The news was announced by Ferrari's CEO Luca di Montezemolo during a special event in London. "This is a very unusual car and it will certainly surprise you," said di Montezemelo. "It's only going to be available to a very select number of clients who've been asking us for an open-top version of the 12-cylinder for quite some time now. We won't be unveiling it at a show though. Instead we'll be organizing private presentations."
The previous V12 powered roadster that Ferrari had was the 575 Superamerica, which featured an electro-chromatic glass roof which rotated 180 degrees at the rear to lay flat over the boot. Ferrari did not reveal what system the 599 Roadster will use, but will most likely be similar to the one on the California.
Under the bonnet, the 599 Roadster is expected to be powered by the same 6.0-litre V12 that underpins the 599 GTB Fiorano, which produces 612bhp and 607Nm of torque. Engine output is expected to be increased however to compensate for the extra weight of the drop-top version. The powerplant from the 599 GTO, which produces 661bhp and 619Nm of torque, could also be considered.
di Montezemolo also talked about Ferrari's interest in new technologies, including those focused on fuel consumption reduction such as hybrid systems, at the same press conference. "Ferrari is synonymous with driving emotion, beautiful design and ongoing technological innovation, characteristics that are shared by all of our models. One of the focuses of our constant drive for technological innovation is emissions reduction," said di Montezemolo. "So far, we have achieved significant results that will continue to improve as time goes on. In fact, we've already unveiled an innovative 12-cylinder hybrid based on our experience with KERS in Formula 1."
