Watch the new 2010 Ferrari 599 GTO lapping the Mugello track in Tuscany, as CAR’s road test editor Ben Barry was among the first journalists to get behind the wheel of the tweaked-up 599.
It’s the first GTO since 1984’s 288 GTO and one of the most hardcore roadgoing Ferraris of recent years. We strapped a video camera on board as Barry drove a hot lap around the circuit, with one or two sideways moments for good measure.
Ferrari 599 GTO: what’s it like to drive?
‘It’s Scuderia DNA plumbed straight into a 599,’ says Barry. ‘It feels chunky and taut, eager and ready to go. Yet the GTO has that suppleness that the Scuderia had. It’s not nasty. It’s still a pleasant thing to drive and cruise around in.
‘But you’ve got to remember the 599 GTO is quicker than an Enzo. It’s epically fast. I drove a regular 599 GTB before I went on the launch and the GTO is definitely faster, but only marginally so. The extra speed is not what you notice. The sound is: it’s a richly cultured and varied engine note, the GTB is more one-dimensional.
‘The gearchange on the GTB is very slow; it felt quick at launch, which shows you how quickly transmission technology has progressed. In the regular 599, the steering is light at the top and when you push harder the car seems to rears up at the back and the steering goes even lighter. In the GTO everything is in line with what you’re doing. Everything’s together. The GTO has a more raucous side, but it’s not unpleasant.’
>> For the full road test, wait for the new June 2010 issue of CAR Magazine, out on 19 May. Our full web review will follow