I was fortunate to have been invited for a test drive of this incredible new machine from Maranello.
Ferrari has sent several of it's test drivers and several production 599 berlinettas to provide a testing experience to current and prospective clients. Switzerland (6% of total annual Ferrari production.) is probably the first country in Europe to have a public testdrive along with Monaco.
The main portion of the test drive was in the mountain roads above Sion (canton of Valais) and the autoroute (highway) between Montreux and Sierre.
First, the test driver (an ex-rally pilot) takes the helm and demonstrates the many functions and features of the car as well as it's performance before handing over the controls.
The first impression is that of incredible power. Entire rows of 5-6 cars on short straights in the hills were dispatched in barely over a second, reaching incredible speeds in a space of 100 meters. The engine does not feel explosive at the top end like the 430, instead you get an opressive, nauseating wave of torque and a lunge for the 8400 rpm red-line. The carbon brakes are as impressive as in the 430.
For a 400,000CHF car, it is very un-intimidating to drive. The only bemole being fairly awfull visibility, but not as bad as the 430. The race seats are very comfortable and the interior is on a completely different level to plain Audified interiors of the Lamborghinis. The controls are light and precise and the electronics and the magnetic suspension keep the 620 horses under tight leash. It really is a daily driver. A car you take from your underground parking lot in Zurich in the morning, on to the light midday lunch at a swanky Monte Carlo hotel. You'd have to pack light though, since the trunck is not very voluminous.
Final thoughts.
Ferrari has done the impossible. They have in a case of the 430 produced a hypercar for the price of a supercar. More power then the F40 and fully useable. Pure numbers do not convey the sense of excitement and occasion of this car. Forget the Z06 and the Ford GT. This is the car that will make you want to get up in the middle of the night to go take another lustfull look at it in your garage.
The 599 is an equally fantastic accomplishment. A truly bi-polar car. Relatively comfortable but can be turned into a snarling beast with the flick of the manettino switch.
Ferrari now truly deserves it's awsome reputation. Which in my personal opinion leaves Lamborghini the big looser. Especially at the bottom end of the scale, since the LP640 and the 599 are not directly comparable. The Gallardo feeling more like an upscale Audi TT rather then a hairy chested Italian exotic.
599 Verdict. The first desirable front-engined V12 model since the Daytona.