The Geneva Motor Show isn't all about hybrids, EVs and hopeful thinking. There are some hardcore sports cars there as well. Ferrari, as always, brought out some serous iron. Or in this case, some serious alloy, carbon composites and technical know-how.
Witness the 700-horsepower 599XX. It’s about as serious as a sports car gets, but sadly, we’ll never see it on the roads. The 599XX is designed exclusively for the track.
The 599XX is based on the magnificent 599 GTB Fiorano but is a different beast altogether. It’s slathered with all the latest high tech goodies from Ferrari’s racing department and is not aimed merely at the rich. The 599XX, like the FXX before it, is to be sold, in Ferrari’s words, to "a select group of clients," which is to say people are are both rich and want to go wheel-to-wheel during exclusive Ferrari track days. When those few fortunate souls aren't actually behind the wheels of their 599XXs, Ferrari will graciously store them.
Not only do owners of the 599XX get to do some weekend racing, they get to help out with the testing and development of innovations that will make it into road-going Ferraris. That means they'll be playing will all the cool stuff before anyone else.
The 599XX packs a lot of its own cool stuff. It ditches the Fiorano's front end for an airdam/splitter. There's another splitter and a wing at the back, and the XX's aero package is good for almost 1,400 pounds of downforce at 185 mph. Such speeds are attained thanks to the heavily modified and lightened 6.0-liter V12 that red-lines at 9,000 RPM. Carbon ceramic brakes clamped by aluminum calipers bring the car down from frightening velocities post haste.
The 599XX is available in any color so long as it's red. No word on the price, but that doesn't matter. Ferrari has already contacted those it wishes to sell the cars to, and it's a safe bet every one of them can afford it.
Photo: Ferrari.
