Long term test: 35’000 km in a Ferrari 550 Maranello

The ownership experience of a V12 Ferrari over the long run. 

Ferrari 550 Maranello, type F133. Body color Grigio Titanio over Sabbia leather. VIN 123294. First registration : March 27th 2001. Odometer mileage : 54’661 km. Portrait of a GT, leaning toward supercar status, which reigned over the segment from 1997 to 2005 and its replacement by the 599 Fiorano. Fifteen years after its coronation, what is left from the aura of this heiress of automotive aristocracy ? What is the ownership experience of a V12 Ferrari over 9 years and 35’000 km ? Let us examine the legacy of this super GT, with due tribute to its charms, but no complacency for its faults.

The Maranello can be considered as the last classic Pininfarina design. the end of an era where the elegance of lines and volumes ruled, or at least was given due consideration against the functional imperatives of a car exceeding 300 km/h. The styling cues from the 250GT, 275 GTB and 365 GTB/4 series are cultivated, if not claimed as legitimate heritage. A kind of neo-retro exercize before it became fashionable among mass manufacturers. Ferrari design language has since become more aggressive, more dramatic, distinctive and modern. We are in subjective territory, every amateur will know what their heart and mind tell them as their eyes travel the shape of the 550.

The same classic treatment applies to the interior. Leather runs from the door sills up to the roof lining and still exhudes the same smell to this day. A small steering wheel, Jaeger analog units for the speedometer and tachometer, four gauges for the mechanical stuff and a clock. Digital displays are limited to two small multi-function items. There are no gadgets, everything is simple and functional. The driving position is very good, perfectly aligned. Electric adjustments for the seat and manual for the steering column allow the driver to achieve a perfect triangle between hands, feet and one’s dear rear end. The seat is deeply sculpted, with a scooped cushion and generous side bolsters.

The gear lever is both a strong suit and a weakness of the 550 Maranello. It is always hard and slow when the gearbox oil is cold, a trait that will not improve with age. The oil itself takes longer to warm up than the engine oil, which does not help to make it enjoyable on short trips. This gives the driver every reason to limit gear changes, which the butter smooth and torquy V12 is very well suited for. It also strongly advised to double-clutch when upshifting and downshifting, a proper technique helps significantly. At the limit, only two gears would suffice: second to get moving on idle, fourth everywhere else and sixth on the freeway. It is not uncommon that engaging first or rear will be hard when stopped, but clutching/de-clutching generally solves the problem.

Once warm, the gearbox remains full of character, but its tactile feel and positive response is full of charm and becomes undeniably seductive. Each gear has its signature, its own personality, with a force profile that gets smoother as the revs rise. Proper double-clutching becomes extremely rewarding, as the proper timing translates into a seamless and inviting shift. In spirited driving, managing this gearbox can be seen as a handicap if you fight it, but is hugely rewarding if you master it. The ringing “ka-ching” which resonates when metal slams against metal, the subtle changes as you go through the gears and get the movements in perfect synchronization, all converge to a rich experience if you pay attention to such detail and enjoy an involved driving style. In an era where pure speed can only be achieved on race track, finding reward in the exercize of driving rather than the outcome of driving is a luxury. This gear level, this metal sphere, freezing cold in the winter and burning hot under the sun, crowning an iconic grille with 7 slots, is anachronic in comparison with twin clutch automated systems, but makes driving so much more interesting at reasonable speeds.

During and even after its reign at the pinacle of supercars, the 550 was praised for its handling. From its launch in 1997 until its retirement in 2004, the Maranello offered a new dimension in supercar ownership., combining fierce performance with unprecedented usability. A decade later, road handling standards have evolved, but the 550 still exhibits dynamic abilities which I find remarkable, in spite of a few particularities. At cruise speeds, the damping is very stiff, and selecting the soft setting does not do much to improve this. As with the gearbox, the chassis set-up of the 550 starts to make sense at decent speeds, making the car more fluid.

The Maranello tends to sit on its rear wheels under hard acceleration and dives on its nose under breaking, but does not roll a lot. It displays little inertia under sudden direction changes, making it surprisingly agile. Braced into the deeply sculpted seat, driving the 550 fast is a thrilling, involving exercize. Steering is direct and light, but communicates faithfully the grip level under the front wheels. If grip at turn in is frank, the 550 can carry significant speed till the apex, and the throttle generously applied to power out of the bend. If hints of understeer are felt, a little restraint is to be applied. Predictable and honest, the whole process would almost be easy, were perfect downshifts not required at the same time. Revs equalization is important to prevent the car from jerking under engine breaking, and the grip situation under the 295/35/18 rear tires is to be given due care.

