Ferrari 550

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Ferrari 550 shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Ferrari 550 offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Ferrari 550 at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Ferrari 550? Wrong! If the Ferrari 550 is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Ferrari 550 then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Ferrari 550? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Ferrari 550 and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Ferrari 550 wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Ferrari 550 then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Ferrari 550 site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Ferrari 550, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Ferrari 550, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox Automobile|image=|name=Ferrari 550
Maranello, Barchetta|manufacturer=Ferrari|class=[Sports car|production=1996–2003|predecessor=[Ferrari Testarossa#F512M|successor=Ferrari 575M Maranello (coupe)
[Barchetta (convertible)]|transmission=6-speed manual transmission|wheelbase=2499 mm (98.4 in)|length=4549 mm (179.1 in)|width=1935 mm (76.2 in)|height=1278 mm (50.3 in)|weight=3725 lb (1690 kg)-->The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta were 2-seat Gran Turismo sports cars. Introduced in 1996, the 550 was an upmarket FR layout V12 coupe of the kind not seen since the Ferrari Daytona. It shared its platform and 5.5 L (5474 cc) engine with the 2+2 Ferrari 456 (Engine Code: F133) but was positioned as the company's highest-end model. The car used a transaxle layout, with the 6-speed manual gearbox located at the back, in-line with the driven wheels.

The demise that same year of the Ferrari Testarossa#F512M left the company with only the exotic Ferrari F50 and V8 Ferrari F355 as MR layout 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.

It was surprising at the car's launch that Ferrari had abandoned the famous mid-engined layout in favour of a front-mounted power unit, but this was quickly forgotten as the 550 soon established itself as one of the most desirable supercars of its era.

Specifications Engine

The 550 Maranello is a FR layout car. The engine is a naturally aspirated V12 with multi-valve, and dual overhead cams. It displaces 5474 cc (334 in³) and produces 361.7 kW (485 hp) at 7000 rpm and 568.1 N·m (419 ft·lbf) at 5000 rpm.

Chassis The 550 Maranello has an aluminum alloy chassis and 6-speed manual transmission. The steering is rack and pinion with variable power assist. The vented disc brakes are 330 mm (13.0 in) for the front and 310 mm (12.2 in) for the rear.

{| class=wikitable!Gear!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!Final Drive|-|Ratio||3.15:1||2.18:1||1.57:1||1.19:1||0.94:1||0.76:1||3.91:1|}

Performance The 550 Maranello can accelerate to in 4.2 seconds and can reach 161 kilometres per hour (100 mph) in 10.5 seconds. The ¼ mile (0.4 km) time is 13.1 seconds and the top speed is 320.3 kilometers per hour (199.0 mph).

==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 . 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.

Motorsport Although not intended for motorsport, some privateer teams took it upon themselves to develop the 550 for use in various series. The first racing 550 was built for Red Racing to comply with FIA sporting regulations. Italtecnica aided in the development of the project. The car was termed a 550 GT and was first tested in April 1999. It was used in the FFSA GT Championship in France from the end of 1999 until the end of 2000. The car was then sold to XL Racing in 2001 who continued to develop the car. The 550 GT made one of it's final appearances at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2000, Italtecnica would create another 550 race car meeting the more powerful GT regulations in the FIA GT Championship, but the car was short lived. 550-GTS Maranellos at the 2005 1000km of Spa.In 2001, Prodrive built racing customer versions of the 550 for various sports car series and especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, although this brought the Ferrari name into the sport, the cars would be built entirely by Prodrive without any support from the Ferrari factory. Named the 550-GTS, a total of ten cars would be built over the next four years and campaigned by the Prodrive team as well as privateer customers.

The factory Prodrive team would win two FIA GT Championship races in the cars debut in late 2001. The BMS Scuderia Italia team would take over in FIA GT, recording four wins, while the Prodrive squad would take a single win the American Le Mans Series. 2003 would be the best year for the cars, as Prodrive won the GTS class at the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans, took second in the GTS class championship in the American Le Mans Series with four wins, and Scuderia Italia won the FIA GT championship with eight wins.

BMS Scuderia Italia would again take the FIA GT Championship with five wins in 2004, while Larbre Compétition would take the GT1 class championship in the new Le Mans Series. BMS Scuderia Italia would then move to the Le Mans Series as well and take that championship for 2005. At the same time, Prodrive would move to their next project, the Aston Martin DBR9. All 550-GTSs would be maintained by Care Racing, and a few continue to be used today. Convers MenX used a 550-GTS in the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, while Hitotsuyama Racing runs one in the full Japan Le Mans Challenge season.

Following the success of the 550-GTS, Ferrari would adapt the Ferrari 575M Maranello for racing and offer it as a customer car for privateers. Some road legal Ferrari 550s would also be modified by small teams for racing, although these differed from the Prodrive-built 550-GTSs.

Today A strong performer at franchise and specialist retailers alike, the 550 is favoured by both buyer and seller due it's impressive reliability and relative ease-of-use (for a Ferrari). Problems exist of course, but are usually minor hindrances rather than fundamental failures.

Awards The 5.5 L V12 engine won the "over 4 liter" class of the International Engine of the Year award for 2000 and 2001.

Appearances In Modern Media

Director Michael Bay own Ferrari 550 Maranello was used as a 'stunt double' for Mike Lowry's Ferrari 575 during the car chases in the 2003 action film Bad Boys 2. The 550 also featured in five video games: Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit in 1998; its sequel, Need for Speed: High Stakes in 1999; Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 in 2002; Forza Motorsport in 2004; and most recently in OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. The game was available as a computer and PlayStation game.

External links

Care Racing - Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello owners and maintainers
Convers Team - Ferrari 550-GTS campaigners
MenX Racing - Ferrari 550-GTS campaigners

Director Michael Bay own Ferrari 550 Maranello was used as a 'stunt double' for Mike Lowry's Ferrari 575 during the car chases in the 2003 action film Bad Boys 2. The 550 also featured in five video games: Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit in 1998; its sequel, Need for Speed: High Stakes in 1999; Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 in 2002; Forza Motorsport in 2004; and most recently in OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. The game was available as a computer and PlayStation game.

External links

Care Racing - Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello owners and maintainers
Convers Team - Ferrari 550-GTS campaigners
MenX Racing - Ferrari 550-GTS campaigners