550 Maranello (Italy, 1996)

The 550 Maranello was launched at a press conference at the Nürburgring in 1996. The model was a seen as an answer o those who believed the performance of a front-engined V12 car could not beat that of a mid-engined sports car. Successor to the F512M, the 550 Maranello was quicker and more pratical because of its front-engined arrangement.

Thanks to the combination of performance and aerodynamic efficiency the car was able to establish a new production car speed records on the 12th of October 1998 in Marysville, Ohio, covering 100 km (62 miles) at an average speed of 304.1 km/h, (188.88 mph) and 296.168 km/h (183.955 miles) in one hour.

The design of the 550 Maranello was penned by Pininfarina and featured similarities with the new 456 GT. However, there were also retro hints from earlier classic models, like the twin exhaust air slots in the front wings akin to those of the sixties 250 GTO and 275 GTB, while the tail light treatment was closer to the one from the 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” model, compared to the 456 GT.

The 5.5 litre engine is a derivation of the one designed for the 456 GT. The 65 degree V12 engine had a cubic capacity of 5474cc and a power output of 492hp combined with a six-speed transmission.

The 550 Maranello was produced between 1996 and 2001. In 1999 a limited series of thirty three “World Record” examples were produced to commemorate the World Speed Record set at Marysville in the USA on 12 October 1998.