Spy Shots: Ferrari 599 GTS roadster
by Noah Joseph on Sep 24th 2008 at 8:33AM 
Ferrari seem to content with cutting the roof off of everything these days. The F430 Spider remains the company's hottest-selling model, with the new California on the way. A roadster version of the 430 Scuderia is anticipated to make its debut at Mugello in November, and now spy shots have surfaced showing what sources suggest is a convertible version of the 599 GTB Fiorano.
Although the test mule in the spy shots has a fixed roof in place, reports note that the roof appears ill-fitting and mismatched in color to the rest of the body. If that's anything to go by, Ferrari could be planning a successor to the Superamerica version of the Fiorano's 575 predecessor and the 550 Barchetta that came before that. The former featured an intriguing Fioravanti-designed glass roof mechanism, however the 599 Spider would, in all likelihood, employ a similar folding hard-top to the clever mechanism found on the new California, to the possible inclusion of the Fiorano's aerodynamic buttresses. Following the revival of the GTB (grand touring berlinetta) designation on the existing 599, the convertible would likely take on the GTS (grand touring spider) nameplate, while installment of Ferrari's new quick-shifting SuperFast3 dual-clutch transmission could help mitigate the extra weight. Of course this is all pure speculation, so stay tuned.
[Source: Auto Express]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Beastage 8:59AM (9/24/2008)
From that angle I can't say I am very excited :(
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Serge 9:38AM (9/24/2008)
I know right... it's only based on one of the fastest, luxurious, beautiful cars in the world. HOW LAME!!!!
Benfolio 9:25AM (9/24/2008)
Something about this car does not look right. There is WAY too much fender flare in the front, making the front wheel look inset too far, and the extra long exhaust tips.... don't know what to think about them....
Are we sure this is not a Fiero clone?
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Mobius_1 9:33AM (9/24/2008)
Well, the 599 isn't supposed to be a hardcore supercar, like a Scuderia, so I don't see what's wrong with making a convertible version, then again, it's actually a good idea, much like the SLR McLaren Roadster, best of both worlds
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Flea 11:01AM (9/24/2008)
I've never seen the point of the 599. It has the most powerful Ferrari production engine, but it's not laid out to be as fast as possible. If you want a grand tourer, what's wrong with the 612?
Chopping off the roof will further cement the fact that the 599 is NOT intended to be the fastest car in Ferrari's lineup.
When is a proper supercar coming again? Something that'll do 0-60 in under 3 seconds?
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