550 vs 575 thread?

Sorry fellas. A GT3 nut here is kindly asking your expertise in the difference or rather improvements the 575 has over the 550. Reason being someone is offering an '03 575. Could you also give me the price range of this car please.

Thank you for your usual help that no other mark/forum that can compare with.

 

550: 475bhp, 575: 515bhp. Torque: both 413lb/ft. Displacement: 5474cc (550), 5,748cc (575). Weight: 1770kg (550), 1730kg (575M), 0-60: 4.3s for manual, 4.1 for F1 gearbox.

Apart from the F1 gearbox introduction, other modifications are Xenon headlamps, softer suspension (leading to the introduction of the Fiorano Handling Pack which corrected this), more modern interior, slightly revised nose section removing fog lights from the grille, larger air intake on hood, different rear bumper, different rims.

That's about it as far as I am aware.

Price bracket should be between $130k and $170k I would say depending on year and condition, but I'm not that in tune with the American market. What the car you're looking at is worth is impossible to say without more information (mileage, condition, recent service or no, etc).


Onno

 

First of all let me qualify by saying I have owed in the past two GT3's and now own a 550 BARCHETTA. If you want to compare the GT3 to either a 550 Barchetta or a 575 for that matter they are horses of a different color. But if you are comparing the 550 with the 575 its pretty easy. the 575 does not come in manual only paddle. If you want manual shift you have no choice. Besides this diff. the 575 is a little more aggresive looking but not much. Slight increase in HP and Torque but not very noticable I suspect. 575 is a lot more money due to age. Modular wheels as standard on the 575..they were an option on the 550 but most cars I have seen for sale have added them.Headlights in the 575 were HID/Litronics which were not available in the 550. Upgrade the 550 at a cost of about 3K.Thats about it. Jon in Delaware

 

GT3 Nut,

A 550/575 would be a fantastic compliment to your 3. I couldn't think of anything better actually. As for the deciding which to go with, the general consensus is this:

F1 v. Manual
If you want paddles, you must get a 575 because all 550's are manual gearboxes
Some people love their F1's, others got rid of their cars because of it-- I suggest you drive it a bit before you make your decision. I know my father drove three 575's w/ F1 and was never too impressed so he ended up with a 550 (and he couldn't be happier!)

Price
550's seem to be in the 100-130k range for the time being. 575's look to come in around the 130's and go up into the 150's. If you want a manual car go with a 550, as it's not worth the extra expense and time to find a manual 575-- the benefits won't outweigh the cost.

Other differences
575's are a bit more updated than 550's. In comparison, they make 550's seem vintage in a sense-- not that that's a bad thing, however. The updated features include slightly revised headlights w/ HID (easily retrofitted to a 550), updated interior gauges, buttons, door panels (google for pictures), no front fog lights, and a slightly more rounded fascia. From the front, the 550 is meaner-- it's sharper (literally).

Probably the largest dynamic difference between the two would be the suspension between a regular 575 (non-Fiorano) and a regular 550. The 550 is a bit stiffer. Some say the 575 is too mushy without the Fiorano package; but quite frankly, unless you REALLY whale on the car it won't make THAT much of a difference (which you shouldn't be doing on the road anyway ).



As for the particular car you're looking at, we'll need some more specs to give it a price.

Assuming the following
2003 575
Silver, Grey, Black
Black, tan interior
15-20k miles
F1
Shields
Tubi

The car would probably be a good buy in the 130's.




If anyone feels that info is incorrect, please feel free to amend it via the quote button.





Thanks and best of luck, you've picked a great car! Included is a picture of ours to add to the fire.
Joe
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Oh boy Jon....

Modulars actually weren't standard on the 575's, the 5-spoke 19'' (I believe) were.
MOST will say the 550 is more ferocious from the front.
Since you don't know enough about Ferraris, we're going to have to confiscate your car. Time for a Stradale.




Comparo:




EDIT: CLICK THE LINK ABOVE THE PICTURE FOR A 550 SHOT
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There are 575s with traditional 6 speed gearboxes. They are rarer than the F1 575s but they are out there.

Regards,
Chris

 

True Dat.

I got an 03 575 with a stick

-dsd

 

Also 98-99 550s 0-60mph is at 4.2s, this is because the 98-99s did not have the pre-cat exhaust restrictors that the 2000+ Maranellos have.
(96 we're 4.3, not sure why)

The Euros (DOT converted) are still as quick, they are also lighter

I have owned both flavours of Fiorano and non 550's and the already stiffer 550's are much more stiff than non-fiorano 550s. I can only imagine that you would need a HGTC 575 to get to a Fiorano 550s feel, which I think would be the perfect Maranello 6-speed HGTC 575 in Nero.

John

 

Thanks Onno, John, Joe and the rest...I thought there was a lot more improvements on the 575. Didn't the 550 have heating problems? A soft chassis? At least this was what was told to me by a friend. Anway, you guys seem to very happy with your V12's. Has anyone of you owned and driven a V8 like a 360 or 430? I'm sure they are different animals altogether. Jon, you probably are the best person to ask...should I drop my GT3 for a 575?

