FERRARI 550 MARANELLO REVIEW

Fancy a V12 Ferrari for BMW money? We show you how to avoid the pitfalls of buying a Ferrari 550 Maranello...

The 550 is a surprisingly compact and lithe machine, but even taller drivers should be able to fit behind the leather-stitched steering wheel with ease. The seats are firm and heavily bolstered, but the leather will have mellowed nicely by now and early cars are as comfortable as a warm bath. Unusually for a 1990s Italian car, the driving position is pretty much spot on.

There are no silly manettino traction control sub-menus on the steering wheel to navigate here. Simply twist the key, select first gear on the open-gate manual ’box, release the fly-off handbrake and ease the surprisingly manageable clutch to biting point.

Around town, a 550 is almost as docile as a Mondeo, but get onto an open road, put your foot down and brace for a relentless slug of lag-free power, accompanied by a chilling howl from the engine.

The 550 was always praised as much for its handling as its performance. It’s no Lotus Elan, but it’s as happy tackling nadgery B-roads as it is powering non-stop down to Monaco.

VITAL STATISTICS

1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello

Engine                                    5474cc/V12/DOHC

Power (bhp@rpm)                  485bhp@7000rpm

Torque (lb ft@rpm)                 419lb ft@5000rpm

Top speed                                199mph

0-60mph                                  4.7sec

Consumption                            16mpg

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

BODYWORK & CHASSIS
 

Any car that doesn’t run smoothly, feels down on power or produces unpleasant noises just isn’t worth bothering with. One known foible is when a car demonstrates low fuel pressure and/or falls onto six cylinders. Such behaviour could indicate major mechanical woes, but the inertia switch that cuts power to the fuel pumps in the event of a front-end accident can fail without warning. The switch is easy and cheap to replace.

Rust is a key concern, especially on examples with suspiciously low asking prices. Chief among the rot-spots is along the sills, where flaking paint can quickly deteriorate into bubbling metalwork that can cost thousands to rectify. Any brown staining around the stainless kick plates should increase suspicion, too. While stone chips are not necessarily a problem (these cars received anti-corrosion protection at the factory), they should start alarm bells ringing at track-day use.  

ENGINE

Carburettor engines were fitted with Solex units when new, but these were notorious for starting problems and many owners have replaced them with Webers. So a non-standard carburettor isn’t necessarily a warning to look for other modifications! Poor starting may also be cured relatively easily by a swap from the original specification. 

Bosch mechanical fuel injection was a feature of the six-cylinder 220SE and 300SE/SEL models. It’s pretty reliable but is not really a DIY job when it goes wrong. Getting it fixed can often prove very expensive. Some recommend retarding the ignition timing on injected engines as a safety measure now that there’s no more high-octane leaded petrol.

Bosch mechanical fuel injection was a feature of the six-cylinder 220SE and 300SE/SEL models. It’s pretty reliable but is not really a DIY job when it goes wrong. Getting it fixed can often prove very expensive. Some recommend retarding the ignition timing on injected engines as a safety measure now that there’s no more high-octane leaded petrol.

If the handling is anything other than engaging, it could be as a result of failing damper actuators – look out for a warning light illuminated on the dashboard. Having said that, there’s a known problem that extreme cold can fool the engine management system into thinking there’s a fault, so make sure you assess a given car in a warm garage. 

RUNNING GEAR

Beware of cars sporting performance-enhancing engine management CPUs, lowered suspension, aftermarket wheels and similar items. Increasing a 550’s power without upgrading the suspension, brakes, etc, will increase the stresses on the car, while fitting bigger wheels and/or lower profile tyres will have a detrimental effect on the handling and ride. Performance exhausts are commonplace, but you should only consider cars that have been fitted with known brands such as TubiStyle or Larini.

