Italian Gran Turismo

GTO. Those three letters mean something. In America, these three letters were used to represent an old American Muscle Car which was praised for its power and ruggedness. In Japan, these letters represented a sports car which had more power than a Ford Mustang GT. "GTO" was a representation of raw power and speed in which the Americans and the Japanese have used well. But, if it weren't for the Italians, they really wouldn't have anything. GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologata" and was first used on (believe it or not) Ferraris. Ferrari only inserts GTO to their best cars. For example the 250 GTO of 1962 was one of the best Ferraris of all time. After the 250 came the 288 GTO of 1984 which was sensational to drive. Now, its 2010. The GTO phase was last used by a Pontiac and, unfortunately, that car is dead and gone. Luckily, Ferrari have brought GTO back with this bright and shiny red car you see below the title.



This is the 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO. Now, you may remember the 599 GTB Fiorano with its front-engine V12, F1 transmission, and unique design. That car's acceleration with an F1 transmission was as quick as that of their greatest creation, the Enzo Ferrari. That car's handcrafted engine produced 611 horsepower with 448 lb-ft of torque. Ferrari thought the 599 was so great, they gave it even more distinction by replacing the GTB with a GTO. Now, you might be wondering, "Since this is now a GTO, I would imagine this car being really fast." You were wrong. It's unbelievably fast! Ferrari have increased the power of the 599 from 611 to 671. With a new 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds, this car reaches a top speed of 208 mph. Even with added power, Ferrari decided to make it much faster by stripping away weight. In fact, it's 100 kilograms lighter than the standard GTB. Most of this car is made of lightweight Carbon Fiber including the interior, the steering wheel, and the seats. By stripping away weight, they also thought the radio was of no use either, so they added that as an option. Why would you need it anyway? If you ask me, I would rather listen to the mighty roar of a 6-liter, 12-cylinder engine than Lady Gaga on the radio.



The Ferrari 599 GTO is actually a special edition of the 599 to commemorate the many formula one wins by Scuderia Ferrari. Based off of the track racer, the Ferrari 599XX, the 599 GTO inherits the traits of a true race car. For example, it set a Nurburgring lap record of 7 minutes and 28 seconds (approx.). It also set a new record on Ferrari's test track, Fiorano, of 1 minute and 24 seconds, beating the record held by the Enzo Ferrari. This car truly is legendary



Unfortunately, since this is a Ferrari, and it's a GTO, this is extremely exclusive. Only 599 copies will be made, and all of them have been spoken for. Don't worry. Ferrari is planning on bringing the car back again in the near future. If they do, it will cost over $400,000. Better save up!