The new bigger-than-ever range-topping Fornasari RR99, is a unique SUV that combines the aggressive look of a GT and the comfort of a luxury car with the ability of an off roader.

The new bigger-than-ever range-topping Fornasari RR99, is a unique SUV that combines the aggressive look of a GT and the comfort of a luxury car with the ability of an off roader. It bursts with all the traditional Fornasari styling cues, such as vents to feed cooling air in and out of the front brakes. The longer wheel base (now 3.25 m, 25 cm longer that the RR600) increases enormously the comfort of the new SUV in respect to the model it is drawn from while the performance remains the same. The RR99 combines all the best bits of the RR600 and Gruppo B, the 2-door version, into an improved comfort package.

The impressive dimensions (it is 5.20 metres long, 2.15 m wide and 1.85 m high) shows the exclusive character of the vehicle. Wheelbase is 3.25 m. The RR99 consists of a special steel piped chassis in molybdenum-chrome that means a real space-frame for the 5-seater. More than 450 pipelines are used in order to obtain the stiffness and torsion capability with a weight of less than 150 kg. The total weight of the RR99 comes out at 1850kg. The suspension triangles are equal on the four sides and they are mechanical jewels with welded joints like those used in Formula 1. The suspension's travel of 240 mm has been studied so as not to affect or change in any extent the geometrical configuration as it had been set.

The size is important for the whole car: this is a real maxi SUV. Desert wheel-tracks, an American wheel-base, a remarkable height from the ground, a top-class maximum travel of suspension, ideal in/out angles, an ideal weight, power distribution on both axles as for a GT vehicle and load distribution near to 50/50. That's what will make this off-road vehicle most similar to a road vehicle.

Its reduced roll and pitch allows for smooth driving while both the power and engine elasticity will let the driver forget that they are inside a five seat car. Power gets transmitted to the wheels by means of a central viscous joint releasing 60 percent to the back limited-slip differential, while leaving the 40 percent power left to balance the front differential. As far as the gearbox is concerned, either a Borg Warner six-speed manual or a Hydra-matic 6-speed automatic option is available to hook up to the 6-litre, 8-cylinder tuned GM engine which develops 610 CV at 6,000 rpm and 748 Nm of torque at 5,100 rpm. The result is a light but reliable all-aluminium unit mean the RR99's performance is the same as the RR600. (7.0-litre V8 with 610 bhp and 748 Nm). Also, it is possible to set on board a version with reduced gears but such a solution compels a less sporting scheme of the transmission. Brakes come from GM also with customers given the option of specifying Brembo ones. Alloy rims are, in alternative, of 18" to 20" or even 23" in size and they can host tyres from the 285/55/18" up to the 305/35/23". Performance is impressive: top speed is 280 km/h, 0-100 km/h is achieved in 3.8 seconds and the standing kilometre in 23 seconds.