There are many Italian automotive stars intent on stealing the show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, however the brand-new Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano, making its debut here, captured the huge crowds' attention as it screamed up the 'Goodwood Hill' for the first time this morning, a stunning bright yellow example put through its paces in the hands of one of the factory's test drivers Raffaele de Simone, who was closely involved in developing the car.

This weekend is the 599GTB Fiorano's UK debut. The very latest sportscar from the legendary Maranello stable, it features a 5999cc Enzo-derived V12 engine; edgy, highly-aggressive styling courtesy of traditional Prancing Horse designer Pininfarina, and bucketfuls of the latest cutting-edge road car technology which has been derived from the successful F1 programme. Presented to the public and the press for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year it replaces the long-running 550/575 M Maranello model.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed gets bigger and bigger each year, and the crowds started streaming into the event this morning right from the moment the gates opened at 7am. The three day motoring extravaganza brings together the cream of past-to-present road and racing cars that have made their mark on history or are about to do so: nothing without a genuine pedigree gets a look-in. And of course this year the Italian automotive industry is spectacularly well represented, as usual. The Alfa Romeo 'Museo Storico' has brought a swage of evocative cars from the official museum in Arese, there is an important exhibition of Lamborghini Miuras to commemorate the famous sportscar's 40th anniversary this year, while a very rare 1911 Fiat Grand Prix car has drawn much attention already this morning. And then there is Ferrari, the ultimate performance brand, who have pushed the boat out for the annual Goodwood gathering this year.

Ferrari GB has presented a mouth-watering line-up of cars today, which includes the FXX, the 'track only' version of the Enzo sportscar of which 29 have been built, a dark blue-finished version which has raced up the 'hill' and the 2004 F1 World Championship-winning F2004 (driven this weekend by official Scuderia test driver' Marc Gené).
 

Alongside these are the road-going range spearheaded by the new 599GTB Fiorano and a subtly personalised version of the 612 Scaglietti, a programme carried out in conjunction with Wallpaper*. The F430 Spider, the Superamerica, and a beautifully preserved example of the Ferrari 275 GTB4, one of the first models to be officially authenticated by the recently-launched Ferrari Classiche programme, and finally all the 20 scale models that featured in the recent global design competition "Ferrari: New Concepts of the Myth", complete a high profile push by Ferrari GB here.

The main collection is housed in the Goodwood Stable Yard, an enclosed courtyard of splendid appeal, adjoining the main house, the traditional country seat of Lord March, and which makes an ideal setting in which to show these iconic sportscars. Within the stable yard Ferrari have assembled two raised display areas are protected from the occasional spits of rain by large, curved opaque roof sections, giving them the appearance of large biospheres. The historic courtyard is complemented very effectively by the modern, airy constructions which are of course trimmed in traditional Ferrari 'rosso'. Walking into the courtyard, which itself has had its towering walls stamped with black Prancing Horse logos, subtly painted onto the sections of white masonry a bright yellow 599GTB Fiorano immediately grabs visitors' attention, splayed across the an aluminium platform between the two covered areas.

A second 599GTB Fiorano, finished in Nero Daytona is situated in the covered display area, is available for close-up examination by visitors. The new model will begin deliveries to the first UK customers in late September with Ferrari GB's waiting list already stretching more than two years.

by Edd Ellison at Goodwood