The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta were 2-seat Gran Turismo sports cars. Introduced in 1996, the 550 was an upmarket front-engined V12 coupe of the kind not seen since the Daytona. It shared its platform and 5.5 L (5474 cc) engine with the 2+2 456 (Engine Code: F133) but was positioned as the company's highest-end model.
The demise that same year of the F512M left the company with only the exotic F50 and V8 F355 as mid-engined models. Although the 550 was a softer GT model, it did take the place of the F512M as the company's upmarket coupe, discounting the F50 supercar.
The 550 featured a luxurious and roomy interior. The (rear) trunk was tall and wide, though not very deep, and could accept a full set of golf clubs or standard overnight bags. It also had performance to look up at, with a top speed at 323 km/h (199 mph) and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 4.5 seconds.
The 550 line was replaced by the Modificata Ferrari 575M Maranello in 2002.
[] 550 Barchetta
Ferrari introduced a convertible version of the 550 at the Paris Motor Show in 2000. This Barchetta was a true roadster with no real convertible top provided. The factory did provide a soft top, but it was intended only for temporary use as it was cautioned against using the top above 70 mph. A total of 448 Barchettas were produced, four more than initially planned due to concerns of superstition in the Japanese market. The 448 cars were preceded by 10 prototypes numbered P01-P10 on their interior plaques. To an observer the prototypes and production cars are indistinguishable.
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