Ferrari Unveils Its Fastest Street Car Ever: The 599 GTO

Ferrari have revealed its fastest road car ever, the Ferrari 599 GTO, based on the 599 GTB Fiorano. Only a very limited number will be built. It is a homologation model for the Ferrari 599XX racecar, which has been sold to a few customers for GT competition. The 599 GTO takes its name from the legendary 250 GTO made in the early 1960’s and the GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato.

“On the 599XX we have managed to make a vehicle that nobody else has ever made,” said Amadeo Felisa, the chief executive of Ferrari, in a video on the Ferrari Web site. “With structure and an architecture with the front engine, we have obtained a vehicle that nobody else will be able to equal in performance.”

Bridging the gap between the production 599 GTB and the experimental 599XX, the 599 GTO benefits from that magic formula of less weight, more power. Improving on the Fiorano’s 612-horsepower 6-liter V12, the GTO produces 661 prancing stallions, motivating 430 fewer pounds. The result is a 0-62 time of 3.35 seconds and a top speed in excess of 208 miles per hour.

“One of the most significant innovations on the 599 GTO,” Ferrari said in its news release, “is the close correlation between the chassis set-up, which is close to the handling limit, and the input from the electronic controls, which are developed to increase overall levels of performance.”

The GTO is also treated to more aerodynamic bodywork, including a new front splitter, side sills, diffuser and rear spoiler. The vented hood is new as well, as are the ten-spoke, 20-inch rims with F1-derived wheel donuts aiding aero efficiency.

The GTO badge has only been used two other times in Ferrari history. The 250 GTO of the 1960s was built off the short-wheelbase 250 GT and used for GT racing. In the mid-1980s, Ferrari created the 288 GTO for Group B racing. Both cars were produced in limited numbers, just enough, in fact, to make them eligible for racing.

Only 599 examples will be made, which is more than the Enzo, but probably less than demand. Pricing is tipped to come in just below the half-a-million-dollar mark, making it less expensive than the Enzo as well. And at 1 minute, 24 seconds, the GTO is also faster than the Enzo around Ferrari’s private Fiorano test track.

Ferrari is planning a preview for clients next week at the Military Academy in Modena, Italy. The 599 GTO’s official debut will take place at the Beijing auto show at the end of the month.  [via Luxist and NY Times]