Ferrari 550

Ferrari 550
Ferrari 550 Maranello
Overview
Manufacturer	Ferrari
Production	1996–2001
Assembly	Maranello, Italy
Designer	Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Pininfarina
Body and chassis
Class	Grand tourer (S)
Body style	2-door berlinetta (Maranello) 2-door roadster (Barchetta)
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	5.5 L Tipo F133A & Tipo F133C V12
Transmission	6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,500 mm (98.4 in)
Length	4,550 mm (179.1 in)
Width	1,935 mm (76.2 in)
Height	1,258–1,277 mm (49.5–50.3 in)
Kerb weight	1,774 kg (3,912 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ferrari F512 M
Successor	Ferrari 575M Maranello

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to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 years after the 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer.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Since 1973, when the traditional front-engined 365 GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined Berlinetta Boxer, Ferrari's top-of-the-line 12-cylinder 2-seater model had used a mid-mounted 180° V12 flat engine.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.