Someone Decided This 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Wasn’t Good Enough, Made a Major Modification

The 599 GTB Fiorano was unveiled at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, enticing buyers and car journalists alike with its styling (courtesy of Pininfarina) and its incredible 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine. Some people weren’t particularly thrilled about the growth spurt, but they quickly got over it – I'm talking about Ferrari making this a considerably larger grand tourer than its predecessor, the 575M Maranello.

Still, just because it was bigger, it didn’t mean it was also heavier, and it wasn’t. Also, the 599 was designed at a time when carmakers tended to make everything a little bigger than before, mostly because of safety regulations and a drive to improve overall comfort.

I can also tell you first-hand that the 599 GTB was a masterclass in how to engineer an exotic grand tourer, and that recipe hasn’t changed much since its glory days. The F12berlinetta and 812 Superfast both follow a nearly identical blueprint. It only took the 599 a few minutes to win me over when I first drove one, and as you can imagine, the biggest ace up its sleeve is that naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V12 engine, which is in the conversation for best-sounding V12 engine ever made.

More on the engine a little later, because I want to talk to you about the gearbox first. The vast majority of 599 GTBs were fitted with a six-speed automated manual featuring paddle shifters. It could change gears in roughly 100 milliseconds and it was epic. However, Ferrari did produce 30 examples with fully manual gearboxes, 20 of which went to the United States, whereas 10 remained in Europe.

The Italian brand quickly understood that luxury GT buyers were no longer interested in changing gears themselves, at least not by using their left foot to operate the clutch.

Well, guess what happened with this particular 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano? Its current owner decided to convert it from an automatic to a manual, making it one seriously rare beast, albeit also one that might not represent the very best configuration for this type of supercar.

This car is finished in Rosso Corsa and features bi-xenon headlights, parking sensors, red-finished multi-piston calipers, and a set of 20-inch Challenge alloy wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires. Inside, you’ll find Beige Tradizione leather Daytona-style seats, which are also power-adjustable; plus carbon fiber accents, drilled metal pedals, a gated shifter, dual-zone automatic climate control, a Kenwood stereo with a Bose sound system, and the carbon fiber-accented steering wheel with LED shift lights.

As for that V12 engine, it sends 612 horsepower and 448 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, getting you to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, before maxing you out at 205 mph.