Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano manual | Spotted
One of the last V12 manuals Ferrari ever made is quite the prospect - quite the price tag, too...
Of all the manufacturers that have moved towards a range dominated by (or solely populated by) automatic gearboxes, Ferrari has arguably done it best. Which, for a brand aimed at enthusiasts and once legendary for its open-gated manuals, is some feat. By creating such exceptionally good dual-clutch gearboxes, and integrating them seamlessly into top-drawer supercars, Maranello hasn't looked back for the past decade.
Drive a 488 Pista or 812 superfast and you just won't covet a manual; the same even applies to an old 458. Not only are the cars fast enough to make a clutch and stick a potential distraction, the cars are so agile and direct that the immediacy of a dual-clutch actively complements the experience. The calibration is flawless, shifts pass unnoticed in the softer manettino modes or crack through like a sequential as required. The wider industry has been making dual-clutch transmissions for years, but those from Ferrari always seem to be that little bit better.
Where there's perhaps less unanimity of opinion is in the F1 gearbox era of the 1990s and 2000s. That's because, while Ferrari did make the solution about as good as it could be with the 430 Scuderia, it was always compromised. The automated manuals never delivered the interaction of a third pedal, the smoothness of a torque converter auto or the shift speed of a dual-clutch - which is why they were phased out. It's also why, for the past few years, those Ferraris that had a reasonable spread of F1 and manual gearboxes - the 355s, 360s and F430s of this world - have seen demand and prices increase for those with a gear lever. Because while the F1 gearbox feels outdated, the manual has traditional appeal - and that's a key difference.
Finding a manual gearbox with a 21st century V12 Ferrari, however, is a much bigger deal. The F1 'box was introduced for the 575M (the 550 having been manual only) and was taken up by a lot of customers; hence when its replacement, the 599 arrived, ushering in a manettino, more driver assists and a preview of the Ferrari we know today, the F1 gearbox was a no-brainer as far as option box ticks went. Reputedly 95 per cent of 599 GTB Fioranos left the factory with two pedals.
But that does mean a few left with a manual, and that's one of the 599s we have here - a UK-supplied car with the HGTE handling package, no less. And while nobody needs reminding of the fact, it's surely represents one of the most compelling modern-day Ferrari packages: a lightly detuned Enzo V12, revving beyond 8,000rpm and making 620hp, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and a chassis that stunned all who experienced it back in 2006. You might not want a manual in the current Ferrari range; but you very well might want one in car like this.
Predictably given its rarity and significance - the dealer believes there are just four RHDs produced - this GTB has been cherished since it was built in 2007. The odometer still hasn't ticked over to five figures, a cosmetic restoration took place at Ferrari Swindon in 2017 and the service history is said to be "comprehensive". You'd hope for nothing less. The addition of the GTO bonnet and wheels is interesting; the ad says the original parts were retained "should the next keeper wish to return the car back to factory specification". Given its prodigious rarity, originality will surely be prized.
Or, perhaps, any opportunity to experience a manual 599 will be seized upon. Whatever the case, the chance to discover what it's really like won't come cheap: this GTB is on offer at £499,850, or about five times what a comparable F1 Fiorano might cost. Which, with any conventional logic, is a ludicrous premium; but we're dealing with manual V12 Ferraris here, and conventional car-buying logic doesn't really come into it. Don't forget a manual California sold in 2016 for £300k; by that example, half a million for a 599 looks somewhat of a bargain.
Objectively, you'd struggle to explain a preference for a third pedal to a layman. Slower, less efficient and more work, it defies a genuinely rational explanation. But the unbridled joy of controlling that V12 with one of the last manual gearboxes ever made by Ferrari, in one of its front-engined icons, ought to be an experience bordering on the priceless for the truly committed; subscribe to that train of thought - as we would, happily - and £500k almost makes some sense. It's never not going to be hugely desirable, put it that way. The EuroMillions jackpot is £35m this Friday, if you're interested...
SPECIFICATION | FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO
Engine: 5,999cc V12
Transmission: 6-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 620@7,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 448@5,600rpm
MPG: 13
CO2: 490g/km
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 9,291
Price new: £205,788 (2006, before options)
Yours for: £499,850
I looked at a black LHD manual 599 about 6-8 years ago - was one of the cheapest cars around at from memory c 90-100k euros - that was just before they (The manual versions of 430, 599, 612) took off. Didn’t have the money to buy it then, but that’s ok - mine would have about 100k km on the clock now and therefore not be worth anywhere close to the asking price of this one
t cynical speculators wetdream like this 599!But that's just me.
And I don't have a spare half-mill down the back of the couch anyway!
t cynical speculators wetdream like this 599!But that's just me.
And I don't have a spare half-mill down the back of the couch anyway!
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