Ferrari 599 to Skip its Makeover

[ahmed_7erzon]

Ferrari originally planned to face-lift the 599 in 2012. But the FF has turned out so well that the company will now do a mostly all-new car to replace the 599. Unsurprisingly, it is derived from the FF, but will have substantially more performance. The target date remains late 2012.

The screaming V-12 engine will do about 700 horsepower. It will be another, stronger version of the power unit -- based on the 599 GTO's -- in the FF, displacing 6.3 liters, with natural aspiration and an estimated 8500-rpm limit. It has direct fuel injection, which means it will beat the present 599's performance while offering substantial fuel economy gains.

Performance also improves because weight drops. The car will have an aluminum frame, made up of some 20 different alloys to get ideal local qualities of weight, energy absorption, stiffness, panel finish, and joint strength. Ferrari remains committed to aluminum -- it has invested heavily in facilities to make cars out of the stuff -- and doesn't regard it as a second-class solution, despite rivals McLaren and Lamborghini having switched to carbon fiber. Ferrari technical director Roberto Fedeli compares the situation to one in the aircraft industry, where Boeing is emphasizing carbon but Airbus is sticking largely with metals. That said, he acknowledges that the 599 replacement will use some composite panels.

The new 599 will also gain in refinement and comfort, thanks to a multi-link rear axle and seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle, both solutions adopted by the California, 458, and FF. The range of character of these cars, from GT to out-and-out sports car, shows how the systems can be adopted to give the 599 a sportier track-biased positioning than the FF.


A rear-axle e-diff at the rear will give engineers further ability to tune the handling for agility or stability according to the Manettino position. The same control will also alter MR damping program, the gearshift strategy and time, traction and stability systems, and throttle map and bypass exhaust valving.

The 599 replacement will certainly not have AWD like the FF. But it is likely to be made available as an option on a face-lifted California in 2013.