Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano review (Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano)

Member Name: Orichalon

Product:	Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Date:	12/09/08 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quiet, relaxing, quick, handles very well

Disadvantages: Stylish issues

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, sitting in front of me as I write this in my friend's garage, is an imposing beast. I think that, like many Ferrari's of today, it has some stylish issues, but nevertheless this thing has presence on the road. People really do get out of the way when you're driving this thing.

The 599 features a V12 up front, producing in excess of 600 bhp (the same V12 is, in fact, featured in the Enzo which is currently behind me). However, despite the Enzo the 599 isn't a racing car for the road, it's meant to be a long distance cruiser. On this front, it does rather well.

Inside, the seats are relatively comfortable and trimmed in good quality leather. There's stitching on the seats and on the dashboard, which really adds a nice touch. Overall, the interior is finished very nicely.

Start the car up, and the V12 immediately settles into a quiet growl. The steering wheel feels nice to hold in your hands, and features on the top several LEDs, which light up as you increase the revs, telling you when to pull on the right hand paddle that changes gear in 120 milliseconds.

At slow speeds the car is easy to control and monoeuvre. You can see out of the rear window relatively easily. My only gripe is that it's quiet large (often larger than you realised), and there were a couple of times when I thought I had plenty of room to spare, only to realise I was only an inch away from scraping the wing mirror.

On the motorway, the car quickly settles into a steady rhythm. It's quiet and quite relaxing.

Once you push on on the B roads, the car truly comes alive. This car really handles, and gives you a plethora of information through the steering wheel and brake pedal. Being the driving god that I am (in my eyes anyway!), I turned the traction control off and it's easy to coax the car into a controlled slide.

Overall, the Ferrari 599 offers the best of both worlds. On one hand, it's a comfortable, relaxing, and fast long distance cruiser but on the other it's a snarling Ferrari V12, that eats B roads for breakfast. If you can afford the £200,000 price tag (before any options), it's well worth considering this car as a daily driver.

Summary: A great car for those who can afford it

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