[GregW / Oregon]

From Autoweek, 4/23
Ferrari is reporting that its 599XX set a record on the legendary Nürburgring. The company says it is the first time a production-derived sports car has bested the 7-minute barrier on the classic 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit, lapping it in 6 minutes, 58.16 seconds.

The 599XX, which inspired the 599 GTO, is designed for track use--but not for racing, Ferrari says. Only 29 copies will be built.

The 599XX is powered by a development of the V12 engine in the 599 GTB Fiorano producing a whopping 690 hp. The 599XX features Ferrari's High-Performance Dynamic Concept, an integrated design and chassis setup that uses electronics to govern the mechanical limits of the handling for maximum performance.

The car also has what Ferrari calls Actiflow--it increases downforce and/or cuts drag depending on the car's trim during cornering.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...#ixzz0lwTnXwaz

[SantaPimp27]

Too bad its not street legal

But this might mean the 599 GTO could pass the Gumpert as the fastest street legal car around the ring.

Big news

[Red Bread]

Isn't some version of the Radical still 10 seconds faster? I don't know that I really care how fast non-street legal cars are at the N'Ring. I'm going to guess that a 917-30 was just a little faster and go back to not caring.

Now if the 599 GTO can post a time any where near this time (doubtful) than I'll be impressed.

[94JZA80]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

The 599XX features Ferrari's High-Performance Dynamic Concept, an integrated design and chassis setup that uses electronics to govern the mechanical limits of the handling for maximum performance.

hmm...i'm not sure i really understand this statement, or perhaps its b/c the wording isn't very accurate (i know those are Autoweek's words, not your's). but i was under the impression that physics governs a car's limits, whether those limits be mechanical grip, aero-induced grip, or some other kind of grip...in other words, physics determines the lateral and motive grip of a car who's weight is X, center of gravity is Y, aerodynamics is Z, etc. i'm not sure how the limits could be governed by electronics...unless those electronics are actively changing such things as suspension geometry, aerodynamic surfaces, power/torque output (and the entire power & torque bands for that matter), etc. while the car is in motion.

i followed your link...unfortunately, Autoweek doesn't provide any links to additional info. hopefully we'll see more on this topic published in the near future.

good find OP

[SantaPimp27]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Isn't some version of the Radical still 10 seconds faster? I don't know that I really care how fast non-street legal cars are at the N'Ring. I'm going to guess that a 917-30 was just a little faster and go back to not caring.

Now if the 599 GTO can post a time any where near this time (doubtful) than I'll be impressed.

Yeah the radical is faster. If the can ever get the Ultima GTR to the track, that should smash the road legal record by like 15 seconds.

[Montoya]

If it's a track only car, and not licensed for street does it really count? I'm not sure that this Ferrari will be licensed on the road anywhere. Isn't it maintained by Ferrari and only supported at Ferrari's track events?

Sounds like an track only deal to me...

By the way Greg, did you get your hard copy Autoweek? It seems my postman here in my Portland neighborhood keeps my copy and delivers it days to a week late!

[aus]

At the end, it say's "Production derived sports car"

Vid here:
[u2b]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJj8atDGBzk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJj8atDGBzk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/u2b]

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by Montoya

If it's a track only car, and not licensed for street does it really count? I'm not sure that this Ferrari will be licensed on the road anywhere. Isn't it maintained by Ferrari and only supported at Ferrari's track events?

The point they make is it is BASED on a street car, not that it is a street car. I believe they will be sold to private owners to use wherever (off road) they like.

By the way Greg, did you get your hard copy Autoweek? It seems my postman here in my Portland neighborhood keeps my copy and delivers it days to a week late!

Not this week yet. West coast delivery is a few days late as a rule, but I usually get mine regularly.

[94JZA80]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

The point they make is it is BASED on a street car, not that it is a street car. I believe they will be sold to private owners to use wherever (off road) they like.

i don't know...the Ferrari FXX wasn't a street car OR a racecar, but a "track only" car - just like the new 599XX...and FXX owners didn't really get to drive wherever (off road) and whenever they wanted to - i'm pretty sure they drive their FXX's wherever and whenever Ferrari tells them to...after all, it is/was a test platform that Ferrari used to collect data, even though they sold them to individuals. i would think that the 599XX follows along the same lines, but i could be wrong...

[Sidh135i]

im obsessed with this car now!

[TK-421]

Originally Posted by aus

At the end, it say's "Production derived sports car"

Vid here:
[u2b]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJj8atDGBzk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FJj8atDGBzk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/u2b]

There you go

[94JZA80]

Originally Posted by shift@red

This is not a road car though. Its a TRACK ONLY car that will never see a public road. Its a fast time, but im pretty sure if you got some other race cars out there they would be even faster.

i agree...though i've been having a hell of a time trying to find a comprehensive list of Nordschleife lap times, including road cars, race cars, prototypes, etc. what i'm looking for are lap times for such cars as the Porsche 993 GT1 & 996 GT1, Mercedes CLK-GTR, McLaren F1 GTR, Toyota GT One, etc...but i've come up empty handed in my search. i'd be hard pressed to believe that none of these cars have ever recorded official lap times on the Nordschleife...even the Toyota GT One, as it was developed by TTE (Toyota Team Europe)/Toyota Motorsport GmbH and tested on none other than the Ring. at any rate, i figure if any production based race cars could have lapped the Ring quicker than the 599XX, it would be one of the above cars. heck, i bet the road-going (street homologated/street legal) versions of the above cars could have bested 7:00.00 on the Nordschleife.

granted, the approach to the development of those cars was quite different than the development of the 599XX. you see, the 993 GT1 and Mercedes CLK-GTR were premitted to race in their series based on the requirement that a minimum of 25 production vehicles existed and were registered as street legal vehicles. but unlike most other GT cars in the series that were actually based off mass-produced proudction cars, the above cars were actually developed first as race cars, and then slightly modified for street use in order to produce their 25 road-going "production" versions of the car. so the development was a bit ass-backwards with respect to the racing series they were trying to qualify for AND with respect to the development of the 599XX. the 599XX really is a NON-street legal car based on a production vehicle, while the Porsche GT1 and Mercedes CLK-GTR Road Cars are street legal [limited] production cars based on race cars lol.

anyways, the point of all that was that the above all-out race cars must have been able to lap the Nordschleife quicker than 7:00.00, even though i have yet to find official evidence on the internet. and i would bet that their road-going counterparts were just about as quick as the race cars themselves, as very little was changed during the process of turning them into road legal limited production cars.

[Montoya]

Originally Posted by 94JZA80

i agree...though i've been having a hell of a time trying to find a comprehensive list of Nordschleife lap times, including road cars, race cars, prototypes, etc.

I'm sure you've looked here: http://www.fastestlaps.com/track2.html

[Nawaaz]

Originally Posted by Montoya

I'm sure you've looked here: http://www.fastestlaps.com/track2.html

Wow, that's an interesting list of cars & times there.

Good stuff.

[94JZA80]

Originally Posted by Montoya

I'm sure you've looked here: http://www.fastestlaps.com/track2.html

yes, that's one of the first lists that came up when i searched google. unfortunately its just the list of production and kit cars. there are other sources that split cars into groups by type (production cars, race cars, non-series/non-road leagal cars, etc.), but even there i haven't found very comprehensive lists...its as though they are missing all sorts of race cars that i know have lapped the Ring before...oh well.