New Member/Owner 575 HGTC

Hello Ferrari Chat! I recently acquired my dream car from the online auction site Cars and Bids. I know the term dream car can get thrown around casually but the Maranello truly is my absolute dream car. I want to share a little about myself and my 575 so forgive the long post or just scroll to the pictures. In short the 575 is everything I hoped for and more. Also wanted to thank everyone on this forum for their contributions over the years which not only strengthened my desire for a Maranello but really helped make an informed buying decision.
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I was a kid when the 550 was released but ever since I became aware of its existence it has been my favorite car. A guy who lived down the street from where I grew up had a Giallo 550 with aftermarket mufflers. I’m not exaggerating when I say I would literally run outside when I heard him coming to catch a glimpse of the Maranello. Squeaky brakes, deep low RPM hum, the hood scoop, the side gills, perfection.
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I like mid-engine sports cars, I like big luxury sedans, and 1,000hp hybrid hypercars are certainly cool; but my love is for elegant front engine GT cars and to me the 550/575 is the best overall expression of that formula.

My dad had some success in the early 2000s and despite my pleadings for a 550 he fell for the glorious noise of the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. When my dad passed away 5 years ago, I became the caretaker of this British rival to the Maranello. A lot of my comments and observations of the 575 will be in relation to the Vanquish. They are very similar cars, but not without some material differences. In my opinion the original Vanquish was the last time Aston Martin made a car that came close to competing with Ferrari’s flagship V12.
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Why the 575 over 550?
3 reasons: Relative value, increasing availability of gated conversions, and what I call “S envy”.
Regarding relative value, the 550 market has jumped significantly in the last year. I used to think a driver level car would be close to $100k and a very clean mid-level mileage car would be around $130k. Those numbers seem to have jumped 25-30%, while the 575 has stayed flat. A nice 575 can be picked up for mid $80k (or even less, see Dan’s 575 that he got on bringatrailer). Also relative value to the broader car market is still incredibly strong for the 575 and still also 550 in my opinion. We live in a world with $100k Escalades, $80k non-M 3 series, and Kia’s going for over sticker. The 456/550/575/599/612 are still incredible value today.

The recent uptick in availability and success of gated conversions is huge. I don’t care about originality as I plan on driving my car not selling it. Thanks to Eric’s pricing thread on 550s vs F1 575s and Stick 575s, it’s clear that a converted 575 is either going to cost the same as a 550 or maybe even less and still about $100k cheaper than an original stick 575.

But… I had heard 575 driving dynamics aren’t as good, I like the 550 front bumper/grill better and Jaeger gauges seem cool! Also, who cares about an extra 25hp! Well, reading Terry’s numerous posts about upgrading the steering and shock ecu to Fiorano spec and his ceramic brake upgrade, also Nick’s aftermarket coilovers (and overall build thread), I figured I could cover the driving dynamics for either not too much $ or totally overhaul the suspension and brakes.

Ok so I can make it handle as good or better than a 550, but it’s only 25 more horsepower! I mentioned “S envy” which is my experience with owning the original non-S Vanquish and always thinking it would be fun to have the better engine, brakes, and suspension from the S. Apparently the performance gap between those cars is much less than the 520hp to 460hp that Aston notes (in reality it’s closer to 30hp), and brakes and suspension are upgradeable as mentioned above, but there’s still a lingering want for the final top of the line iteration of a particular model. From most people’s postings here who have driven both the 575 and 550 it seems like the 575 does really make a noticeable amount more power in standard form. Also this EVO comparison helped seal the deal of 575 over 550 for me https://www.evo.co.uk/ferrari/599/14111/ferrari-599-gtb-vs-275-gtb-daytona-550-maranello-and-575m. And furthermore, knowing that I couldn’t possibly own a Maranello without Fabio’s headers and the fact that the 575 header design is significantly inferior to the 550 so the performance gap between a 575 and 550 both with Fabio’s 6-1 headers would definitely be noticeable was a big factor as well.
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So my mind was made up and I was ready to find a nice early 575 in a preferred color combo and upgrade the brakes, suspension, do a gated conversion, and 6-1 headers. My search criteria was: No shields, Daytona seats (preferably contrast insert), dark carpets, and leather parcel shelf. Ideal spec Pozzi over Cuio or any dark color over Cuio. Second favorite color is Grigio Ingrid. Second favorite interior Bordeaux. Grigio Titanio wasn’t on the list because my Aston is dark grey so wanted a little contrast. I found a car local to me in Texas that ticked pretty much every box, but the asking price was higher than what I felt was market. It had lots of owners, no service history, but low miles and looked nice when I went to check it out. The dealer wanted to service the car before selling it, or me test drive it. That made enough sense to me and I was mentally committed to just pay up and get the car when it was ready so I could start driving it and stop dreaming! Well while waiting, the Grigio Titanio HGTC on Cars and Bids popped up. The car looked stunning in the photos, 2 owners, no shields and wow HGTC! I wouldn’t need to spend $30k on aftermarket brakes, could save a couple grand on suspension and steering work plus it’s the last year of production and it’s not going on Bringatrailer so I might have a chance! I’d have two grey front engine V12s but talk about 1st world problems! Was I hesitant about buying a car sight unseen, with no PPI, on a relatively obscure online auction? You bet! However, I’ve developed a stomach for big bills with the Vanquish, and the recent service was a big factor, along with tons of service records. I don’t want to stereotype but buying a car from a deep pocketed collector in Santa Barbara was probably as safe as it was going to get.

