Ferrari's fastest ever road car debuts at Beijing Motor Show later this month
MEET Ferrari’s racecar for the road! Derived from the firm’s hardcore 599XX experimental racing car, the GTO represents the most extreme version of the firm’s two-seater 599.
Despite sharing its looks with the 599 road car, the newcomer is actually a toned-down racing car that’s been homologated for road use, hence why it has been given the classic Gran Turismo Omologata moniker.
Just 599 cars will be built, each powered by an uprated version of the Enzo-derived 6.0-litre V12 engine. Power is up from 612bhp to 661bhp, while weight tumbles from 1,690kg to 1,605kg, allowing the GTO to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds – 0.3 seconds faster than before – and hit a top speed in excess of 208mph.
Despite the increase in speed, the higher-performing GTO is actually slightly more fuel efficient than the standard car. Thanks to its tweaked automated manual gearbox, which is the only transmission option, the new car returns 16.1mpg and emits 411g/km – the standard car manages 15.9mpg and 415g/km.
But the headline-grabbing statistic is that the new car will lap Ferrari's demanding Fiorano test track in 1 minute 24 seconds, a full 2.5 less than the standard 599. This is thanks to a number of high-tech features which have filtered down from the 599XX programme.
Alongside the obvious enhancements to the exterior, the GTO gets sophisticated electronics which Ferrari claims virtually eliminate understeer; a new generation of carbon ceramic brakes and so-called wheel donuts which fit over the brakes to improve aerodynamic efficiency and cooling.
The GTO will make its public debut in Beijing later this month, but is on sale in the UK now with prices starting at around £300,000. However, a spokesman from Ferrari said that owners are expected to spend far more than that personalising their cars.