The replacement of Ferrari’s popular 575M Maranello, the 599 GTB, offered more comfort, cabin space, practicality, and, of course, more performance. This car was a ground-breaking achievement for Ferrari. Although it was touted as a dual-purpose grand touring and sports car, the 599, even with all its luxury accoutrements, could easily outmatch the performance of Ferrari’s iconic F40. Ferrari knew this was a big moment for the company and even produced a video of both cars racing on a winding canyon road, titled Dual for the Crown. At the end, the 599 emerges victorious and outruns the fabled F40, symbolising the advance of Ferrari’s race-bred technology.

The 599’s engine is derived directly from the Ferrari Enzo, which, just a few years earlier, had been acclaimed as the company’s most technologically advanced supercar ever. The car can reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and the six litres of pure grunt produce 620 brake horsepower at 7,600 rpm, bringing the car to a speed of 205 mph. Acceleration was faster than the Enzo and even faster than the McLaren F1, partly in thanks to its superb traction control. This traction control was designated F1-Trac and was initially developed for the Scuderia’s Formula One cars. It controls stability and traction whilst estimating optimal grip by monitoring the front and rear wheels. This modulates power delivery for up to a 20% gain in acceleration out of a corner.

Like its cousin the F430, the 599 was the second Ferrari to wear the now trademark manettiono dial on the steering wheel. There are five settings available to adjust the traction damper settings and to monitor the throttle mapping. This gives the driver the option of having a docile, driver-friendly car or a vicious racer, one that is ready to snap back at a driver who underestimates its capabilities.

Like all modern Ferraris, the 599 is just as luxurious as it is fast. The interior is spacious and comfortable and has incredible attention to detail. Carbon fibre and aluminium are utilised on the dash, which features Enzo-style instruments and a complex LCD display that allows the driver to access a multitude of settings and in-car information. The seats, which were developed by Recaro, are multi-functional and have adjustable pneumatic support for your hips and ribs, to provide tight support for high speed road or circuit driving.

The 599 presented here, chassis number 149692, is finished in a stylish colour combination of Grigio Silverstone with beige leather. This 599 has a six-speed F1 Superfast transmission, which was a £10,000 option over the standard six-speed manual when new and proved to be popular because of the additional performance it provided. Other options include a multi-disc CD changer, a battery charger, aluminium grey-painted brake callipers, a yellow-face tachometer, LED Formula One-style maximum rev shift lights housed in carbon fibre on the steering wheel, a carbon fibre central tunnel, Scuderia Ferrari shields, and satellite navigation. It also comes complete with all books and tools. The car is in outstanding condition throughout and would serve as a fantastic grand touring car, as it can provide fast yet comfortable transportation for two people and their luggage, harkening back to the great grand touring Ferraris of the 1960s.