Italian pub, Quattroroute reports Ferrari will show its first road-going hybrid next March at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the 599 GTB, the Ferrari hybrid is expected to use a derivative of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used on the prancing horse's Formula One cars during part of the 2009 season.
The KERS setup and the concept will reportedly use a lithium ion battery pack, and based on the diagram (right) the road car will have the battery and the power electonics mounted on either side of the rear transaxle, with an electric motor incorporated into the transaxle itself. If the road car is similar to the race car, this will essentially be a mild hybrid system providing automatic start-stop, regenerative braking and electric boost. Judging by the battery size, Ferrari won't offer any pure electric propulsion. The system is expected to boost urban driving mileage by over 30 percent from the current 8.7 mpg (US) to a slightly less miserable 13.8 mpg.
Ferrari often uses its World Finals event to unveil exclusive new versions of its most enticing road cars. The FXX Evoluzione was unveiled there a couple of years ago, and the 16M Scuderia Spider made its debut at the event last year. But aside from a mishap involving Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Luca di Montezemolo in a California convertible, this year's event at Valencia came and went with nothing new to offer. However, the latest churns from the rumormill indicate Maranello could be working on an exciting new project.
Supposedly leaked pre-order sheets reportedly refer to a "599 GTO Limited Edition", named in deference to the iconic 250 GTO (to say nothing of the ground-pounding 288 GTO). Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano, the GTO could be Maranello's answer to arch-rival Lamborghini's Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.
Incorporating design cues and technologies from the 599XX program, the 599 GTO could benefit from a weight-reduction program to cut some 100-150 pound off the curb weight thanks to the extensive use of carbon fiber, while squeezing out as much as 700 horsepower from the Enzo-derived 6.0-liter V12. Pricing would be expected to jump by as much as a quarter to nearly $400,000, and if the reports prove accurate, the 599 GTO could be ready for debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March with the first of just 500 examples slated for delivery by this time next year.
A Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is an exceptional piece of automotive art. Even more exceptional is the latest model equipped with the Handling GT Evoluzione package. More exceptional still is the limited-edition 599 HGTE made exclusively for the Chinese market. But even in this rarified territory, there exists one 599 HGTE China special that stands apart. We reported on it about a month ago, and it's now been sold at auction.
The one-off Fiorano was hand painted by Chinese artist Lu Hao with a pattern reminiscent of the sought-after Ge Liln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. This unique example was sold on Tuesday to an anonymous collector from Shanghai, who paid the equivalent of $1.77 million for the privilege. The proceeds are earmarked towards helping aspiring Chinese automotive engineers to make it to Italy for further studies and an internship opportunity at Maranello. On hand for the auction event, held at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing, were the artist, Ferrari executives, faculty members from the participating schools and none other than Michael Schumacher himself.
![Fine China: One-off porcelain-finish Ferrari 599 special to be auctioned for charity [w/VIDEO]](http://www.niot.net/blog-images/fine-china-one-off-porcelain-finish-ferrari-599-special-to-be-a.jpg)
In a communist country, all Ferraris are equal, but some are more equal than others. Take the special-edition 599 that the Italian automaker debuted exclusively for the Chinese market. Only twelve of them will be made. And now, an even more exclusive version – as exclusive as they get, really – has been presented.
This one-of-a-kind special Ferrari has been further differentiated by Lu Hao, a Chinese artist who applied the special touches that make the China special edition, well...special. It's been decked out in the cracked glaze pattern of the coveted Song Dynasty-era Ge Liln porcelain, and signed by the artist. The unique supercar will be auctioned off for charity in Beijing on November 3, but you can see it for yourself in the gallery below and the video after the jump.
It wasn't so long ago that the idea of seeing an exotic Italian sportscar in mainland China was as much an anathema as a Chinese car in America. But the times, as one Mr. Dylan sang, they are a-changin.' Today, China is one of Ferrari's most important markets, where the red Prancing Horse shares the streets with the Red Dragon. To mark that relationship, Ferrari has announced a special edition exclusively for the Chinese market.
Based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the company's new Handling GTE package, the China Limited Edition has been updated with special touches designed by Chinese artist Lu Hao: the starter button glows jade green, the tachometer features ancient Chinese characters instead of the usual numerals, and the luggage is emblazoned with a map of the Silk Road taken by the famous Italian explorer Marco Polo. The Rosso Fuoco paintjob with the gray roof mimics the 599XX, and only a dozen examples will be made – with over a billion people in the market, we're betting they'll be snapped up fast.
