2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

When the all-new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano rolls into view, onlookers gasp the same way audiences did when a clingingly attired Sophia Loren emerged from the ocean in 1957's "Boy on a Dolphin." Chalk it up to the Curves Reflex, the primal human response to an overdose of tumescent contours and mesmerizing proportions. But the Fiorano's zaftig front wheel arches and Loren cat eyes don't provoke the last gasp--at least not for those fortunate enough to experience the confident embrace of its deeply pocketed, leather-trimmed driver's seat. You see, this Ferrari's sensuous physique and luxury conveniences--including optional navigation and Bose audio--are an elegant smokescreen, jellyfish tendrils to draw in and devour the world's unsuspecting sports-car sucker fish. For at its heart the Fiorano is a ravenous beast, a fire-spewing dragon, the most powerful regular production Ferrari of all time. Fast? Head to head, it would leave Ferrari's legendary F40 supercar choking in a cloud of Pirelli dust.

For those of you who lament not being around to see the unveiling of the 1962 250 GTO, considered by many to be Ferrari's masterpiece, cry into your racing-red hankies no longer: The 599 Gran Turismo Berlinetta Fiorano is a GTO for the 21st century, a front-engine, V-12-powered two-seater of uncommon beauty, outrageous performance, and consummate balance. Mark the date: The Fiorano may well prove to be another watermark model for the Italian maker--and you're alive to see its debut. Let's be even more bold: Based on our preview drive in Italy, the 599 Fiorano may soon come to be known as the finest all-around Ferrari ever.

Hyperbole? Let's review the evidence. Under its fetching hood--and even these splendid photographs don't convey how stunning Pininfarina's design is in the metal--the Fiorano boasts a powerplant based not on the unit in the outgoing model, the 575M Maranello, but on the same 48-valve, 6.0-liter V-12 that first saw duty in the limited-edition, mid-engine Enzo. Compared with the Maranello's V-12, the new engine produces 14 percent more power per liter, a blistering 612 horsepower at 7600 rpm (just 39 down from the almighty Enzo). Maximum engine speed--8400 rpm--is 900 rpm higher than the Maranello's twelve. The Fiorano's V-12 is also eight percent lighter than the Maranello's, and it's more compact, allowing a mounting point further back under the hood. Ferrari says 85 percent of the Fiorano's weight is contained within the front and rear axles.

The 599's suspension is revolutionary for a Ferrari, boasting the same Delphi-developed magnetorheological shocks available on, among others, the Corvette (while Ferrari admits the hardware is largely the same, it's quick to point out that it codeveloped its own software with Delphi). Each wheel on the so-called "SCM" suspension is controlled by a damper filled with a special fluid; the viscosity of the fluid can be modified almost instantaneously via an electronically generated magnetic field. A sensor at each wheel constantly monitors wheel and body movements; the computer reacts to changing road conditions (altering shock damping accordingly) in as little as one millisecond. Ferrari claims that SCM reduces vertical excursions on bumps by 30 percent compared with the 575M.

While a six-speed manual is standard, the vast majority of 599 buyers will opt for the paddle-shift F1 gearbox. For Fiorano duty, the transmission sports Ferrari's first-ever use of Grand Prix-inspired F1-Superfast technology in a road car. Rather than shifting the box in a conventional clutch-in/gear-select/clutch-out sequence, F1-Superfast partially combines clutchwork and gear selection--reducing total shift time to just 100 milliseconds (closing in on the 50-millisecond shift time of Schumacher's F1 racer). A full Auto mode allows paddle-free gear changes, aided by a new twin-plate clutch that improves shifting smoothness.