(pictures RSR Nürburg) It's our buddy Ron Simons, the boss at RSR Nürburg. Someone must have been smiling at the end of the day!
Imagine the sound...probably went something like this:
More after the jump
Bonus video: Ron chasing a 599XX at the Hungaroring, site of this week end's Grand Prix. It's tempting to think this is an illustration of the "I drive...FLATOUT" video, but I think the 599 was just hanging around for Ron, in a Lotus 2-Eleven, to film him.
I think more interesting will be the 599GTO's lap times. It's faster than the Enzo which lapped in 7:25 with a blown out shock. If it can lap just one second faster and beat the Maserati MC12, which it will, that will be truly impressive for a proper, comfortable, leather clad street car.
Record of the Ferrari 599XX at the Nürburgring announced in Beijing
Beijing, 23 April - The Ferrari 599XX is the first ever production-derived sports car to break the 7-minute barrier on the classic 20.832 km Nordschleife circuit, lapping in 6 min 58.16 sec.
The 599XX, which inspired the 599 GTO, is an extreme berlinetta designed for track but not official competition use, and is a veritable technological laboratory incorporating a number of innovative solutions. Some of these will remain the exclusive preserve of the 599XX while others have already filtered down to the 599 GTO, introduced today at the Beijing Motor Show. These include the wheel doughnuts of F1 derivation which serve two purposes - to reduce turbulence and thus drag, and improve brake cooling.
Powered by a development of the V12 engine used by the 599 GTB Fiorano, the 599XX features Ferrari's High-Performance Dynamic Concept, a novel integrated design and chassis set-up that uses sophisticated electronics to govern the mechanical limits of the handling for maximum performance.
On the aerodynamics front, the car sees the introduction for the first time of the Actiflow™ System that increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car’s trim during cornering. This, together with other careful detailing, ensures that the 599XX boasts extraordinary levels of downforce - up to 630 kg at 300 km/h.
Fundamental to the performance of the car was the development of specific components undertaken together with our technical partners: Brembo for the carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin for the tyres and Shell for the fuel and lubricants. (Ferrari S.p.A.)
In this closeup, taken from Jeremy Lines' photo from the Miller Motorsport Park Ferrari event, you can clearly see the Ferrari "Wheel Donut" brake disk cladding in anger. This feature is shared by the 599xx and then just released 599 GTO. You will notice that, especially in the front, it has changed substantially from the way it was at the 599xx presentation in 2009 and I would venture to say their function is not so much F1 circa 2009 inspired aero as forced air cooling for the disks.
An amusing note, Kleen Wheels markets their brake dust shields as being "Turbo vented to cool your brakes"! Hey if it works on the 599xx... slap!
Eight of the latest Ferrari track only but not for racing toys, the 599XX, were on track on a cold and windy Miller Motorsport Park in Utah this past week end. Along with the über coupes were few of their big brothers, the FXX and Ferrari Challenge cars, who were actually racing. Ferrari used the event to show the new Ferrari 458 Italia publicly for the first time in the USA.
Here are some clips from spectators at the event, turn up to 11 and enjoy the music. More after the jump.
Ferrari usually doesn't "do" the Nürburgring so maybe they are are finally working towards their promise, at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, get some record times on the Nordschleife.
Valencia saw not just Formula 1 cars but also an outing for those track only, non competition wonders that are the Ferrari 599XX. Like the FXX program but with the engine in front, the latest toy from Maranello was driven, among others by Felipe Massa who was dutifully "enthusiastic" about the experience.
Tip for Ferrari's media department: 599xx, cool, jazz flute...not cool!
Good thing there is a financial crisis in the world. Ferrari invented the "hyper-track toy" car category with the FXX program. Sure Ferrari will tell you these non road legal and not race legal cars are really part of a development program and a rolling laboratory with customers acting as test drivers and testing innovative solutions for future road cars, we know they are just the thing to have if you want to win that coveted "Track Day World Championship" crown.
In any case, the program was such a success that after the FXX and the FXX Evoluzione, Ferrari found the market is there for a front engine FXX. We eagerly await a video of an FXX, a Zonda R and a 599FXX fighting in out in a "Formula Track Day" event soon!
To Ferrari's credit, this is clearly no ricer version of the 599. Powered by the same v12 as the FXX, slightly detuned to around a mere 800700hp, the 599XX sports sophisticated aerodynamics with bits reminiscent of all those now banned from Formula 1. The 599XX will also feature Ferrari's most advanced electronics, outside of F1, these systems will trickle down to the upcoming F430 replacement (codename f142). Some of the 599XX carbon fiber details might be offered as options on the 599 GTB sometime down the road.
More info is sure to come up in the near future, including why it appears to say "wheel donut" on the carbon brakes.....hmmmm donuts
full details and slideshow after the jump
While based on the 599 GTB Fiorano with the same transaxle layout and engine type, this prototype is an extreme track car. Ferrari's engineers have carried out extensive work on the engine's combustion chambers and inlet and exhaust tracts. These modifications, combined with the fact that internal attrition has been reduced and the maximum revs have been boosted to 9,000 rpm, helped achieve the target power output of 700 hp at 9,000 rpm. Particular attention was also paid to cutting the weight of the engine unit components. This was achieved both by optimising forms - as in the new crankshaft - and adopting exclusive materials, as in the carbon-fibre used for the intake plenums. A new gearbox shift strategy cuts overall gearchange times to 60 ms.
The 599XX is characterised by an innovative electronic concept called the "High Performance Dynamic Concept" which has been designed to get the maximum performance from the car by managing the combination of the car's mechanical limits with the potential of its electronic controls. The mechanical and electronic systems work together to get the maximum performance from the car under extreme high performance driving, for consistent lap times. The sporty handling has been improved thanks to the adoption of second generation SCM suspension system. Track usage is also made easier thanks to the new "virtual car engineer", a screen in the car that provides a real-time indication of the vehicle's efficiency.
The 599XX's aerodynamics were honed in numerous wind tunnel test sessions with the result that the car now boasts 280 kg of downforce at 200 km/h (630 kg at 300 km/h). The front underside of the body is completely faired-in and the vents that channel hot air from the engine bay have been moved to the bonnet.
The "ActiflowTM" system increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car's trim cornering conditions, courtesy of the use of a porous material in the diffuser and two fans in the boot which channel the air flow from under the car out through two grilles next to the tail-lights. Winglets have been added to the rear buttresses to increase downforce. while synthetic jets have also been incorporated into the rear of the car to control and smooth the air flow and to reduce drag.
Ferrari's engineers have also used F1-derived "doughnuts" which partly cover the brake discs and wheel rim. These have the dual function of improving both aerodynamics and brake cooling.
In terms of the bodywork, composites and carbon-fibre have been widely used and the engineers drew on their experience in working with aluminium to reach the weight target. The development of increasingly high-performance materials has also benefited the carbon-ceramic material braking system. The brake pads are now made from carbon-fibre which means that the callipers are smaller whilst guaranteeing the same efficiency. The new racing carbon ceramic braking system also delivers shorter braking distances and is generally more efficient due to the weight saving.
The 599XX comes with slick tyres (29/67 R19 Front and 31/71 R19 Rear) specifically developed to maximise stability in cornering and increase lateral acceleration. They are fitted to 19 x 11J wheel rims at the front and 19 x 12J at the rear.
