Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Ferrari, Racing

If you’re lucky wealthy enough to own one of Ferrari’s retired works Formula One machines, the automaker’s F1 Client department takes care of maintenance and preparation of your historic racer, whether it be Nigel Mansell’s ex-F190, Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning F2001 or any number of pedigreed prancing ponies.

This week, the crew brought 10 of its most prized possessions out to the N

The Ferrari 599XX is the first ever production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the classic 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping in 6 min 58.16 sec. Watch a be amazed.

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

Without a doubt, the highlight of our trip to Miller Motorsports Park for the Ferrari Challenge this past weekend was seeing the brand new 599XX on track. This is only the second and last time the cars will be in North America for 2010, so it was a special treat to see the cars driven in anger. We gushed earlier about how beautiful the cars look in person, but there’s nothing like seeing a 599XX fly down the front straight then hearing the transaxle pull off successive downshifts before the car dove into turn one.

Audio and visuals aside, part of the intrigue of watching the 599XX is knowing how much incredible technology is in the car. For example, there are fans in the back of the car that pull air from the underside and out of ducts near the taillights to increase downforce. How much? The 599XX produces 1,389 pounds of downforce at 186 mph, and after looking through our photos we could actually see the rear spoiler at work, turbulent air swirling up behind the car. There are nine different traction control settings, the 6.0-liter V12 can rev to 9,000 rpm and the new sequential gearbox can bang off shits in a mere 60 milliseconds.

Of course, we knew we could never get away with just showing you photos (which we have plenty of in the gallery below). So we brought out a video camera to capture some footage of the 599XX on track. Turn up the volume and follow the jump to enjoy the wail of a Ferrari V12.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading 2010 Ferrari Challenge at MMP: The sights and sounds of the Ferrari 599XX

2010 Ferrari Challenge at MMP: The sights and sounds of the Ferrari 599XX originally appeared on Ferrari News on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Ferrari 599XX at Miller Motorsports Park from April 9-11, 2010

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Racing

Oh, to be wealthy. We’re not talking about slightly rich, either. We’re talking about having your own Ferrari racecar with factory support wealthy. Such a program actually exists, known as Corse Clienti (translated from Italian as “Racing Clients”). Imagine showing up to the racetrack with your car already there, which was flown in from the Ferrari factory earlier that week. There’s no need to to get the car prepared, as Ferrari’s very own mechanics are already on the job. Just sit back and relax until it’s your time to get on the track, then hop in and take off.

The Ferrari 599XX, the latest member of the Corse Clienti stable, is brand new for this year and only made its debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway last month. We were eager to see them up close, and the first thing we did upon arriving at Miller Motorsports Park on Saturday morning was to go looking for the Corse Clienti cars. It didn’t take long to find them, as they were all safely stored in the garages along pit row. There were no less than seven 599XXs, plus an additional three FXXs as a bonus.

In person, the 599XX is a sight to behold. It’s not nearly as dramatic looking as the FXX, but that’s a good thing in our opinion. In fact, it’s one of the most beautiful modern racecars we’ve ever seen. Unlike the FXX, which seems to be a little rough around the edges, the 599XX has beautifully crafted details both inside and out. For instance, the inside of the door has “599XX” worked into the design of the carbon fiber, and the interior actually seems like a fairly hospitable place to be. The engine bay, like all other Ferraris, is a work of art, and even the functional aspects of the car like the splitters, winglets and diffuser all have an aesthetic appeal.

You can see all of the details of the 599XX, like the largest paddle shifters we’ve ever seen, the F1-like wheel donuts and more in the gallery below along with an additional gallery of the FXX.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

2010 Ferrari Challenge at MMP: A look inside the Corse Clienti garages originally appeared on Ferrari News on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adult rated, for sure. Ferrari’s 720-hp gentleman’s racer makes no sense. Except it will make the author and 29 rich guys go ecstatic

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ferrari

The crew at Fast Lane Daily have apparently scored the first official shot of the Ferrari 599 GTO ahead of its launch later this year, and while we’re still suitably skeptical about the pic, we’ve been assured by the show’s producers that this is the real deal.

So what’s Ferrari have in store? If previous reports are to be believed, the GTO will be a road-focused version of the 599XX, packing a 700+ horsepower Enzo-derived 6.0-liter V12 capable of revving to 9,000 rpm. Shifts will be delivered in a mind-boggling 60 milliseconds, resulting in a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds as it climbs to a claimed 217 mph top speed. Only 500 units will be produced - and likely made available to select Ferrari owners - each carrying a price tag somewhere north of $400,000. Make the jump for Derek D’s insufferable commentary and photoshopped shenanigans, and expect the 599 GTO to be revealed in full in the coming months.

[Source: FastLaneDaily]

Continue reading Video: First official shot of Ferrari 599 GTO

Video: First official shot of Ferrari 599 GTO originally appeared on Ferrari News on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Sutcliffe tests the awesome Ferrari 599XX. Read his review and see hi-res pictures at www.autocar.co.uk

It’s been almost a year since the Ferrari 599XX made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and we’ve seen the factory-fettled racer quite a few times since. Each of those times has been either in a dealership or on a show floor, though, and the 599XX has yet to be seen running in anger. Until now.

Just ahead of Ferrari’s test of their new Formula 1 car at the Ricardo Tormo circuit outside of Valencia, the 599XX turned its first wheel on-track with none other than Felipe Massa behind the wheel. Massa led a group of seven cars around the circuit, the others piloted by the lucky members of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti program. Fortunately, we might just get to see the 599XX here in the States, as Ferrari has planned various events in America, Europe and Asia for their most special customers.

News of an impending hybrid from Ferrari is nothing new, but now we appear to have an actual date when the Italian supercar manufacturer plans to show such a vehicle in an official setting. And it’s coming soon, during the first week of March at the Geneva Motor Show, says Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo.

The announcement came during the unveiling of Ferrari’s new F10 Formula One car, which seems appropriate as it was during the 2009 F1 season when Ferrari first began using its Kinetic Energy Recovery System - a kind of hybrid technology that captures energy normally lost to braking in a flywheel - in actual competition… with mixed results, of course.

We can’t say for sure what kind of hybrid setup Ferrari will show off in its 599 super hybrid, but something similar in principle to the race-bred KERS seems like a distinct possibility, and we know the automaker has been dabbling in all-wheel-drive hybrids as well. In any case, Ferrari promises a production hybrid vehicle in the near future.