari 599s here

Thanks to Meridian Modena in Lyndhurst for supplying the Ferrari Approved 599 GTB pictured.

Photos (Grigio Silverstone car): Chris Teagles

[j_s14a]

[j_s14a]

sealtt said:

Whats's your point? The Supra looks like a 19 year old's boy racer car and the 599 looks like a full on super-GT.

Self defeating argument, as the 599 looks like a Supra with a load of stick on boy racer tat.

[j_s14a]

daytona111r said:

So that's how the 599 looked like coming straight out of the factory???

Comparisons like this are just so lazy and unoriginal. You might have eyes but your brain isn't doing much with the information it gets.

You may be able to read, but the words obviously don't have any meaning...

It is entirely possible for a factory car to look like another car with aftermarket parts. IE, the Geely GE looks like an awfully modified Rolls Royce Phantom.

[j_s14a]

sealtt said:

Do you spend your evenings in McDonald's car parks by any chance?

No, but I am a Supra enthusiast. Hugely underrated cars in the UK, due in no small part to:

- being covered in tasteless tat by chavs
- people who know nothing about them sticking their noses up at them because of badge snobbery or the Fast and the Furious stigma.

If people looked past the undeserved negativity, they would quickly realize that these are almost peerless cars. They Americans, Germans and Japanese really give these cars the respect they deserve, and they can fetch large sums in those markets.

Here is mine, which I would say gives that Ferrari a run for its money looks wise.

[j_s14a]

sealtt said:

I have no doubt that they can be made INSANELY fast - heck, I've watched the youtube videos myself! As can the M6 with it's twin turbo 4.4 V8

I just think the guy is somewhat of a black sheep in thinking that his Supra looks better than the gorgeous 599 GTB.

Edited by sealtt on Wednesday 7th October 10:51

M6's are terrible cars though, and looks are obviously subjective.

If the list of previously owned cars in your profile is anything to go by, I'll let you get back to owning whatever the Sunday Times motoring segment tells you to buy with the rest of the sheep. I wonder if you've even driven a powerful car without ESTCIXPSDIFF Active Stability Dampening Smart Traction Control, and without 10 different throttle settings?