For a long time, Ferrari did its best to make a mid-engine GT car as its top-of-the-line, V12 offering. While the recipe itself sounded great, it didn't really work in the real world and the Testarossa is the last supercar-GT crossbreed. The following Ferrari 550 and 575 are the ones that brought Ferrari back to the traditional GT design with a huge V12 up front, two seats in the middle, and a big trunk in the rear. Unfortunately, the 550 and 575 always had a slight identity crisis, but that would all change with the 599 GTB Fiorano. Thanks to newer technology and Ferrari's fresh experience in making a GT supercar, the 599 knows exactly what it is, and it's two things at once. The 599 is a comfortable GT that eats up miles like a private jet, but it's also a supercar that beats virtually all its mid-engine competitors. Of course, the performance itself is the least surprising feature thanks to the 599 GTB Fiorano's 620 horsepower. But what's definitely surprising is that the average 599 GTB Fiorano price is only around $150,000 which today is the price of a well-optioned base Porsche 911. If you are in the market for a 599 GTB Fiorano, you can almost always find a few examples here at Exotic Car Trader. And if you are still unsure if it's the right car for you, this 599 GTB Fiorano review will help bring you closer to a decision.
The 599 GTB came out in 2006 which is about five years after the Murcielago came out and some two years after the Aston Martin DB9 which are its two main rivals. However, the 599 never really had any real rivals as both the DB9 and DBS were noticeably underpowered compared to the 599, and the Murcielago wasn't a GT by any means. That makes the 599 particularly unique as it's one of very few true GT cars where you get a supercar engine in the front and all the space you need behind it. And when we say a supercar engine, we mean it. The F140 engine found in the 599 is the same unit found in the Ferrari Enzo with only 30 horsepower missing. We can then safely say that the 599 gets you a good part of the Enzo experience for a fraction of the price plus a lot more comfort. How many 599 GTB Fiorano's were produced plays a huge role in its low price today, but that doesn't mean the 599 isn't as exclusive as a supercar should be. Ferrari only made about 4,000 599s which is right around the same production numbers as a Murcielago. And where was the 599 GTB Fiorano made? Well, in Maranello of course, just like every Ferrari that came before and after it.
In today's day and age, the 599 GTB Fiorano's horsepower and torque rating of 620 and 448 lb-ft doesn’t sound like super car numbers. After all, today we have station wagons and SUVs that make more power than that. But don't be fooled by numbers alone. The 599 GTB Fiorano's 0-60 time is just 3.2 seconds which is enough to terrorize any average driver. That 0-60 time is also faster than the current Audi RS6 and BMW M5 so you don't have to worry about spending all that money on a Ferrari just to be slower than a family of four and their dog. You also don't have to worry about most early 2000s supercars at track days as the 599 GTB laps the Nurburgring faster than a Murcielago LP580. And let's not forget that the 599 is rear-wheel drive only unlike neither of the three cars we just mentioned, all of which are four-wheel drive. The 599 then puts to shame most modern two-wheel drive supercars and GTs. And don't go thinking that just because the 599 is relatively old it's also lightweight. The 599 GTB Fiorano weighs just over 1,600 kg or 3,549 lb which is how much full-size sedans weighed back then. But in the end, this is a Ferrari we are talking about and very few other manufacturers could pull something like this off. All the decades of racing plus the fact that the 599 is riddled with F1 technology and know-how means that what we can see on paper is only a fraction of the entire experience.
The 599 GTB Fiorano interior is nothing to write home about if you are sitting in the passenger seat. The 599 came out at a time when huge dashboard-mounted screens were just gaining traction, and even what's left without them doesn't look all that exciting. The only thing the passenger gets to play with is a simple radio with a CD that was outdated back then, and even more so today. But even so, Italian leather and carbon fiber cover virtually every part of the interior so it's still a memorable experience compared to your average sedan or SUV. But given how quickly infotainment systems develop each year, a lack thereof definitely makes the 599's interior more timeless and for a car that will likely start appreciating soon, that's a good thing. Still, nobody really buys a 599 to sit in the passenger seat which is why all the good parts of the interior are on the driver's side. As soon as you sit behind the wheel you are greeted by a huge red start button and the famous Manettino dial. If that doesn't get your heart racing, the huge centrally mounted rev counter that goes to 10K RPMs, and a tachometer that goes to 220 mph definitely will. Left of the rev counter you also get a small screen with a board computer and even navigation. Granted, the navigation will likely be useless today, but it goes to show that the 599 GTB Fiorano design still holds some relatively modern amenities.