The 550 has a neutral mid-corner stance but can be come pretty tail-happy coming out of corners. In Normal mode, the ASR system intervenes quite brutally, cutting off torque completely as soon as any wheel spin is detected. In Sport mode, it is more permissive and lets you indulge in enjoyable doses of wheel spin as long as no lateral acceleration is detected. Then it steps in and reigns things in by cutting engine torque. This makes for some enjoyable though usually benign action, although the system is not infallible. Acceleration on a cold wet road should be approached with a minimum of care as the Maranello can put itself in an interesting sideways stance unbeknownst to the electronic nanny. Sport mode also sets the dampers on their stiffer setting, but the difference is not that obvious. The next level up is to disconnect the ASR entirely with the dedicated switch. There is no safety net then, just driver, machine and physics. Five hundred and sixty-three newton-meters of torque and no last resort Electronic Stability Program sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it is not. The Maranello is the kind of car where disconnecting the ASR is not idiotic bravado, but a guilty pleasure, best enjoyed when conditions (and skills) allow. This is where the 550 made its mark: a supercar which is not only usable, but exploitable. A supercar to enjoy rather than to be afraid of. This said, Sport mode remains adequate for most fast driving conditions, unless power slides are really a goal in themselves. It forces a clean driving style where speed is obtained out of smoothness and precision, but allows the required dynamic envelope to make it involving.

There is in fact no justification not to drive the car in Sport mode all the time, except perhaps in treacherous conditions. It is a car that could be given to nearly anyone to drive in Normal mode, as long as respect is given to the accelerations it is capable of, but a minimum of training is required once the layers of safety nets are removed.

The area of driving aids is most certainly where the contrast between the 355/360/550/575 generation and the 430/599 is the most striking. With the former, electronic interventions tend to be abrupt and clumsy, and are to be worked around. Since 2005 and the introduction of the electronically controlled differentials coupled with engine management (embodied by the Manettino on the steering wheel), electronic aids contribute to driving pleasure. Before, you had to be a hero to disconnect them. Since, they make the driver feel like a hero. From necessary evil, they have become a catalyst to driving enjoyment. Nothing such in the 550, clumsiness or approximation translate into sudden drops in engine torque, and well measured inputs are rewarded.

The 5.5 liter V12 is both torquey and rev happy. Elastic like a chinese gymnast, it accepts to run smoothly at extremely low revs. I usually avoid the 1900-2100 rpm due to the resonance of the aftermarket Tubi mufflers – a much necessary addition to give voice and character to an otherwise mute car – but otherwise the V12 is happy to run smoothly near idle on each gear. Between 3500 and 5500 rpm, the V12 is at cruise altitude. Torque abounds, delivering fierce acceleration and a deep throated growl. The harmonics are very different from the 599 GTB Fiorano, much less metallic. Unless you are in full attack mode, this is the rev range where the V12 is the most enjoyable, vigorous and alive. It is this natural ease to average more than 4000 rpm which surprises at first for a large displacement V12. If necessary and possible, the last 2000 rpm up to the 7500 rpm red line are available, but the small drop in torque between 6000 and 6500 rpm does not make for a seamless crescendo all the way to the red line. Some blame the air filters for restricting induction, I never attempted a test to remediate the issue.

Visual presence owes a lot to the long, curvaceous bonnet, the low stance and the width, but the 550 is short by current standards: 4.55m in length. Turning radius is worse than that of a supertanker, owing to the rather large V12 sitting between the front wheels, but the 550 remains a surprisingly docile car in urban usage. Ground clearance under the front lips is decent although due car is required on ramps. I remember a few cold sweat moments, like an adventure in the bowels of the vicious municipal parking in Porto Fino, but I think that other more conventional cars with a longer wheelbase would have been even worse. Visibility is good, the car is easy to maneuver with precision, and there is no fear to fry a clutch thanks to the manual gearbox. The 550 is a car that can be taken everywhere, supermarket, mountain passes, road trip or track. The trunk offers useful loading capacity for luggage and the shelf behind the seat additional space for a few extra bags. Long road trips without stringent luggage restrictions are perfectly feasible. The Eifel, the french Ardennes, Normandy, the Loire valley castles, Côte d’Azur, Tuscany, the Maranello does a lot more than comply, it gives savor to the trip, during the journey and at destination. I never encountered any issue or breakdown, oil and water cooling really are excellent. I saw once the the water temperature gauge rise a bit in a monster traffic jam under the blazing July sun at the Chiasso customs, but it stayed within safe distance of the red zone.

