The 599XX is a limited-edition, $1 million-dollar special edition available to primarily previous customers of the factory. Only meant for the track days (not a racing series), with full track support from the factory at pre-arranged events. Similar in concept to the Enzo-based FXX but with some significant differences. Ferrari has always done great things and made their great cars even greater with various tweaks and improvements. As I wrote earlier,
million-dollar super cars are a good idea. Not this time. Ferrari missed the mark due to weight and marketing.
Unless there is a SERIOUS weight reduction, the 599FXX is NOT an extreme track car at over 3,700lbs. Shouldn't $1.2 million include some shedding of weight? The FXX, came in at 2,700lbs or less, depending upon the source. Significantly lighter than the Enzo on which it was based.
The magnetic shocks (Magnetorheological) is effectively a "driver's aid" and to my knowledge, active suspension is no longer allowed in any any racing series today. While the results and technology is impressive, who is driving, the car or the driver? While the ride and handling is supposedly optomized, it does nothing for improving a driver's skill.
Now supposedly this is for the purist, but check out the contradiction in
Autoblog:
"The 599XX, on the other hand, is aimed at owners that want to experience Prancing Horse driving pleasure at its purest - in fact, Ferrari will be organising a programme of dedicated track events for it in 2010/2011. Conceived exclusively for track but not official competition use, and thus unrestricted either by homologation limitations or regulatory restrictions, this extreme sports car incorporates the very best of Ferrari technology, the fruit both of our Research and Development Department's labours and our long experience and experimentation in F1. The plethora of aerodynamic, electronic control and handling innovations used together for the first time on a single car make this model a genuine technological laboratory."
Now how exactly is that "pure"?
Here is a challenge for Ferrari: Put it on the Nurburgring with street tires (and pump gas) and see what it can do, and how much driver involvement there is. For instance, steering inputs captured on video. Check out this cockpit video of the Viper ACR and Corvette ZR1 with the magnetic shocks on the Nurburgring. The Viper runs a production car record 7:22.1, 4 seconds quicker than the ZR1. Look at how the Corvette driver "saws" on the wheel. Let's see how the $1.2 million Ferrari does against the $100,000 Viper.
I've seen the FXX cars at Sears Point. While impressive, considering their cost and the corresponding attitude of the owner-drivers, and perhaps the tight track, it was not exactly a great spectator event whatsoever. I wonder if the owners truly enjoyed it as well? Will the 599XX owners have anything other than an expensive roller-coaster ride?
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