Ferrari, a very profitable firm, seeks to enrage and delight us all with the price of its new HGTE package which is now available on the 599 GTB Fiorano.
Enraged, we must consider ourselves, because Ferrari is charging $30,095 USD (or £14,000 in the UK) to upgrade from the already impeccable 599 GTB. But delighted, we also are, because we love this feat of daring-do. Only a company this reputable could even consider adding the cost of a luxurious new midsize sedan to its flagship supercar for a handful of alterations.
What’s changed? Springs are stiffer at the front and back. The rear anti-roll bar is slightly thicker. Along with a drop in ride height comes a slight increase in negative camber. Nicer wheels are fitted with the tires sized identicaly to the non-HGTE GTBs. Only this time the Pirelli P Zero rubber is made from a new compound that should up the grip quotient without wearing quickly. Oh no, Ferrari wouldn’t want their impoverished customers to spend too much money on new tires. Oh no.
Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione is its name, a phrase certainly more alluring when spelled out than abbreviated. Horsepower is identical in the HGTE car, an astonishing 612-bhp available at a wailing 7600 rpm. Yes, torque remains the same as well. Around the track from which the 599 GTB takes its name, Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit, the HGTE 599 is six tenths of a second quicker.
For each tenth gained at Fiorano, U.S. customers pay $5,016. True, that price includes every carbon-fiber option available on the 599 GTB. The exhaust note is also uniquely tuned. At GoodCarBadCar.net, the official message will forever state that owners of vehicles like the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano are intelligent and judicious. Sure, they spend $302,584 on transportation. Their car is likely a wise investment, nonetheless.
It is for those who spend the price of a Honda Accord EX-L V6, a Mini Cooper S JCW, or a Ford F-150 XLT Supercab on an option group for their Ferrari that The Good Car Guy reserves the “insane” tag. Get a grip.
