Ferrari has launched an ultra-exclusive 599 that is similar in concept to the extreme FXX project of 2005. The 599XX is essentially a rolling testbed for new technology and will be available only to a select group of Ferrari clients.
It features a number of outlandish aerodynamic tweaks including a monster rear diffuser to suck the car onto the tarmac and F1 style wings sticking out of the rear flying buttresses. There is an aggressive front splitter and TVR Sagaris-style cuts out of the front wings, although they are open vents on the 599XX.
The aerodynamics were honed in a number of wind tunnel tests and the car now boasts 280kg of downforce at 125mph, and 630kg at 185mph. The brake pads are now made from carbon fibre which means the calipers are smaller but just as efficient.
The car's V12 is based on the 6.0-litre unit found in the 599 but there has been extensive work on the engine's combustion chambers and inlet and exhaust tracts. Maximum revs have been boosted to 9,000rpm and the twelve-cylinder now pumps out 700bhp.
Ferrari paid particular attention to reducing the weight of the engine unit components, such as the use of carbon fibre for the intake plenums. A new gearbox shift strategy cuts overall gearchange times to 60 ms.
In the metal the car looks menacing but not outlandish, complimenting the 599’s lines. The car is being billed as the ‘ultimate Ferrari experience’ and will have the most advanced technologies developed for F1 racing. Owners will be invited to special track days, although sadly the car is not road legal.
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