Maybe one of the prettiest modern looking Ferraris ever made? Enjoy!
The Ferrari 550 Maranello (Type F133) is a front-engined V12 2-seat grand tourer built by Ferrari from 1996 to 2002. The 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 years after the 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer.
In 2000 Ferrari introduced the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, a limited production barchetta version of the 550, built in 448 examples. The 550 was replaced by the upgraded 575M Maranello in 2002.
Since 1973, when the traditional front-engined 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari's top-of-the-line 12-cylinder 2-seater model had used a mid-mounted 180° V12 flat engine. The Berlinetta Boxer had later been developed into the Testarossa, whose last evolution was the 1994 F512 M. Under the presidency of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo,who took office in 1991, the F512 M replacement was developed as a traditional front-engined V12 grand tourer.
After a 30 months of development, the Ferrari 550 Maranello was presented in July 1996 at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany. The model name referred to the 5.5-litres total engine displacement in decilitres and to the town of Maranello, home to the Ferrari headquarters and factory. Pininfarina executed both the exterior and interior design. Frame and main engine components were shared with the 2+2 Ferrari 456, although at 2,500 mm (98.4 in) the 550's wheelbase was 100 mm (3.9 in) shorter. In 2002 the 550 was replaced by the 575M Maranello, not an all-new model but rather an all-around improved version (modificata in Ferrari parlance) of the car, fitted with a larger 5.75-litre engine. In total 3,083 units of the 550 Maranello were produced.
The 550 used a front-engine, rear-wheel drive transaxle layout, with the 6-speed gearbox located at the rear axle together with the limited slip differential. The chassis tubular steel space frame, to which the aluminium body panels were soldered. The Pininfarina-designed body had a drag coefficient of 0.33. Suspension was of the double wishbone type with coaxial coil spring and damper units on all four corners, and anti-roll bars front and rear. The steering was rack and pinion with variable power assist. The vented disc brakes were 330 mm (13.0 in) at the front and 310 mm (12.2 in) at the rear. Magnesium alloy was used for the 18-inch wheels. Electronic driver aid systems included anti-slip regulation, which could be adjusted on two levels or switched off completely, and four-way anti-lock braking system.
The engine is a naturally aspirated 65° V12 with 4 valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams and a variable length intake manifold. It displaced 5,473.91 cc (334.0 cu in) and produced 485 PS (357 kW; 478 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 568.1 N·m (419 lb·ft) at 5,000 rpm. Bore and stroke measure 88 mm and 75 mm.
According to the manufacturer the 550 Maranello had a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph), and could accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds.[3] Testing the 550 Maranello in 2000, American car magazine Motor Trend recorded a 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 km/h) acceleration time of 4.2 seconds, a 0 to 100 mph (0 to 161 km/h) time of 9.6 seconds, and a ¼ mile (0.4 km) performance of 12.5 seconds at 116.9 mph.