Everything in moderation. Not exactly the kind of message you'd expect from a firm like Novitec Rosso. The Dutch tuning house made its reputation taking some of the most powerful road rockets known to man and tuning them even further. In the case of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano – widely acclaimed as one of the best driver's cars on the road – Novitec released a modified version packing twin superchargers for an astounding 808 horsepower last November. But in light of that being perhaps a bit too much machine for even Novitec's speed-crazed clientele, the tuner has now released a somewhat more reserved package for the V12 super-GT.
By tuning the engine management and fitting a new exhaust system, Novitec has squeezed an extra forty horses out of the Prancing Stallion for a total output of 660 horsepower. The exhaust has quad 90mm tips protruding from the rear diffuser and their pitch is controllable from the steering wheel-mounted Manettino switch. The adjustable suspension can be raised from inside the cockpit to clear curbs, and Novitec has fitted three-piece modular wheels – 20 inches up front and 21 in the rear. There's a full custom lighting kit, plus plenty of bespoke options for the interior.
As you can see, Novitec also offers a full range of aerodynamic enhancements, including a new lip spoiler up front, new wing around back and custom rocker panels along the sides, all available either color-keyed or in varnished carbon fiber.
While the 599XX took the lion's share of the attention in Ferrari's stand at the Geneva Motor Show today, it shared some space with another new version of the Fiorano. The new Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione (HGTE) package takes one of the most superb chassis in the industry and turns things up a notch thanks to stiffer springs and roll bars, recalibrated magnetic viscosity shocks, a lower ride height and new compound tires. Ferrari's also toyed with the transmission electronics and exhaust system, and updated the interior with a sublime mix of leather, alcantara and carbon fiber. The new 20-inch split-five-spoke rims also do a nice job of filling the wheel wells to give the 599 an even more aggressive stance.
Ferrari stormed Geneva with a pair of new versions of the 599 GTB Fiorano. We'll have more for you soon on the new Handling GT Evoluzione package being offered on the V12 supercar, but what you really want to see is this: the 599XX. Following up on the FXX development program, the 599XX is a rolling test bed for new technologies making their way from the F1 circuit over to Ferrari's road car division. Only 20 or 30 examples off the 599XX will be offered to a very select clientele, and participation in the program (which includes the car) will cost upwards of one million euros. The vehicles itself is technically based on the existing Fiorano road car, but is treated to an extensive array of track-spec modifications including a retuned V12 corralling some 700 prancing ponies at 9,000 rpm, revised electronics, an "Actiflow" aero package that produces some 280 kilos of downforce at 200 km/h and 19-inch competition rims with F1-derived covers.
At next week's Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari has announced that it will take the wraps off of two new versions of its 599 GTB Fiorano. The more approachable one (at least in terms of a high-end Ferrari fare) is the rumored 599 HGTE. Details are scarce on what comprises the Handling GT Evoluzione package at the moment, but the promise is that it will take the already accomplished GT to the next level. Perhaps the more interesting car will be the 599XX. This model will apparently only be available to select clients – in other words, those with a long history of Ferrari ownership. Like the existing FXX version of the Enzo, the 599XX will be a rolling laboratory that incorporates technology that Ferrari engineers have been developing on both road and track cars. At this point, Ferrari isn't saying how many of these cars will be available – or what they will cost – but we expect for them to make the standard 599 look quite affordable by comparison.
Ageing can be a tedious affair, especially for Italian beauty queens. So when Ferrari GTs begin to show their age, Maranello typically treats them to a spa vacation, re-emerging more youthful and exuberant than before. The 575M got a GTC handling package as it approached retirement, the 612 Scaglietti got the HGT-S package a couple of years ago, and the next guest booked for treatment, according to sources, is the 599 GTB Fiorano. However, the Fiorano's nowhere near the end. It was only introduced three years ago; both the 612 and the F430 are due for replacement before the 599 is sent off to play mahjong and shuffle-board. But reports suggest that the 599 is to gain from a new HGTE package – the H standing for "handling", GT for "gran turismo" and E for "evoluzione", telling us that this package, tipped to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, promises more than those installed on its sisters. Sources suggest that $25k over the $300k sticker price will get you 20-inch modular wheels wrapped in fresh rubber, a retuned exhaust, new front grille, upgraded spring rates, revised anti-roll bars, and some more carbon fiber bits in the cabin. Strictly necessary? Hardly. But if Maranello wants to make the 599 GTB even sharper, who's going to complain?
