Ferrari 599 GTB HGTE

Ferrari has launched its rather excellent HGTE handling pack as an official accessory for the 599 GTB supercar.

We’ve driven a 599 with the pack fitted at the factory, and ticking the options box marked ‘Handling’ increases the car’s price by £14K to a hefty £207,194.

If that’s a bit steep for you, though, or if you already own a 599 and have been left sulking in the corner by the new pack, then fear not – it can now be ordered from the Ferrari accessories catalogue.

Accessorising Pre-2008 cars will set you back £17,213 (exc VAT), which gets you the handling tweaks – 10mm lower suspension, new Manettino configurations, stiffer springs (17 per cent front, 15 rear), more rigid anti-roll bars, new wheels and tyres – as well as a new exhaust setup and aesthetic tweaks, which consist of a freshened up grille and a new burnished finish to the Prancing Horse symbols.

If your car is from 2008 and onwards, the kit costs £19,703 but features all of the above as well as performance upgrades in the shape of an enhanced F1 gearbox (response times quickened to 85 miliseconds) and modified throttle mapping for a friskier response. You can’t get the performance mods on manual cars, mind.