550 Maranello F1 production

I'm looking to start tire-kicking 550 Maranellos and prefer an F1 trans. Seems like most "pre-owned" are 6-speed, at least from my online searching.

Does anyone have production numbers by type of transmission, or know where to look?

Yes, I've done a search here. Found numbers by exterior and interior colors, but not by transmission type.

Help appreciated!

 

There is no such thing as a 550 with F1 transmission, only 575s

 

Seriously? Could swear I've seen 550s with F1. Maybe wasn't paying attention.

 

550s and 575Ms look very similar, Scott. Just some subtle differences in the front and rear bumpers, headlamp assemblies and hood and left rear fender air scoops.

Barry

 

Thanks, guys. I'll just have to come up with an extra $20K for a 575.

 

Prodrive 550s have a sequential shifter...





[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGcQooF6tIc[/ame]
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Awesome vid and pics, Barry. Unbelievable sounds!

Pardon my ignorance again...what's the difference between a sequential shifter and a regular paddle-shift F1 trans?

Regarding the 575, I'd guess that some early production issues had been worked out by the 550>575 model change.

 

C'est en Français, mais regardez...




[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ0gtrH5RIs&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

C'est comme un Tiptronic, n'est-ce pas?

 

Scott- If you found numbers by interior and exterior color for the 550, I would love to see them. Have never found any.

550 production 3083, all three pedal cars. 575M production 2064 cars, 246 three pedal, all the rest F1.

 

Scott,

The clutch pedal in the Prodrive is used to get into first gear. From there, it's back on the lever to upshift, and forward to downshift sequentially.

Barry

 

Scott- Affirmative, many 550 issues were fixed with the 575M and, in many cases, replacing 550 parts with 575M parts is a solution.

 

Oddly, my '99 had the F1 Auto Mode indicator icon in the binnacle and would light up every once in a while.

 

While there were several steps forward with the 575M, there were also a couple of steps backward which required a special handling package to correct.

Scott, does it absolutely have to be an F1 transmission?

Barry

 

That's indeed odd. Was anything ever replaced in the binnacle?

Barry

 

I actually had a quite similar thread a while back... I also thought the 550 had F1 transmission option.

Embarrassing to me at least, at it's one of my favorite Ferraris and I still got it wrong!

 

Not that I know of. I tried to describe it to the sales guys at FBH and they had no clue. It was only after I had the 355 and saw the same symbol come on that I realized what it was.

I was having a conversation with someone who said they toyed with the idea of offering it in the 550's, which would explain it. Maybe my car was a test mule? LOL

 

My HS/college French is in the distant past. No matter, those engine sounds are a universal language.

I searched using "550 production", set for threads. Several on colors came up.

Lots of F1 575s out there then...perhaps one has my name on it.

I was curious about the purpose for the clutch pedal in your pic.

Cool setup!

Thanks, good to know! I'd rather pay upfront than come back and fix.

No paddles behind the steering wheel or a dinky little reverse selector on the console?

Was the handling package a safety-related recall item?

For me, unless it's a basic, all-conditions safety concern, having it or not probably wouldn't matter. I'd never drive fast or aggressively enough to know the difference.

It does. We only have space for two cars and my wife, who can't drive a manual at all, wants be able to drive mine if needed. A 360 Modena with F1 (which, along with the 550/575, happens to be one of my favorite modern-era Ferraris) fits into the affordable category, a 575 would be a stretch but not hopelessly out of the ballpark.

Of the two models, she favors the 550/575 because of the tradition-inspired design. She loved the "mouth" front grille opening and the eggcrate grille with the horse on my 330 2+2, and likes the same on the 550/575.

Hey, I'd be more than happy to own a 360 or 575.

 

Barry- An over-exaggeration and surprised it came from you.

 

I don't think I over-exaggerated anything, Terry. The stock 575M soft supension was corrected during production with the HGTC package and offered as a retrofit.

 

Barry- Completely incorrect. The 575M soft suspension was the byproduct of one bad shock absorber ECU, which was rapidly replaced during production. Once replaced, the car handled fine. The FHP suspension, available from day one of production, had much stiffer springs, anti-roll bars and a different steering ECU, also available on the 550, plus racing pads. The HGTC cars were not introduced until late summer/fall of 2004.

 

The video also showed how he got underway and up- and down-shifted.

There was no recall, just a handling package made available that corrected a slightly soft suspension. For the type of driving you and your wife are anticipating doing, I don't believe it will be a factor. You can consider any of the earlier 575Ms.

Barry

 

I know all that, Terry. I'm trying to explain it simply to Scott.

I'll leave it to you to expound on the matter.

Barry

 

Barry- No, probably not.

 

I'll watch it again...the engine sounds kept all of my attention.

Good to know. Thanks for all the info, Barry.

The question that remains: What in hell is a 62-year-old man doing wanting a 500+ horsepower car that will top 200 mph, hit 60 in four seconds, and gets eight miles per gallon of 93 octane? Only possible answer is some large degree of cognitive dissonance, if not a true break from reality.

Has your 550 treated you allright?