Detroit 2010: Ferrari to Display 599XX in Chrysler Booth to Celebrate Fiat-Chrysler Deal

Ferrari will have no official presence at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, but it will showcase the ultra-rare 599XX model in Chrysler’s booth to help celebrate Fiat’s partnership with Chrysler.

Only 20 599xx models will be made for special track-only use by a select few lucky enough, and rich enough, to own one. The car’s 6.0-liter V12 engine has been reworked to produce 700-hp at 9000 rpm, while new aerodynamics help to deliver 612 lbs of downforce at 124 mph and almost 1,400 lbs of downforce at 186 mph!

One particularly important innovation on the 599XX is Ferrari’s new “Actiflow” technology, that adjusts downforce and drag depending upon how the car is operating. This is achieved through the use of a porous material in the diffuser and two fans in the trunk lid that work to channel air from under the car out through two grilles next to the tail lights. Rather noticeable winglets have also been added to the the are just behind the winds, where the buttresses are located.

The 599XX also uses what Ferrari terms a, “Virtual Race Engineer” that essentially uses all the onboard computers to calculate what the maximum level of performance the car can achieve on a race track. To do this it takes every bit of data available, including tire temperature, tire pressure, engine and coolant temperature (as well as many other variables) and determines what the maximum level of performance capable by the car under those conditions is.

Unfortunately, if you’re not Michael Schumacher, getting the car to go that fast is impossible… but here’s where the fun part comes in. The 599XX’s computer can then rate you (the driver) on your performance and tell you how close you are coming to the car’s maximum potential – a humbling experience no doubt.

The car will make its official track debut at Homestead in Florida in March. Ferrari is rumored to be working on a street legal version of the 599XX called the 599 GTO.

Maranello, 8 January 2010 – Although Ferrari will not officially take part in the
2010 North American Auto Show in Detroit, the company will display a 599XX
on the Chrysler stand to celebrate the historic Fiat-Chrysler deal.

The 599XX is an extreme, high-performance berlinetta and is packed with
innovative technology. The car is not homologated for the road, being aimed
only at non-competitive track use, and is reserved for just 20 select clients.

This “laboratory” model is the result of extensive research in both the road car
and Formula 1 fields. It brims with new solutions in terms of aerodynamics,
electronic controls and chassis dynamics, with many being proposed together
for the first time ever on a car and, of these, several are unique to this model. As
is usual with Ferrari’s advanced research projects, the experience gained with
this car will be used as the basis for developing future road cars with extreme
high-performance characteristics.

The 599XX is also an example of Ferrari’s exclusive and limited production. All
Prancing Horse cars are designed, engineered and developed entirely in-house in
the company’s factory in Maranello and incorporate all the latest specialist
technologies that can only be applied to low-volume production like Ferrari’s.

The official track debut of the 599XX for the client test-drivers is at Homestead
in Florida in March.