#Ferrari599Gto

A sharp contrast to Mansory’s style of tuning, Romeo Ferraris introduced a new tuning program for the Ferrari 599 GTO which focuses on subtle and functional modifications.

Rumors are heating up all over the Internet (when are they not) that Ferrari is possibly working on a limited edition 599 Fernando Alonso edition to pay tribute to their star Formula One driver.

Ferrari’s 599 has had plenty of special edition variants, ranging from the GTB Fiorano to the China Edition to the awesome 599XX. But it looks like the 599 will go out with a bang with a 599 Fernando Alonso edition, rumored to be lighter than any of the previous models, possibly making it the fastest.

Rumor has it that this lightweight special edition 599 is set to be released in January with a very limited production of just 40 vehicles. But this could all just be rumors started by the fact that Ferrari released a video of Fernando Alonso taking a F10 Tribute Edition 599 GTO for some laps around Fiorano. We’ll just have to stay tuned to see whether or not this is another Internet myth.

Check out the video of Alonso behind the wheel of the F10 Tribute Edition 599 GTO after the break.

[Source: Autoblog]

Having had the opportunity to experience Lexus‘ LFA firsthand, we can attest to its freakish performance and elegant handling all wrapped in a luxurious package. While its price tag has drawn criticism, it’s certainly not unheard of in the exotic segment and so EVO Magazine decided to compare (very expensive) apples to apples, pitting the Japanese supercar against  Ferrari‘s 599 GTO – both vehicles with MSRPs just barely under the $400,000 mark. The result may be surprising to some, with EVO giving their nod to the LFA despite the 599 GTO’s quicker 0-60 time and higher top speed.

It goes without saying that no true auto enthusiast should judge a car simply by its acceleration and top speed, but the 599 GTO clocked a 0-60 time in just 3.8 seconds while the LFA was a solid few ticks behind at 4.2. The LFA’s top speed was recorded at 179-mph while the GTO easily outpaced it at 193-mph. But the article goes way beyond that, with EVO coming to the conclusion that Lexus now has a vehicle that tops Italy’s finest.

“What marks out the LFA for particular praise is its bravery and originality;” says EVO, “for Lexus to create such a car from scratch, with no evolutionary engineering or existing bias from which to work, is a remarkable achievement. Innovative, extreme, immaculately executed and exquisite to drive, it’s the greatest high-performance car Japan has ever produced.”

“Get hung up on the badge and you’ll be blind to its magic. Revel in its rarity, its rare abilities and the fact we’re unlikely to see its like again and you’ll understand why the LFA is one of the greats, and why this test ends with three unexpected, hard-won and thoroughly deserved words: Lexus beats Ferrari.”

Check out a video of EVO Magazine comparing the two cars after the jump.

[Source: Lexus Enthusiast]

Continuing their absolute dominance over the Ferrari aftermarket, Novitec has released photos and information on their 599 GTO 888 tuning program. Novitec Rosso is the first company to offer upgrades for Ferrari’s 599 GTO and it’s quite the complete project. With 888-hp (from 670-hp stock) and 636 ft-lbs of torque, Novitec clearly focused its attention on the powerplant and performance.

Do you remember what you got for your 18th birthday? Was it an iPod? Maybe a laptop for college? Perhaps just a hug and kiss from your mom and dad? Or even worse, you don’t even remember. Well this kid won’t have that problem, because for his 18th birthday he got himself a very rare Ferrari 599 GTOs.

And better yet, this is just one of many cars in his collection that he shares with his dad. When he was a mere 15 years of age, he got an Audi R8 V8 that his dad didn’t really like much. His daily driver is an ML63 and he also shares a Porsche Panamera with his dad. But those vehicles barely hold a light to what else is in the garage – we spy a Bugatti Veyron and two Scurerias.

Truth be told, we rolled our eyes a tad when we first saw the post, along with many forum members on Luxury4Play. But as the thread grew, along with the skepticism, some forum members revealed that he is a fairly well respected member of the community and is quite mature, all things considered. We sure know if we got an 18 year old Ferrari 599 GTO for our 18th birthday we’d be like a little kid in the candy store bragging to each and every internet-friend we have.

The owner remains anonymous to this day, but we’re glad to see he’s got a good head on his shoulders despite being offered some of life’s finest luxuries that very few get to experience. It’s more than we can say about our good ‘ol friend Nick Hogan.

[Source: Luxury4Play]

Check out all the pics of the 599 GTO, plus the rest of the exotics in this 18 year-old’s stable after the jump:

Surrounded by “ The Great Ferraris” the 599 GTO was arguably the star attraction of the Ferrari exhibit at The Quail – one of the many high profile events leading up to Sunday’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Sharing podium space with the Ferrari California and the very new 458 Italia, the 599 GTO is the fastest street legal model from the Prancing Horse.

Ferrari announced its financial results today, and the company has wasted no time in gloating that sales in the USA are up 10% while Chinese sales are up 20%, a number that is “likely to rise further still in the coming months”.

As we recently reported, the newly released Ferrari 599 GTO is the fastest street-legal Ferrari ever built. With a 670 horsepower V12 and a six speed transmission derived directly from the F1 program, this 3,538 lb technological marvel also has highly sophisticated aerodynamics, suspension tuning and traction control systems.

With the first 599 GTO owners taking delivery of their half million dollar super toy very recently, the video after the jump shows several in action at what appears to be a Ferrari Club lapping day at the revered Belgian F1 circuit Spa-Francorchamps. The sound of 599 GTO starting is enough to give us goosebumps, but its exhaust note as it blasts down the front straight is beyond sublime.

[Source: Jorrik’s Car Channel]