Gas consumption can fall under the 14 L/100 km (16.8 US mpg) mark on freeways at legal speeds, but 17 L/100km (13.8 US mpg) is a more realistic expectation: I measured 17.05 L/100km in average over the last 22’000 km. A very spirited drive on adequate roads will bring you up to 24 L/100km (9.8 US mpg). I keep fond memories of the magnificent roads of the Chianti region where, in the company of a 458 Italia, the Maranello gave me intense pleasure. Twisty roads were torque and rev span are more precious peak power, and where a neutral balance inspires confidence and helps to improvise. To drive this car on these roads was intense and demanding, and thoroughly gratifying when the synchronization of inputs from bend to hairpin feels just right, fluid and timely. Digging into the performance of the 458 on these roads was terrifying. Pushing the 550 was enthralling. The contrast could not have been greater.

Nine years and 35’000km, and the attraction remains intact. Ferrari’s V12 model range has evolved toward new peaks in performance and excellence (the F12 is 50% more powerful than the 550 Maranello !), making any comparison pointless. A car that was well designed, without major engineering faults, easy to leave with and to maintain, compliant and interesting to drive in a repressive context. The breathtaking depreciation of the Maranello being largely absorbed, parting ways with this car would not make any sense.

Tires

I first mounted a set of Bridgestone Expedia S02, but their round profile did do well on a few rare track days. I switched then to two consecutive sets of Bridgestone RE050, an excellent choice for the car. They are durable (18’000km !) and perform well on the road.

Maintenance

Maintenance costs have been reasonable thus far. Yearly maintenance has been limited to a service/oil change at less than 1000 CHF, and every 4 year the big service with timing belts for 2500 CHF. These indications of course only apply for an independent specialist, not for the official dealer network. Amounts would otherwise be doubled or worse, owing to a far higher hourly rate. Brake rotors are still the original items and the front brake pads were replaced at 43’000 km.

Reliability

The Ferrari 550 Maranello is a dependable and reliable car. Unlike other Ferrari models – V8 in particular, it does not suffer from particular weaknesses. Leather has to be maintained with care and protected from the sun, making a tailor designed Covercraft sun shield a worthy investment. Regular cleaning and car are necessary to avoid a disaster.

Damper actuator. The 550 Maranello utilizes the same rotating actuators as the 355 to change the damping rate between Normal and Sport mode. The motor shafts tend to break, requiring a replacement of the part. European prices exceed 1000 CHF per unit (there are four in the car), and substantial savings can be achieved if ordering from a US distributor of original parts.

Lambda sensor. A weak point on Ferraris (the part is common to numerous models), one of the 4 lambda sensors started to drift, creating Check Engine Light warnings. The part is not particularly expensive (349 CHF), but the time needed to isolate and replace the faulty sensor more significant.

Clutch pedal hydraulic circuit. In April 2012, the clutch pedal suddenly gains a lot of dead travel, but recovers it after a purge. Same episode again in November 2012, with a clutch pedal that vanishes all the way to the floor, making gear changes problematic, but again recovers after a purge. With no sign of hydraulic fluid leakage, decision will be made to replace the master cylinder first, but the same problem came right back. The last resort was to change the throw-out bearing and seals. The clutch itself is still the original part and shows no sign of wear at 55’000 km.

AC switch. The push button allowing to disengage the air conditioning compressor started gradually to refuse to hook in the pressed OFF position. The only way to stop the AC compressor is then to turn the fan off.

Headlights relay. Progressively, the switch to road lights became erratic. I feared at first a glitch in the command stick, and then the car started to refuse to flash or switch to headlights. A deeper investigation revealed that not one but two cheep Bosch relays had failed (they are common to some Audi and VW cars). An easy DIY fix once you know what you are looking for.

550 or 575 ?

The question comes frequently from amateurs in the market for a Maranello. The 575 brought a long list of changes, starting with 200 cm3 in displacement and 30 hp. The dashboard was completely redesigned, and the suspension settings considerably softened. The 575 was also the first V12 Ferrari to over the robotized manual F1 gearbox with paddle shiftting. Esthetically, styling remains largely unchanged. The front facia design has been simplified, the design of the headlight clusters has been revised and the rims have a more modern, sharper design. The air intake on the hood is slightly different, but this is harder to spot. In standard form, the 575 is more comfortable but suspension settings are too soft. Owing to the novelty of F1 paddle shifters at the time, manual gearbox cars are rare, and the first generation F1 system can be clumsy. Specialists also say that electronic problems are more frequent on the 575 in comparison with the 550.

Running costs

No surprise: depreciation of the purchase price drowns any other cost consideration. Like all V12 Ferraris, Maranellos have gone through a breathtaking residual price decline, without much connection to their intrinsic appeal. Fixed costs (insurrance and taxes) also play a large role, especially if the car is only occasionally driven. The least expensive budget items are those which constitute the legend around the brand or supercar ownership: tires and parts.

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