Sydney show: Ferrari 599 debuts

EVERY example of the 599 GTB Fiorano allocated to Australia and New Zealand until 2008 has been sold, but that did not stop Ferrari's 575M replacement making its Australian debut in Sydney yesterday.

Powered by a 456kW 5.99-litre V12 and employing the latest evolution of Ferrari's all-aluminium body and chassis to deliver a weight/power ratio of just 2.6kg per horsepower.

The two-seater 599 coupe employs F1 technology to blast to 100kmh in a claimed 3.7 seconds making it as quick as Porsche's 911 Turbo and to a top speed of more than 330km/h.

The 599 is claimed to be the most powerful V12-engined production car of all time and comes with a pricetag to match: $574,000 for the manual and $600,000 for the F1 Superfast version.