The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano has been around since 2006, which means that Ferrari’s flagship grand touring car is getting up in years. In addition to the regular 599 GTB, Maranello has released the track-only 599XX, a street-legal version called the 599 GTO, and a topless variant called the SA Aperta.

If the chatter on the Teamspeed forums is correct, Ferrari isn’t done with the 599 GTB just yet. To honor former F1 world champion (and current Ferrari F1 pilot) Fernando Alonso, Ferrari is building a 599 Alonso Edition.

Details are somewhat lacking, but the car will be light in weight and limited in number. Reportedly, only 40 of the 599 Alonso Edition cars will be built, with production alleged to begin in January of 2012.

Ferrari is scheduled to replace the 599 in 2012, and its successor is rumored to use an aluminum frame with carbon fiber body panels. Power will come from a 6.3-liter V-12 engine, with output said to be in the 700 horsepower range.

As one astute Teamspeed member notes, Michael Schumacher bagged five of his seven world titles while driving for Ferrari, and never had a Ferrari model built in his honor (although he did get a Fiat named for him). Fernando Alonso's title, on the other hand, came behind the wheel of a Renault, which makes us wonder what Ferrari will do when Alonso actually wins his first F1 championship for Scuderia Ferrari.