Handling Evolved: Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano to gain new HGTE package?
by Noah Joseph on Feb 9th 2009 at 9:57AM 
Ageing can be a tedious affair, especially for Italian beauty queens. So when Ferrari GTs begin to show their age, Maranello typically treats them to a spa vacation, re-emerging more youthful and exuberant than before. The 575M got a GTC handling package as it approached retirement, the 612 Scaglietti got the HGT-S package a couple of years ago, and the next guest booked for treatment, according to sources, is the 599 GTB Fiorano.
However, the Fiorano's nowhere near the end. It was only introduced three years ago; both the 612 and the F430 are due for replacement before the 599 is sent off to play mahjong and shuffle-board. But reports suggest that the 599 is to gain from a new HGTE package – the H standing for "handling", GT for "gran turismo" and E for "evoluzione", telling us that this package, tipped to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, promises more than those installed on its sisters. Sources suggest that $25k over the $300k sticker price will get you 20-inch modular wheels wrapped in fresh rubber, a retuned exhaust, new front grille, upgraded spring rates, revised anti-roll bars, and some more carbon fiber bits in the cabin. Strictly necessary? Hardly. But if Maranello wants to make the 599 GTB even sharper, who's going to complain? Thanks to Jerome for the tip.
[Source: Driver's Republic via CarPlatform.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Quattroporte 10:10AM (2/09/2009)
"...who's going to complain?"
Not me.
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Nibcrom 10:56AM (2/09/2009)
Serious question: Is there any performance benefit when getting a larger wheel?
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Franz 11:13AM (2/09/2009)
There can be. Lower profile tires with stiffer sidewalls usually result in worse ride quality but better handling. Running larger wheels also allows the use of larger brake discs and calipers.
mrcarmine 12:49PM (2/09/2009)
@franz: love those ceramics they like to put on some of their cars... they're actually beautiful to me. i may have a rotor fetish. but yeah, i can't really add anything else--that covers just about what i know about wheels sizes. to add a minor detail, if you live anywhere where the seasons change, you might not want super low-pros when the weather gets cold/potholes appear en masse...
stretchsje 1:23PM (2/09/2009)
No. While it was once true that lower profile tires offered various improvements, today's tires are way, way beyond the point of diminishing returns. Larger wheels instead tend to have a higher polar moment of inertia (and generally a higher overall weight) and thus actually reduce performance.
The biggest reason to run larger wheels nowadays is to fit larger brakes, but even those tend to be more than adequate when properly designed (brake ducts, proper thickness) on smaller wheel sizes. (And by smaller, I mean 18", which is still pretty huge.)
Franz 1:52PM (2/09/2009)
@ stretchsje:
Your argument isn't entirely accurate. I believe the original question asked was about plus-sizing in general. You've taken it a step further to debate actual wheel size. While there might not be many other advantages other than being able to fit bigger brakes when upgrading from say 18" to 20", when upgrading from smaller sizes there are more benefits to be gained. And your higher polar moment of inertia argument only matters in acceleration and deceleration... single measurements of performance. Better handling is also increased performance.
Also, saying that tires are "way, way beyond the point of diminishing returns" isn't quite true either. Higher profile tires will almost always result in a narrower contact patch, which is a result of the rubber's natural tendency to balloon up and outward. Lower profile tires on properly sized wheels will almost always have a wider contact patch increasing grip and handling... thus having the potential to improve both acceleration and deceleration by putting more rubber on the road (which when properly thought out can negate any disadvantages incurred from minute weight gains due to the larger wheels). The only exceptions to the rule I can think of are low pressure off-road tires like those used on tractors & ATVs, and the über expensive spec types used in open wheel racing series like F1. Tire technology has gotten to the point where they could build any profile tire with good handling characteristics, but expect to pay an awful lot for it.
As a general rule, the more sidewall there is the more the tire will flex in directional transitions... and the more your handling will be compromised. It's even more of a factor when your tires are up to temperature and the compounds become naturally more compliant due to the heat. Take a walk through the pits next time you attend a race... any race. It's not just because of looks and bigger brakes why everyone runs low profile tires.
extinctdoughnut 12:42PM (2/09/2009)
I'd like to be writeing and typeing as good this.
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Carmine 12:50PM (2/09/2009)
maybe noah joseph is british lol
PACOBELL 4:16PM (2/09/2009)
Franz is correct, there are many variables to be considered in the unsprung mass of a car. And there is a calculation to go with everyone. If the rims are forged magnesium they could be very large and still not weigh as much. Or if they do weigh more, then maybe the increase in handling performance of a better contact patch overrules the losses in braking and acceleration. And the entire mass will be known and factored into the dampers. It is the overall end result that really matters.
To me this package means better race car like handling, worse street drive ability.
It is always funny to me that when people tune their tires and suspension for race car handling but they do not realize that if a race car drove on a normal street with the dips and potholes it would skip across the road. In that case, your larger contact patch does not do you any good if the tire is in the air.
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Congreve 1:00AM (5/08/2009)
"However, the Fiorano's nowhere near the end. It was only introduced three years ago; both the 612 and the F430 are due for replacement before the 599 is sent off to play mahjong and shuffle-board."http://www.vxcb.com The biggest reason to run larger wheels nowadays is to fit larger brakes, but even those tend to be more than adequate when properly designed (brake ducts, proper thickness) on smaller wheel sizes. (And by smaller, I mean 18", which is still pretty huge.)
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