Ferrari 550 Maranello - distinguished Granturismo

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Ferrari 550 Maranello - distinguished Granturismo

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Created on July 10, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bonhams

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Ferrari S.p.A - Courtesy Peter Auto

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Mathieu Bonneville - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - looks elegant and fast

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the Granturismo for all days

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - powerful and aerodynamic

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - rear view

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - long snout, short tail

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - timeless design

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - lots of overtaking prestige

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - strictly two-seater

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - comfortable seats with good lateral support

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - sporty cockpit

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - classic round instruments and splitter gearshift

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - beautifully designed round instruments

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - this is what dreams look like

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - when they still had open gearshift gates

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Center console

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - fine leather

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Space for additional luggage

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari lettering on the door sill panel

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - plenty of power and even more torque

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - 5.5-liter V12 engine

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the camshafts are driven by timing belts

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - longitudinally mounted V12 engine

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - beautifully refurbished engine architecture

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari horse also on the engine

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - here the engine wants to be fed with valuable lubricant

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Nameplate

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Information about the vehicle

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Color "Nero Carbonio"

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the prancing horse on the bow

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - carefully optimized headlight covers

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the designer's signature

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari signs and lettering everywhere

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Air intake

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - aerodynamically optimized rear-view mirrors

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - as if you didn't know this was a Ferrari ...

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - View of the flank

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari crest on the mudguard

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the prancing horse at the rear

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - two twin exhausts at the rear

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the classic round rear lights

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - two rear lights per side

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari lettering on the rear

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - Ferrari lettering

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - the classic Ferrari lettering

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Ferrar F512 M - the predecessor of the Ferrari 550 Maranello

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The Ferrari F512 M had the engine in the middle

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Ferrari 512 M (1995) - the interior remained largely unchanged from its predecessor

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Ferrari 512 M (1995) - the engine is also a feast for the eyes

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The Ferrari 456 GT provided the technical basis for the 550 Maranello

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From 2000 there was also an open Ferrari 550, called Barchetta Pininfarina

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On a private initiative, Prodrive built a racing car against which the competition had to measure itself

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Ferrari 550 Maranello (1997) - classic Granturismo

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Summary

In 1996, the Ferrari 550 Maranello was presented as a coupé that was completely different from its predecessor. Not only was the engine now at the front instead of in the middle, but comfort and everyday practicality were also given much greater priority during development. The result was well received, as evidenced by the enthusiastic press and the long delivery times. The 550 was built for almost six years as a coupé and later also as a Barchetta. This driving report is about an early Ferrari 550 Maranello and it shows the car in many pictures, but the sound sample is not missing either.

This article contains the following chapters

U-turn
Short development time
Proven drivetrain
Aerodynamic fine-tuning
Bigger and faster than its predecessor
Bull's eye
The best sports car of its time?
An open version was also available
Also successful in racing
Completely relaxed
Further information

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The difference could hardly have been greater. When Ferrari presented the successor to the F512 M at the Nürburgring in the summer of 1996 in the presence of Michael Schumacher, prospective customers not only found the engine under the front hood instead of the rear hood, they were faced with a car with a completely different philosophy that was more reminiscent of the Granturismo models of the sixties than the Testarossa of the eighties. "Ferrari lives from selling cars," explained Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo to the surprised guests. "We wanted to build a car for the 21st century, a GT that meets the noise limits in all 39 markets in which we are active." And indeed, the new Ferrari was significantly quieter than its predecessor, for some even too quiet.

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