599xx

More Details and Photos on Ferrari's Experimental 599XX Supercar

At a company as high-end as Ferrari, all customers are equal, but some are more equal than others. Those ones are the customers who get to participate in the company's exclusive XX development programs. And by "get to", we mean fork over a couple of million to play factory test driver with their own track-focused machinery. The initiative launched a few years ago with the FXX, a supercar based on the Enzo but with all sorts of added experimental technology which Ferrari has been toying with in the effort to make their incredibly fast cars go even faster. The FXX Evoluzione followed, with an even more extreme package, but at last months' Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari took the wraps off an altogether different beast: the 599XX.

Based on the all-conquering 599 GTB Fiorano, the 599XX features a host of modifications to its drivetrain and aerodynamics to turn an already phenomenal performance machine into a fire-breathing monster. Ferrari has only now released official details and photographs, revealing some of the advancements developed for the 599XX: thanks to reduced inertia, the V12 engine can rev up to 9000 rpm and produce 700 horsepower. The carbon-fiber brakes keep everything in check, while active aerodynamics ensure that the car has the optimal effect, reducing drag at high speeds while increasing downforce for cornering. As a result, the 599XX is faster around the race track than any roadgoing Ferrari in existence, and faster even than some of the company's race cars. Click on the thumbnail images below to view in detail.

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Ferrari Announces Exclusive 599XX Program in Geneva

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Hard as it may be to imagine for the common folk, there are some super-wealthy sportscar enthusiasts for whom an "ordinary" Ferrari isn't fast or exclusive enough. But the exotic Italian automaker isn't about to leave its most valued (and high-value) clients unsatisfied, so back in 2005 they launched the FXX program that allows the unspeakably wealthy to become client test drivers for the factory, piloting experimental Enzo prototypes packed with the latest F1 technology around the finest race tracks in the world. This year at the Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari followed up with an experimental version based on the 599 GTB Fiorano. Called the 599XX, it packs a 700-horsepower V12 and a host of Formula One-derived technology to be tested by the participating clients before being applied to the next generation of Ferrari supercars. The program costs upwards of a million euros to participate, including the cost of the car, but only 20-30 will be offered and spaces made available. At that level of exclusivity, you're not likely to see a 599XX roaming your local streets (especially since it isn't street-legal), so click on the images below to see the 599XX on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599XX