Ferrari to unveil hardcore 599s at Geneva show

Ferrari 599 Handling GT Evoluzione

By Ben Pulman

First Official Pictures

27 February 2009 15:37

Ferrari will unveil two new hardcore GTs in Geneva, a handling pack-equipped 599 and a technological test bed 599XX that combines the lessons learned from the FXX program with the ideas showcased on the Mille Chili car.

Yes. It won’t quite be as extreme as the Mille Chili (one thousand kilo) car, but we’re still expecting the 599XX to have many of that car’s features. Ferrari has been developing active aerodynamics with Imperial College London and a version of this technology will be on the car, possibly as extreme as the Mille Chili’s ‘synthetic jets’, which are holes in the rear underbody that open to alter the airflow.

The engine will still be based on the 599’s 6.0-litre V12 (no downsized and turbocharged unit here) but power should be up to around 700bhp, with the motor possibly running on biofuel. There’ll also be a massive weight saving (over 200kg), plus gearbox tweaks, and different suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres.

The 599XX is however expected to stop short of having of shortened platform or electric drive element, while the Mille Chili’s fixed driving position might also not be a favourite of the 30 or so customers that will buy a 599XX.

Like the FXX, only a handful will be built and the small select group will then help Ferrari develop the future Ferrari cars – the 599XX will not be homolgated for road use, and cannot be used for racing either.

Ferrari claims the 599XX is a 'laboratorio tecnologico' – that’s technical laboratory to you and me – and that the ‘new car incorporates the most advanced technologies resulting from Ferrari's road-going and F1 research. Many of the technological solutions it carries are being used for the first time and have been developed exclusively for this special car’. Should be quite special then.

It’s the Handling GT Evoluzione (HGTE) car, which is basically a handling-pack equipped car. Expect split-rim lightweight wheels, different Pirelli P-Zero tyres, plus tweaks to the magnetorheological fluid suspension, anti-roll bars and F1-gearbox, enough to take the latter down to a Scuderia-matching 60ms. There should be a new sports exhaust too, so we can hear the 612bhp V12 in all its glory. Prices have yet to be announced but expect to pay an extra £8k for the HGTE pack.

By Ben Pulman