The notorious F1 ‘flappy paddle’ gearbox was only introduced on the 575, so all 550s will sport a six-speed manual ’box. First gear is notoriously tricky to engage until the oil has warmed through, but it should be fine thereafter. Beware any car that is reluctant to engage first, third or fifth gear, whose shifter rests in neutral anywhere other than the dead centre of the gate or which jumps out of gear unexpectedly.

BRAKES

Examine the wheels for flaking powder coating and impact damage. The wheels are porous, so failure to repair damage will result in deterioration that eventually causes the wheel balancing weights to come away. Obviously, this has a detrimental effect on handling and steering.

OUR VERDICT

The 550 is quite simply outstanding value for money at just £35,000 – that’s how little it currently costs for a slice of Italian V12 exotica. Admittedly the car in question (for sale on the internet) was a Cat D victim, but had apparently received nothing more than a respray. Budget another £3000 and you’ll get a slightly leggy right-hand drive car or a low-mileage left-hooker, while £40,000 willl bag you an average-miler that anyone would be proud to put on show.

Criticised at its 1996 launch for being less than pretty (although it was an oil painting compared to the preceding Testarossa-based F512M), the 550 has matured over the years into a handsome GT that, while not quite in the 365 GTB/4 Daytona’s league, harks back to its design, especially from the rear.

Then, of course, there’s the engine – 5.5-litres of glorious V12 that punches out nearly 490bhp, 
can sprint from 0-60mph in a smidgeon over 4.5 seconds and will top nearly 200mph. You can actually fit luggage into the boot too. What’s not to like?

With the possible exception of very early Aston Martin DB7s, the Ferrari 550 represents one of the best-value entries into thoroughbred supercar ownership and values are unlikely to drop any further. Buying the right car is refreshingly easy  – the 550 is unusual in that it suits practically all available exterior/interior colour combinations, and there’s only one engine/gearbox option.

FERRARI 550 BARCHETTA REVIEW

Ferrari introduced a convertible version of the 550 Maranello at the Paris Motor Show in 2000. Built and designed by Pininfarina and commissioned to be built by Maranello as a limited production model by Ferrari to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Pininfarina. A total 448 of the 550 Barchettas were produced. Each car was individually numbered and custom built which features a plaque with the car's serial number and Sergio Pininfarina's signature.

The Barchetta Pininfarina is a true roadster - the factory provided a soft top, but it was intended only for temporary use as it was cautioned against using the top above 65mph (110 km/h). 

 

VITAL STATISTICS 

Engine 5474cc V12, dohc per bank, Bosch Motronic M5.2 fuel injection

Power 485bhp@7000rpm

Torque 419lb ft@5000rpm

Top speed 199mph

0-60mph 4.2sec

Economy 14mpg        

Gearbox 6-speed manual, transaxle, rear-wheel drive

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

HISTORY & SERVICING

Service history is the single most important factor in assessing a 550 because it directly affects how much you'll need to spend in the near future.

It also reveals a good deal about the previous owner(s) and has a proportionately large influence on the car's value. Check the service book is the original and not a duplicate. It should be properly filled in and stamped, ideally with supporting invoices. A consistent history is the most important thing, even for cars doing few miles.

Th first page of the service book should show the supplying dealer's stam and the correct chassis number - be thorough. The interval for a cambelt change (not a big job by Ferrari standards at £500-£700 not including other servicing) is only three years, though longer is excusable on low-milers.

Potential buyers often overlook one thing when examining a car and its history file - who are you buying it from? Ask whether the dealer owns the car or is selling it on a commission basis, or whether they're brokering the sale for a customer. If it's the last, it has implication sof the amount of preparation you can expect, as well as your chance of redress. 

ENGINE BAY

Cam cover gaskets can leak oil and the coolant hoses in the middle of the vee should be replaced with silicone items, as they perish because of heat and then split. A kit replacing all seven hoses in the cooling system costs £620; swapping only the three that are most prone to failure is cheaper, but accessing them needs several hours of labour.