There is no denying that the 599 GTB Fiorano's exterior design is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. The 599 came out in the mid-2000s when aggressive lines, fake vents, and obscure tailpipes were something that wasn't on anyone's mind. That's definitely a good thing because not only is the 599 beautiful today nearly twenty years later, it will look stunning in another twenty years as well which can't be said for a lot of Ferrari's newer models. The lines on the 599 are possibly even too subtle considering it's a supercar that does well over 200 mph. That makes the 599 the perfect car for a true gentleman who has nothing to prove. Such buyers will also definitely appreciate the subtle but extravagant design cues the centerpiece of which is the roof. The 599's roof is by far the most recognizable part of the exterior as the rear pillars extend away from the rear windows creating a design that looks like something that came from an architectural design study. But it's interesting to note that the design isn't there purely for aesthetics but also gives the 599 an aerodynamic advantage. Other than the roof, the 599 GTB Fiorano's design does resemble the F430 to a certain degree which isn't a bad thing. Like the F430, the front of the 599 is beautiful, but also tame. The rear, however, with its huge and deep diffusor plus quad exhausts is anything but tame.
The Ferrari 599 doesn't have that many groundbreaking technologies, but Ferrari was never a technological pioneer. What Ferrari does best is take existing technologies and perfect them using its F1 experience. That's unless the said technology helps the car go faster which is why the 599 had one of the most advanced automatic transmissions at the time and one of the most advanced traction control systems. The automatic manual was essentially an automated manual as it's found in earlier Ferrari models like the 360, 355, and even early 2000s BMWs. Such transmissions were always unrefined and jerky until the F430 came out and the 599 shortly after. The automatic transmission in the 599 is absolutely seamless in first gear, and it shifts between its six gears in less than 100 milliseconds. That shifting time is nothing to write home about today, but back then Porsche was the only manufacturer with a faster transmission. But the key point about the transmission is that it will be more than satisfactory even today. The traction control is equally impressive as it's almost a direct swap from the Formula 1. Ferrari even stated that thanks to the traction control, even a relatively inexperienced driver can lap the Fiorano test track in less than a second slower compared to Ferrari's test drivers. And that's about where 599 GTB Fiorano's technology ends. But it gets exciting on the other end of the spectrum with the fact that the 599 is the last V12 Ferrari offered with a manual transmission. Unfortunately, only 30 manual 599s were ever made, of which 20 were sent to the US, so it won't be an easy task finding one.
The Ferrari 599 is among the cheapest V12 Ferraris you can buy today with an average price of $150,000. If you are looking for a 599 GTB Fiorano for sale, you can often find them for less than $150,000 here at Exotic Car Trader. Considering the 599 is still very much a modern car when it comes to how fast it is and how well it drives, that makes it the bargain of the century at the moment. Let's not forget that it uses the same engine as a Ferrari Enzo and even the latest Ferrari V12 is based on that same engine. You also might wonder how much is a 599 GTB Fiorano worth when it has a gated manual and the answer is double. The average price of a manual 599 is $300,000 but keep in mind that only 30 exist and they rarely pop up for sale so the next one that sells could easily fetch over $450,000. As for the 599 GTB Fiorano trim levels, the only notable one is the HGTE package. The HGTE gets you slightly less weight and revised suspension. The HGTE usually goes for 10% to 15% more than the standard GTB and it's well worth your money.
In the end, the most important thing to note if you are in the market for a 599 GTB Fiorano is that its prices have been fairly steady in the past few years, and they are consolidating at the lowest point they have ever been. Judging by that, the only thing we can assume is that prices will start going up in the next few years making the 599 a solid long-term investment. And if not that, a supercar that you can enjoy for a few years and return your money on. Naturally, the process of buying or selling a supercar can definitely be scary so reach out to us here at Exotic Car Trader where we will help with every step along the way with both selling and buying. Hopefully, this Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano review has at least intrigued you enough to look more into the model because that screaming V12 is definitely worth your time and money.
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