Vehicle Overview The 550 Maranello is Ferraris front-engine, two-seat coupe that uses the same V-12 engine as the four-seat 456M, but it packs an additional 44 horsepower.
With a base price of $212,000, the 550 Maranello undercuts the 456M by about $13,000 and is nearly $74,000 more than the 360 Modena. Because the 2000 models are sold out, dealers have waiting lists for future production.
Exterior Like the 456M, the front-engine 550 has classic Ferrari sports car styling. It features a long-hood and short rear-deck profile, egg-crate grille and side gills behind the front wheels design elements that have graced several coupes (or berlinettas) from the Italian manufacturer.
The 550 is 179 inches long 8 inches shorter than the 456M and a ground-hugging 50 inches tall. It rides on five-spoke, 18-inch-diameter alloy wheels.
Interior Wraparound seats covered in leather upholstery coddle the occupants, and the climate and audio controls in the center of the dashboard are reached easily from either seat.
Proving that Ferrari makes some concessions to mundane transportation needs, a cargo shelf behind the seats supplements the 6.5-cubic-foot trunk.
Under the Hood The 5.5-liter V-12 the same engine used in the 456M produces 480 hp in this application and a top speed of 199 miles per hour. The only transmission for the rear-drive 550 is a six-speed manual.
