January 10, 2006 There are few automotive announcements that could turn attention from the new model frenzy currently underway at the NAIAS (Detroit) Show, but overnight news from Maranello has done just that, when Ferrari announced the forthcoming Pininfarina-designed 599 GTB. To be shown for the first time on February 28 at the Geneva Motor Show, the 599 GTB will be the most powerful V12-engined production car of all time. The latest interpretation of a theme that has seen such classics as the 250 GT, the 275 GTB, and the 365 GTB4, the 599 GTB replaces the most recent in that great line of berlinettas, the 575M Maranello. The new car is a concentration of Ferrari's most innovative and technologically advanced engineering solutions applied to a mid-front engined two-seater coupé.
The Ferrari 599 GTB boasts class-leading power thanks to its 5,999cc V12 - derived directly from the Enzo Ferrari supercar - which produces no less than 620hp at 7,600 rpm for a weight/power ratio of just 2.6 kg per horsepower.
Ferrari has adopted the latest evolution in its tried and tested all-aluminium construction technology for the body and chassis.
The unmistakable Pininfarina design gives the Ferrari 559 GTB aggressive yet elegant lines which are perfectly integrated with the advanced aerodynamic solutions adopted to reach the performance figures attainable.
This new model is the symbol of Ferrari's production - the V12 berlinetta - and represents the latest interpretation of a theme that has seen such classics as the 250 GT, the 275 GTB, and the 365 GTB4.
The Ferrari 599 GTB replaces the last in that great line of berlinettas, the 575M Maranello, of which - together with the 550 Maranello introduced in 1996 - no fewer than 5,700 have been produced, a record for this type of model for the Prancing Horse.
