550 vs 575

enjoythemusic was talking about doing a dyno day this spring at KTR in Ayer MA. if we get that together, i plan to dyno my 550.

i'm fairly sure that there have been other 550s on the board dyno'd - did you check the archives?

doody

 

None of this makes any difference when you drive the car. All that matters is the feeling you get when you push that right pedal. Tradtionally, Ferraris have been about engines. The Maranello is all about its engine. Not only is it a major torque monster, but it is the rare person who can take it to 7,000 rpm before shifting. Everybody, I mean everybody, that I have let drive my car comes away impressed. They may make penis jokes or other snotty comments before they drive it, but all it takes is one drive. Bragging rights are for those with insecurities. Maranello owners don't need to brag.

Dr "Standing tall and proud" Tax

 

fyi - here's bart's dyno run:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=207&highlight=550+dyno

though the consenus was that the numbers were high --- bart, care to elaborate / educate?

doody.

 

I'd tend to be careful about numbers, I drive for sheer fun, not to wow a virtual bystander timing me.
I have not driven 550 and 575 back to back, but the 575 did not impress me (on a track) in comparison with my 550. I acknowledge that tracks tend to alter power and speed performances, few cars feel impressive on a track compared to open roads.

One thing I am convinced off is that the 550, whether these 485hp are real or not, has WAY more power (in terms of torque, it's a different galaxy) than a 355 or 360.
I don't base this on 0-60mph times which are not verifiable and not a real world situation IMO, but on 60-180mph dashes. The ease with which a Maranello takes you to 180mph+ is simply stunning, and you need massive power to achieve that.

As far as my experience goes, the 575 is the same car with softer suspension, a front face which I dislikle, a much nicer dashboard design, an optional F1 box I would not want, and rims design for which the jury is still out.

 

You'd have to think it unlikely that the 550 is down on hp, since ferrari themselves claim a lap time difference between the two cars of only a couple of tenths at fiorano. stranger things have happened though.

 

All I know is when my 550 was on a dyno, the guy told me I had 504 to 507 bph to the flywheel.

 

We have our answer, then.

 

i can't speak to the comparative issues or to the dyno numbers, but in the abstract, as it concerns the car's ability to accelerate in real life:

[size=+2]IT SURE AS **** DON'T SUCK NONE!!!!!![/size]​

doody

 

Professor Doody, care to expand on this some?

 

A couple observations: for those who have no money concerns whatsoever, the question is interesting. But, given the current price of the 550, there is a 90-100k price differential between the two cars. Unless you really have a hard one for the paddle shift, or like the subtle exterior aesthetic differences (the interior changes are not subtle), i'd have a difficult time rationalizing the 575 for the much greater cost. As far as on the street performance goes, i can't believe the price difference is justified.

As to the 550's abililty to lay down its power, i always found the car squirrely on full launch. A Z06 will stick better at launch, and so will my GT-2, for what its worth. That, of course, is not the chief virtue of the car, though. (If you want to get into some frightening acceleration when you put your foot down, try a GT-2, though. Its at a whole different level.)

 

Clue up Whart's theme song --

Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move
Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.
Oh, oh, child, way you shake that thing
Gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting.
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that way
Watch your honey drip, can't keep away.


Dr "Play on Drummer" Tax

 

Sorry to bump here .. but not to start another topic for some quick questions


1. Does the Ferrari 550 have a cable operated throttle ?
2. Vs the 575 which is controlled electronically (no cable) ?

3. What kind of flywheel does the 550 have ? Single mass or double mass ?

Thankyou

 

The 550 has a mechanical throttle, the 575M has an electronic throttle, like the 360, to better match it to the F1 system.

The 456 through early 612 all use the same clutch with single plate and a solid flywheel.

That is a really old thread, by the way, and most of their conclusions have been OBE with real numbers.

Go to this site, download a 550 workshop manual, and you can answer those kinds of questions yourself.

http://www.ferraridatabase.com/The_Downloads/Downloads.htm

The rest can be found by going through Ricambi's online parts catalogs.

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/parts_catalogs.php?M=FE&V=model&I=21

Taz
Terry Phillips