The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta were 2-seat Gran Turismo sports cars built by Ferrari. 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 car used a transaxle layout, with the 6-speed manual gearbox located at the back, in-line with the driven wheels. The model number refers to total engine displacement (5.5 litres) and the model name of Maranello refers to the town where the Ferrari headquarters are located.

The demise that same year of the F512 M 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 F512 M as the company's upmarket coupe, discounting the F50.

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 (201 mph) and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 4.5 seconds.

The 550 line was replaced by the Modificata 575 M 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 sports cars of its era. It has been praised by magazines and testers all over the world.

The 550 Maranello is a front-engined car. The engine is a naturally aspirated V12 with 4 valves per cylinder, 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.

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.

The 550 Maranello can accelerate to 60 mph (97 km/h) 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).

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Ferrari F430 - Ferrari 599 - Ferrari F1 - Ferrari California - Ferrari 612 - Ferrari 575 - Ferrari Aurea - Ferrari Concepts of the Myth - Ferrari Dino - Ferrari Enzo - Ferrari FXX - Ferrari GG50 - Ferrari P4/5 - Ferrari 360 - Ferrari 458 Italia

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