The History of the name “GTO”

In 1962, Ferrari wanted to build a car to dominate the Group 3 GT racing series. So with a project that started under the guidance of Giotto Bizzarini and Maura Forghieri, the 250 GTO was born. The name GTO stands for Grand Turismo Omologato, Italian for Grand Touring Homologation, as To qualify in racing, Ferrari had to build 36 road-going versions.

The 250 GTO dominated the FIA International Championship for GT Manufacturers winning in 1962, 63 and 64. Many consider one of Ferrari’s greatest ever cars alongside the F40 as one of Ferrari’s greatest cars. So much so that today it is considered one of the most valuable cars in the world, averaging prices of over $70 million.

When Ferrari retired the 250 GTO, a good 20 years went by before the GTO name found itself on another halo car. The incredible, 288 GTO. This mid-engine twin-turbo 394 horsepower, 189mph monster was designed specifically to compete in the Group B race series.

But sadly when the car finally came to the public light in 1984, the Group B race series closed. Originally Ferrari were going to build 300 288s to meet the standards for Group B racing but ended up building only 272. Nevertheless, it laid the groundwork for Ferrari’s iconic Halo cars which have become a staple of the brand for the last 40 years.

Clearly, the GTO name is sacred in the Prancing Horse of Maranello. A namesake that heralds incredible performance, pitch-perfect handling, a deep racing pedigree and the best drivers behind the wheel. And with Group road-racing being a thing of the past, many believed the GTO name would never appear on a road-going Ferrari post the 288 GTO. Until 2010.

The 599XX: The Nürburgring Champ that Inspired

In 2009, Ferrari launched the 599XX, a track-only, non-road-legal iteration of their 599 GTB. Designed by Ferrari's Formula 1 engineers, this car wasn’t designed to take part in any race series as meeting the regulations to qualify in such a race series, Ferrari believed would slow it down.

The 599XX shaves 310kg off the weight of the regular 599 GTB thanks to a carbon fibre bodyshell and composite materials. Most notably its giant race-wing which generates 630kg of downforce at 186mph. In addition, the 6.0l V12 was tweaked to achieve 720 horsepower, resulting in a 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds and a limited top speed of 196mph.

The result of all this was the fastest lap record at the Nürburgring in April 2010, with a time of 6:58.16. Ultimately, with such an achievement, Ferrari decided to produce a road-going variant of the 599XX. And there was only one name that would suit; GTO.

Ferrari’s Most Powerful Car At the Time

So in 2010, the 599 GTO was unveiled. Despite being inspired by a racer, unlike the previous GTOs, the 599 wasn’t designed to meet any homologations of any race series. Rather it was a first for Ferrari, the first hardcore variant of their V12 super-GT. However like always, Ferrari engineered the GTO to be as special as its namesake suggests.

Ferrari have a very different approach when building a lightweight variant to its rivals, who tend to disguise how much weight is lost during the conversion. In the GTO, you find no carpets, thinner window glass, no sat-nav and no radio. The body is made entirely out of carbon fibre, the floor is constructed of aluminium and the brakes are carbon ceramic.

The result is it weighs 1,605kg, nearly 200kg less than a GTB. In addition, it borrows a lot from the 599XX, including its 6-speed F1-automated manual single clutch gearbox and aerodynamic features. In addition, the Enzo-derived 6.0l V12 was tweaked and boosted to reach an 8,400rpm rev limit, generating 457 lb-ft of torque and 671 horsepower.

At the time, that made it the most powerful and fastest road car Ferrari ever made. 0-62mph takes 3.3 seconds, the top speed is 208mph and thanks to the carbon ceramic brakes and gearbox, it would lose speed as quickly as it gained. In fact, shortly after its launch, the 599 GTO set the quickest lap time at Fiorano with a time of 1:24, a whole second quicker than the Enzo.

An Untamed Wild Animal: Scaring its Driver into Submission

However whilst there’s no denying the 599 GTO was immensely fast, how it handled its performance was rather a different story. We’re so used to modern supercars being accessible, easy to exploit, performance that your gran can handle, cars that in other words makes you quite lazy.

The 599 GTO though isn’t that, in fact, rather the opposite. It’s an untamed, unruly psychopath, a devil (quite literally with its red paint). It has two different modes, both of which are designed to quite literally frighten its driver. All dependent on where you place that iconic Manettino switch.

In Wet or Sport mode, it’s a total control freak. Constantly adjusting and managing the power and constantly course-correcting every single input you make. But turn the system off and it's a complete wild animal. You even dare go near its limits and it will spin, bite you and spit you out.

It’s so violent that should the day be raining, Ferrari’s recommendation is to “leave it in the garage and use something else. It is not a car you take liberties with, it forces you to be the best driver you can. If not it will quite simply kill you. But, in today's day and age, is that such a bad thing? I think not.

Ferrari’s Most Raw, Exciting and Real Car Ever

Today modern supercars are so accessible and easy that there’s no terror, no comeuppance, and no need to really push oneself as a driver. The 599 GTO being a complete lunatic is actually a good thing. It’s not a car that comforts and closets you, it’s one that pushes you to be the best driver you can be.

Which if you think about it, was the spirit of the GTO. Enzo only employed the best of the best to compete in his cars. You can only imagine the calibre of drivers who’d be considered worthy to be granted the right to race a 250 GTO in 1963. And that same calibre of driver is what the 599 GTO demands.

Its lack of creature comforts or refinement or even ease of use is actually its strength. It’s a focused car, a racing car, a Ferrari GTO. Plus who needs a radio anyway? Because that 6.0L V12 is the most incredible orchestra you will ever hear. Like the drive, it’s raucous, loud and real, the best V12 of any road car.

Sadly it’s unlikely you’ll ever one. Ferrari only built 599 599 GTOs, and I suspect, a lot of its drivers are now six feet under. But undoubtedly, they reached that place, because they clearly in its mind weren’t worthy. This is a wonderful car, a raucous car, a real car. One of Ferrari’s absolute finest.

Sure it doesn’t have the racing pedigree of the 250 GTO or the game-changing status of the 288 GTO, but honestly that doesn't matter. Ultimately it delivers incredible performance, pitch-perfect handling and demands the best drivers behind the wheel. a GTO through and through. An unruly, untamed psychopath and you just have to love it for that.

F1rstMotors Facts and Figures

Manufacturer	Ferrari S.p.A
Model	599 GTO
Year of Release	2010
Engine	6.0L V12
Horsepower	671hp
Torque	530 lb–ft
0–62mph (100km/h)	3.3 seconds
Top Speed	208mph (335 km/h)
Weight	1605kg (1.6 tonnes)
Power to Weight	418 hp per tonne
Gearbox	6-speed F1-automated manual single clutch
Driven Wheels	Rear Wheel Drive
Amount Built	599
Rivals	Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV, Porsche 911 (997) GT2 RS, Lexus LFA

Source: Ferrari