The Ferrari 599 GTO is the fastest road-going car ever created by the famous Prancing Horse marque, but despite the car’s prowess, to date, Ferrari has only released a paltry five images of its Maranello stunner.

Thankfully though we now have a new gallery revealing every inch of this latest Ferrari.

As mentioned, the 599 GTO is Ferrari’s fastest ever road car. Not surprisingly, it set a record lap time at the Fiorano circuit of just 1 minute 24 seconds. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new concept, albeit inspired by the 599XX experimental car.

To achieve this status, the regular 599 GTB’s 6,0-litre V12 engine was uprated to 493 kW and the car was put on a diet to reduce overall weight to just 1 4 95 kilograms. This resulted in a 0 – 100 km/h sprint time of 3.35 seconds and a top speed of 335 km/h.

The 599 GTO will be built in a limited run of just 599 cars and, not surprisingly, the full production run has already been accounted for. For more details, take a look at our original preview story here.

The first car from the prancing horse brand to wear the GTO nameplate in almost a quarter of a century, the Ferrari 599 GTO, was officially unveiled to some of the brand’s wealthiest clients at a special ceremony in Modena, Italy this weekend.

Held at Modena’s Ducal Palace, now a military academy, the grand gala involved the participation of Ferrari factory test drivers and military cadets before a crowd of Ferrari’s most elite 500 customers. The exclusive limited edition special is the brand’s fastest ever road car, and although inspired by the production version of the Ferrari 599, is in fact based upon the 599XX – Ferrari’s advanced experimental track car.

A strictly limited run of just 599 examples of the Ferrari 599 GTO will be produced, the car already proving quicker than both the Ferrari Enzo and Ferrari 430 Scuderia, lapping Ferrari’s Fiorano test circuit in just one minute and 24 seconds. If you don’t already know, the Ferrari 599 GTO is powered by a 6,0-litre V12 engine developing 500 kW at 8 250 r/min and peak torque of 620 N.m at 6500rpm. It is mated exclusively to an F1-style six-speed transmission resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 334 kW per tonne. Using F1-inspired chassis design principles, the car’s dry weight is just 1 495kg. Top speed is rated at 335km/h with the sprint to 100km/h managed in just 3.35 seconds.

Sadly, for customers wishing to express an interest in the Ferrari 599 GTO at its first public appearance, scheduled for the Beijing Motor Show next week, Ferrari tells us that every last one of the exclusive models has now been sold.

Adapted from CarAdvice

Gran Turismo Omologata. Three words that, when acronymed, should send a tingle down the spine of any supercar fan. The Ferrari 250 GTO and 288 GTO are undeniable classics and now there’s a new ‘Omologata’ joining them in the shape of this, the Ferrari 599 GTO.

We’ve been aware of its existence for some time and saw the obligatory spy shots earlier this month, but have had to wait until now for an official unveiling.

Just so you know what we’re talking about here, the Ferrari 599 GTO is officially the company’s fastest road-going car ever produced. The GTO is powered by a 500 kW six-litre V12 with 620 N.m of torque, propelling it to 100 km/h from stand still in just 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 335 km/h. It is linked to a six-speed F1-style gearbox, capable of changing gears in 60 milliseconds.

In order to achieve its pace, Ferrari says the car, shares more with the hardcore track-focused 599XX than the production model 599. We were expecting it to look much like the track-only 599XX, but quite are impressed by how faithful it is to the track-focused ‘development car’. Examples of the technology carried over include the car’s ability to generate 144 kg of downforce at 200 km/h according to Ferrari. This has been achieved through changes to the nose of the car, where a front spoiler incorporates a separate lower wing, and the adoption of F1 style wheel doughnuts – a disc positioned outside the brake disc that ensure hot air exiting the wheel arch stays close to the side of the body and reduces drag. By using thinner aluminium and glass, Ferrari has also been able to save weight over the standard 599. Coupled with the carbon-ceramic brakes, and lightweight transmission and exhaust systems, the 599 GTO has a dry weight of 1 495 kg, and delivers a power-to-weight ratio of 334 kW per tonne.

An indication of the car’s pace is given by its lap record beating run around Ferrari’s test track at Fiorano. The company claims it lapped the circuit in 1 minute 24 seconds – a second faster than the previous record set in a Ferrari Enzo.

Styling wise, the rear diffuser is particularly dramatic, while the bonnet that shrouds its front-mounted V12 engine is intricately sculptured, with extra cooling and a neat indent to house optional stripes. Heritage liveries and personalised colour schemes are a standout feature on the 599 GTO’s options list, with scope to create something that looks quite different to the red and carbon car you see here.

Inside the cabin, the GTO has been fitted with longer and more user-friendly carbonfibre gearshift paddles. While the standard 599 has an ‘ice’ traction setting, it is replaced in the 599 GTO by a CT-Off function, which turns traction control off. The car is also fitted with Virtual Race Engineer, which monitors the status of the car and gives feedback on vehicle performance.

Just 599 units will be produced with an estimated starting price in the region of £280 000.

The times, they are a changin’, and even Ferrari is being dragged into the hybrid scene. During the debut of Ferrari’s 2010 F10 Formula 1 car, CEO Luca de Montezemolo revealed that a production-ready hybrid version of the 599 would be coming to Geneva. Today we have a preview image of the car leaked to the Web.

The 599 Hybrid is still cloaked in mystery, but previous rumors of the car’s Geneva Motor Show debut broke last December, following confirmation last June that a hybrid was in testing. The details dropped then indicate the 599 will keep its V12 engine, and add a road-going version of the KERS system Ferrari developed–and has now dropped–for F1. It’s not clear if the 599 will employ the all-wheel-drive system leaked last summer, but it seems likely.

The benefit is expected to be a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy, from a miserable (but understandable, given the 450 kW output) 27 l/100km to a slightly more tolerable 17 l/100km. Considering the average Ferrari only sees a few thousand kilometers per year, however, this is more an exercise in high-tech engineering than in fuel savings.

Also announced this week is the driving debut of the Ferrari 599XX. Seven owners of the car will have them delivered to Spain’s Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, where they’ll get to drive them for the first time. Upon arriving at the track, the 599XXs will be fitted for their drivers, then the owners will be familiarized with the cars with the aid of individual Ferrari instructors before being let loose on the circuit. Because the 599XX is not homologated to any major safety standards, it is reserved for off-highway use only.

Adapted from MotorAuthority

British sports car company Lotus has signed another ex-Ferrari executive to its ranks, securing Donato Coco as its new director of design.

Coco was replaced by Flavio Manzoni earlier this year and will join Lotus CEO and ex-Ferrari sales executive, Danny Bahar, from January 4.

“We have a very busy few years ahead of us as we are working on a new strategic business plan which will include the introduction of an all-new range of Lotus cars and expansion of our third party design work,” Bahar said.

Coco’s resume at Ferrari includes the 430 Scuderia coupe and Spider 16M, California, 599XX and the 458 Italia, while previous work as chief designer at Citroën saw him in charge of the Xsara, Picasso and C3 Pluriel among others.

The position of ‘director of design’ is a new one, overlooking the work of existing head of design, Russell Carr.

It is believed the two will collaborate on the new Elise and Exige models, as well as a convertible version of the Evora and a brand new Esprit.

Adapted from CarAdvice