Ferrari’s V-12 coupes represent perhaps the most romantic notion of continental grand touring, but they can also make for impressive track machines. Their basic theme can be traced to the 250 GT, with its legendary Colombo V-12 power and race-honed design. With the 250, Ferrari had both breadth and depth for every definition of a performance car. Subsequent twelve-cylinder designs ranged the gamut, but Ferrari eventually returned to the long-nose, front-engined, two-seater form.

When the 599 GTB debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show as the long-anticipated replacement for the 550 and later 575 Maranello, contemporary press praised its modern design penned by Ken Okuyama at Pininfarina. Its naturally aspirated F140C 6.0-liter V-12, an evolution of the F140B from the Ferrari Enzo, was even more eye-opening with its astounding 612 hp rating.

To prove that its grand tourer was indeed a true descendent of the 250 GT, a track-only 599XX arrived three years later at the 2009 Geneva Salon. In the same vein as the Enzo and FXX, Ferrari’s Formula 1 team set to work, trimming weight where possible, improving its aerodynamics, and uprating its V-12 to a screaming 720 hp using racing fuel. The V-12’s rev limiter crept up to 9,000 rpm, and air quickly and loudly exited via a special exhaust system. F1-grade carbon-ceramic brakes brought things to a halt.

The 599 GTO announced in the spring of 2010 resurrected the three most important letters in Ferrari parlance, making it only the third GTO model after the 250 GTO and the 288 GTO. Since it was not designed with racing in mind, the 599 GTO was not merely a homologation version of the 599XX. Instead, it had performance credentials of its own, earning its revered letters. Read full article and listing…