Photo : Philippe CHEMIN - ACO/NIKON

Jean Alesi talks about the 599XX, the ultimate version of the 599 GTB Fiorano he drove on the Le Mans circuit on June 12, a few hours before the race starts.

The 599XX was the first production-derived car to run under the barrier of the 7 minutes on the legendary Nürburgring. “At Le Mans, I could set times under 4:10, not so far from the GT2 cars,” says Alesi. “This is a good idea of the potential of the 599XX, considering the fact that I did not know the car.”

This exceptional car does not abide to any regulations. “It is an extreme car, like the F40 in 1987. The difference is that you had to be a professional driver to take the best out of the latter, a brutal twin-turbocharged car. The 599XX is a modern and civilised one,” comments Alesi, who also is an F40 owner.

“Ferrari’s reputation is based on engines, but Ferrari did great on the handling of the 599XX.” The car looks like a modernised version of the “Actiflow” concept, with two fans in the trunk forcing the air out through two grilles replacing the rear lights! This technology reminds of the fan used by the Brabham BT46B in Formula One in 1978, and offers maximum grip. But Ferrari pushed that concept far beyond, with air flows on the rear controlling the turbulence created by the car’s wake, and optimising its aerodynamic efficiency. “I could drive at 308kph in the Hunaudières,” adds Alesi.

The 599XX also uses an enigmatic “High Performance Dynamic Concept” system. This is supposed to be a computer permanently analysing the car’s performance, a kind of ESP for racing cars. “Grip is simply incredible,” says Alesi. “I could drive through the Porsche corners with the electronics directly operate on the braking system to offer the best possible performance, so I could use max throttle. It’s exceptional!” This exceptional car is used for exclusive testing handled by the Ferrari technicians and a very select group of long-time customers.

Julien Hergault