Ferrari has been known amongst the community for its rather elegant GTs and flashy mid-engined coupes. If you are to recollect a few of the old front-engined Ferrari Berlinettas, the 250 GT, the Ferrari 275 GTB, the Daytona, and the 575, there’s a distinct character that defines what a proper grand tourer should be.
The Ferrari 550 and 575M always elude the radar when it comes to exotic car ownership. Most of the buyers tend to prefer owning the better refined 599 or its ridiculously expensive and hardcore sibling, the 599 GTO.
However, with the 550 depreciating a lot to the point of almost plateauing, it’s now a classic supercar bargain. Bear in mind that the 550 is a ‘90s car with the marque launching it in 1996.
Unlike the 550, the 575 Maranello came fitted with all the latest that Ferrari had to offer back in 2002. A hardcore sibling to the 550, the 575 was at the time the flagship offering from Maranello’s finest.
The 575M has aged gracefully, despite being almost two decades old. Granted, it’s not as flashy as its modern cousins, but we’d bet it’s still a hoot to drive— after all, it’s a Ferrari.
Ferrari 575M Maranello: A V12 At Heart, Just Like It Should Be
The 550 came with a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V12 producing 478 horsepower and 419 lb-ft of torque. The 575M makes do with a slightly upsized engine and a bit more power. The 575 Maranello has a 5.7-liter engine that puts out 508 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. While the 550 only had a 6-speed manual, the 575M had two choices: the 550’s existing manual box, or a new 6-speed sequential automatic that Ferrari called the F1 transmission.
In terms of performance, the 550 is capable of reaching the 60 mph mark in 4.4 seconds while the 575M takes 4.2 seconds. The top speed stood at 199 mph for the 550 and 202 mph for the 575M Maranello. While the advantages seem minimal, it is the overall driving experience that made a difference. While the standard 550 is brilliant, the 575 took it a bit further.
Although Ferrari still makes naturally aspirated engines, there’s a noticeable difference in how an 812 Superfast sounds when compared to the 550 or the 575M for that matter. The 575 is slightly more aggressive and raw while the 550 is a proper grand tourer meant for cross-country travels. The suspension in the 575M has been stiffened and saw better weight distribution alongside better aerodynamics.
Ferrari 575M Maranello: A Visual Treat
Ferraris have always been the gentleman’s car. Where Lamborghini is about outlandish design and extreme theatrics, Ferrari prefers keeping things classy with a touch of exuberance. Designed by Pininfarina, the 575M is among the last Ferrari GTs to be styled by the renowned design house.
Every cut and crease across the exterior is made with a purpose. Also, clever aero along with a flat underbody aids in keeping the 575M glued to the tarmac. Whilst adhering to its aerodynamic requirements, the design team managed to keep the exterior as elegant as possible.
In typical Ferrari tradition, the hood is long with a distinct front bumper design housing a huge air dam and dedicated cooling intakes. Moving further back, whilst the rear decklid is devoid of any spoiler or winglets; a strict no-no for a road-going Ferrari, the side mirrors stand out as perhaps the sore thumb.
Inside the 575M, things are well-appointed. As with any Ferrari, quality is top-notch and everything is built with extreme attention to detail. The interior was pretty modern for the time but considering how technology has advanced, it looks rather dated by today’s standards. Being a strict 2-seater, the 575M came with all the luxuries that were part of Ferraris back in 2002.
Ferrari 575M Maranello: An Italian Thoroughbred
Thanks to its aerodynamic wizardry, the 575M can slip through the air like a hot knife through butter. However, you need to possess serious skills to make use of such a massively powerful supercar. Understand that, technology at the time was pretty basic.
Although the 575M does come with traction control, it’s nowhere near as sophisticated as it is today. One wrong move and you’d find yourself wrapped around a tree. But, if you do manage to extract its full potential there’s nothing more rewarding. You have to be really careful with your right foot and if you don’t, it’s easy to spin out of control and end up in a hedge.
The 575M ticks all the right boxes in terms of design, performance, drama, and whatnot. If you were to compare the recent front-engined Ferraris, the 575 is dated and looks plain. However, out of all the Ferraris from the 2000s, there are not many that we’d consider future classics. If we were to pick a few, it’d be the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and this, the 575M Maranello.
Sources: Ferrari, Caranddriver, YouTube