Ferrari 550 Maranello - Part 1 of 2

by Mike

I owned this tungsten 550 Maranello and used it as a daily driver for one year - it was a fantastic car. We also took trips down the coast and I drove it around the track at Laguna Seca one day. Track pictures are also below.

This is part three of my Non-Red Ferrari series.

The only problem I had was that all of the oxygen sensors needed replacing during that one year, otherwise it was reliable. This car looks great without the boy racer looks of the 360 Modena. The 550 is not as flashy and noticeable on the road and it has a higher, more comfortable riding position than the 360 or any other mid-engine car. But it is also very fast when desired. The engine is a naturally aspirated V12 with 4 valves per cylinder, and dual overhead cams. It displaces 5.5 liters and produces 485 hp. It has a six speed manual transmission and weighs a little over 3700 pounds. Zero to 60 MPH comes in just 4.2 seconds.

The 550 Maranello at Laguna Seca.

The corkscrew.

These cars today have depreciated so far that they have become real bargains. Although they probably will not appreciate they can be bought for less than $100K and driven for a few years and then likely sold for the same amount, or close. The big thing to remember is that the maintenance cost is higher than most other cars. So, it is possible to drive a great V12 Ferrari for a few years for the cost of maintenance, as long as you take care of the car properly.

Part 2 will be about 550s for sale.

Click on the pictures for a larger image.