At the time of its launch, the 599 GTO was the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever created.
The automobile was such a savage, wild animal, that Jeremy Clarkson nicknamed it “Kato”. Because just like the fictional character from The Green Hornet, it was constantly plotting new and exciting ways to physically harm you.
Yes, it was a lightweight Ferrari with an naturally aspirated V12 boasting 661 horses, but it didn’t like going fast as much as it liked drama and “tête-à-queues”. It wasn’t a proper GT car and it wasn’t a racing homologation special, as the name implied.
As Clarkson stated: “they’ve (Ferrari) used the GTO name on a road car. That’s brave, that’s like calling you infant son Jesus; you need to be fairly sure it’s going to grow up to be something special, not a burglar”.
So, did the track-inspired 599 GTO lived up to expectations? Did it remain relevant in the new world of efficient supercars? Well, let me put it this way: When a four-door CLS 63 AMG out-drags your 599 GTO on the motorway, chances are the answer to the previous questions is “no”.
But let’s forget the CLS AMG for a second, because this article is about a – not very legal – drag race between the new Lamborghini Huracan and the 599 GTO. Yes, the entry level Lamborghini is put against the carnivorous and unsettled GTO.
A 5.2-litre V10 Lambo, outputting 602 horses, against a V12 6.0-litre Ferrari, developing 661 prancing ponies? That doesn’t seem very fair. And neither the fact that the Ferrari loses – that’s not fair at all.
Considering the fact that the cars are dueling from a rolling start form the 100 Km/h (62MPH) mark is more impressive
And the worst part? That AMG.