If you can hear of feel a vibration at idle that goes away when the engine is revved, the engine mounts may have sagged and let the engine rest on the crossmember. Budget £900 to have the mounts replaced; those from the later 575 are sturdier.

Replacing the HT leads can be even more expensive, if they're perished a replacement set costs £960.

Other visual checks include drips from radiators, which are prone to leaks. They're also insanely expensive to replace - so it's better to get them repaired. These are low-slung cars, so you also should check for damaged undertrays.  

SUSPENSION, BRAKES AND STEERING

The power steering reservoir can drip on to the nearside top and bottom inner wishbone bushes, causing them to perish. Replacement is around £600, mostly in labour costs.

If it looks low at the front, the springs have probably collapsed. They're £100 each plus an hour's fitting.

More expensive are the adjustable dampers, which have a solenoid actuator on the top to stiffen them when the Sport mode button on the dash is engaged. It tends to get left in one mode. When it is eventually used it can blow the fuse or the solenoid itself. The dampers are the same as those on contemporary Chevrolet Corvettes, but they're still £830 each (£560 for just an actuator).

If the fly-off handbrake seems weak or the lever stays up when pulled, without engaging the ratchet, you may need a new handbrake compensator (which sould be lubricated at service time but often isn't) and lever, costing a nasty £1300 to replace. In comparison, discs and pads aren't too costly, averaging £200 per corner including labour.

The OE-spec Pirelli P Zero tyres last as little as 5000 miles. To fit the standard 18in wheels they are 255/40 ZR 18 on the front (about £180 each) and 295/35 ZR 18 on the rear (about £300 each). Other makes with a harder compund last longer but grip less well. Check tread-depth indicators on all four wheels and examine the full width of the tread - uneven wear is common, especially on the front. 

INTERIOR

Many 550s suffer from leather shrinking back from the front edge of the dash. It also tends to let go from the airbag and instrument binnacle.

If the latter is peeling expect to spend £600-£700 on a fix and no more than £300 for the airbag. However, if the whole dashboard needs doing the bill can be a labour-intensive £4k-£5k.

Check the door and window seals thoroughly. Door seals cost £400 per side and the seals around the rear side windows crack - but a replacement is only available with a window, costing even more than the door seals. Also, the switchgear and interior handles have a rubber coating that goes sticky. The only solution is to strip each item and paint it black, which is very time-consuming.

If you view the car on a rainy day, check the bottom of each door card. If it's damp the seal inside it has failed and rainwater will be getting into the footwells. It's not a serious problem but is another reason to lower your offer.

GEARBOX

Some 550s made before 1998 sufffered tricky engagement of first, third or fifth, or sometimes all three. Most problems will have shown themselves by now, but there are checks you can make. With the engine running and the car stationary you can check the condition of the baulk rings by trying to push the gearlever gently towards each gear without pressing the clutch. It should baulk; if it doesn't and allows a crunch even with gentle pressure, something's wrong. Also check selection on the move in normal driving, when there should be no baulking at all once it's warm.

Poor selection can sometimes just be down to gear linkage adjustment, but it's a big risk to take because a gearbox rebuild will set you back £2k-£4k, while the cost of a new box will exceed £10k. Clutches are weighty, but beware if it seems excessively heavy because they get heavier as the release bearing starts to seize;and a new clutch, cover and bearing costs about £2500, including labour.

BODYWORK

Accident damage is the only major concern for a 550's structural condition. Sometimes the only way of discovering this is through an expert inspection, but this is the wisest way to proceed for any buyer. Get it done by someone other than a general inspection company. You need someone with marque and model experience who can offer not only a mechanical inspection but a detailed cosmetic assessment too.

OUR VERDICT

The extremely rare and expensive 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's current £150k-£300k market value renders it more of a novelty car for investors than a usable soft-top alternative to the Maranello.

Unsurprisingly, performance is astonishing with the Barchetta hitting 60mph from rest in only 4.2 seconds. The Barchetta is without doubt a highly collectable contemporary model in today's market place.