 

Although I have not driven a 360 or 430 (hopefully that will change soon!), people describe them as being much more peaky. A few people on the forum have described missing the sledgehammer torque when switching from 550 to 360, it will be a bit less but similar with the 430. The 550/575 has more grunt at lower revs. However, the V8s are real howlers and certainly more comparable to your GT3. They are very different animals - if you want a GT cruiser/bruiser with a (slight) sporty edge, go for the V12. If you want something to chuck, go with the V8s.

As for overheating problems, there was a factory recall for the power steering and cooling system. This should be on early cars only ('96 - '97, possibly '98). I've personally not heard of overheating issues and my 2000 has no problems at all, but the buying guide of another forum mentions that high running temperatures can occur. In general, in my limited (time but not kms) experience so far, the V12 is pretty much bulletproof; 8,000 kms in 21 days and not a single issue.

And yes, I am VERRRRY happy with mine, thanks. (he said while shamelessly attaching a show-off pic...)


Onno
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There were additional changes to the 575 not listed here. Most of the changes were aimed at making the car more consumer friendly such as seat memory.

best,

dsd

 

Comparison test 360 vs 550: http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=155&page_number=4


Onno

 

4.7s 0-60 is a pre-cat exhaust restricted number.

Thank you, EPA......

 

Problem solved.... stay tuned.
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Great write up.

Do a SEARCH here and you may find some more amazing info, my impression from the reads is that:
- 550 stock suspension seems to be preferred over the 575 non-FHP (Fiorano Handling Package) while 575 with the FHP seems a tad bit more preferred than the stock 550
- Some don't care for the 575 headlights
- The 575 had more electronics (could factor down on reliability)
- F1 vs stick is a HIGHLY polarizing subject
- 550 18" wheels have lately caused some difficulty in finding tires that small diameter

Hope this helps

 

This gives me hope for buying a U.S. Spec Barchetta



John

 

How much more is a 575 worth than a 550? Would you pay more for a 550 than a 575 with comparable equipment, condition and mileage? I'm looking for a nice 550 but 575's seem to be coming rapidly into range. Any opinions out there?

 

Ferrari answered US customer demands by introducing the Skyhook suspension in the 575 while the Fiorano Handling Pack was offered as an option for the more sporting customer. Very few cars were produced with this or the later GTC Handling Package.

 

As long as you're using the car as it was intended, i.e., a road going GT cruiser, I doubt that any of us would be able to tell the difference between a 550 and 575 with our eyes closed. (Not that I'm recommending that you drive with your eyes closed, but you get the point.) That is, most of the differences mentioned here really only show up at the track.

My recommendation is to buy the best individual car you find, regardless of whether it is a 550 or a 575. Remember, Ferrari does not have the resources to pre-test cars before they are thrown out into the cold cruel world. Thus, it should not come as a surprise to find that many of the early 550s had teething problems. Similarly, it should not be surprising to find out that most of the problems with early cars have already been taken care of by now. (Don't ask me how I know this to be true.)

Moreover, all manufacturers, including Ferrari, make the occasional lemon. Given Ferrari's small production runs, however, the occasional lemon ends up being a relatively large portion of the overall production.

This is why you need to careful with any very low mileage Ferrari. The things that have already been broken and fixed on a driven car COULD be lying in wait in that beautiful garage queen.

What this means is that a "known 550" with a track record of service and repairs may be a better bet than a low milage 575 that is for sale on the other side of the country or vice versa.

Since there are a lot of 550s and 575s out there, you should take your time and get to know the breed better. You also need to find a broker (aka the pusherman) that you can trust. Sometimes, the second part is the hardest.

Dale

 

When I was looking and asking the same questions, I went with the opinion of Ali Haas. He has owned both and felt that there were enough improvements in the 575 to be worth the cost differential. I would agree that if the car is out of warranty, get a car with at least 10k on the clock and well documented service. The major, random stuff that went wrong with my 575 showed up by 12k miles. Now at 68k miles, no major problems and the original clutch.

Steve

 

I have driven a 550 and own a 575. I think anyone who has driven both could tell the difference.

get the 575

 

To add a little pricing info to the mix, (buyers will cheer, sellers will scream) the new (Oct/Nov) Cavallino pricing guide has the following ranges:
1996-01 550 Maranello $75,000-$100,000
2002-05 575M Maranello $105,000-$155,000

These numbers surprised me. Maybe Cavallino doesn't know what it's talking about, but it's probably more reflective of the truth than the wildly overstated Ferrari Market Letter asking price list.

Any comments?

 

i'm surprised the top-end price isn't a little higher for a 575. in comparo, i sold my 550 with 22K miles on it, all recalls done, recent major for 89K early this year.

 

I call BS on this (not you Mark, Cavalino)

I'm sure you can find examples in this these ranges but they are by no means the norm.

 

As I said, I was surprised by their numbers. Since I am actively looking to buy a car, I just don't want to overpay for a depreciating asset. Mark