Last week saw the full Australian debut of the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, with the covers were taken off the car at the Sydney Motor Show. The brand-new V12 coupe, benchmarked in development against the legendary 1980s F40 supercar, represents a true step forward for the Maranello brand.

Praised by motoring journalists across the world and nominated by EVO magazine as perhaps the finest driver’s car ever made, the car allies blistering performance with an unprecedented degree of usability. Retailing at A$574,000, plus another A$26,000 for the F1 Superfast paddle-shift gearbox, the 599 offers performance nearly on a par with the marque’s most recent ‘hypercar’, the Enzo. 0-60 is dispatched in 3.7 seconds, courtesy of the car’s Enzo-derived, 65-degree V12, measuring 5999cc in displacement (from which, in Ferrari tradition, the car derives its name), on the way to a top speed of over 330km/h.

The car was introduced to the media in Sydney by the general manager for European Automotive Imports, Kevin Wall. A subsidiary of Ateco Automotive, European Automotive Imports assumed responsibility for the distribution of Ferrari and Maserati in Australia and New Zealand twelve months ago, and in the intervening time has made progress towards their stated goal of increasing Ferrari sales by as much as 30%.
 

The 599 GTB is an integral part of this growth strategy, with Wall confirming that they presently hold in excess of seventy orders for the car – a level of orders which has surprised both themselves and the factory. The allocation for at least the next twelve months is sold out, although precise waiting times (on the basis of the exact number of cars allocated to Australia) are yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the 612 Scaglietti continues to command a six-month waiting list, whilst the wait on an F430 is between twelve and eighteen months.

The 599 GTB, in traditional Rosso Corsa and fitted with the optional Superfast gearbox, is currently occupying pride of place at the centre of the Ferrari stand in Sydney. It is joined by a 612 Scaglietti in Nero, and three F430s, consisting of two Spiders and a single coupé. All cars on display, with the exception of one of the Spiders, are fitted with the paddle-shift gearbox, an option increasingly popular with Ferrari customers despite the continued availability of a conventional manual.

by Shant Fabricatorian