I picked up the car the next day (I didn’t sleep that night). The consigning dealer, Winning Makes in Santa Barbara, couldn’t have been more professional and easy to deal with. Also, when I arrived they were working on a Superamerica, another 575, and a 456M GT, so that was very reassuring. We finished the paperwork, I traded some money for my dream car and was handed the keys. Nearly 25 years in the making, and I’m about to turn the ignition of a Maranello for the first time. My hands didn’t tremble, a tear didn’t fall from my eye, just a ridiculous s*** eating grin that still hasn’t gone away!
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I took the scenic route from Santa Barbara to LA doing a little canyon run in between. Nothing crazy but how could I resist. Overall I’ve done about 200 miles in the car, which is now being shipped to my new home in Austin, TX. Here are some of my driving impressions so far.

First, the gearbox. I’m used to early paddle shifts so this didn’t require any learning curve. Compared to the Vanquish the biggest difference are the gear ratios. The 575’s are WAY shorter than the Aston. This helps with clutch uptake in 1st and probably makes the car easier to drive overall. It makes acceleration comparisons a bit challenging initially since you’re comparing different gears. The Vanquish tops out at 90mph in 2nd and 120mph in 3rd so that’s like 3rd and 4th in the 575. However, reverse is crazy tall in the 575.

The Maranello feels stronger throughout the rev range (maybe more down low) and really pulls hard in the top of 4th. Will get a Dragy and do some comparisons (also before and after the headers). To me this is a fast car period. I don’t have experience with modern sports/super cars so maybe I’m stuck in the early 2000s, but my eyes are wide open at full throttle in 3rd and 4th and I’m letting out a “Oh…”.
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I haven’t pushed the car to really comment on overall dynamics. When it gets to Texas I’ll do a few light track sessions to get a better feel for it and hopefully take it to COTA in Fall. The steering feels direct, suspension is fairly firm but not jarring.

Brakes: I’ve heard the early ceramics can be less than ideal for street driving, but the cold feel and confidence is very good. Haven’t really had a chance to experience them with proper heat but my biggest concern was street drivability and they work great.

I love the interior and overall ergonomics. The Vanquish is really compromised in this area (visibility is bad, sit too high, steering wheel too far away, no lateral support). The 575 is perfect for a road car. The seats have great lateral support for a regular comfort seat. Visibility is great. Headroom is good (I’m 6’ 3”). The steering wheel is nice and small. The only thing I have to get used to is the lack of center arm rest, but the gated conversion should help keep my arm busy in the future.

Exhaust note. This was surprising to me. I actually think the car sounds pretty good in stock HGTC form. No it doesn’t scream or have a “Ferrari” tone but it’s a cool sound and almost suits the restrained nature of the Maranello. However almost isn’t good enough for a dream car so I will be doing Fabio’s full set up. I’m swapping the mufflers which may be overkill but I find the HGTC a bit drony and think Fabios’s rear boxes should give a little quieter option with the valves closed.
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So I bought my dream car and it’s better than I ever dreamed of. Truly a classic design, awesome performance, and a relative bargain in today’s crazy market. Also to add some perspective, this is only the 3rd Ferrari I’ve driven. I had a brief experience with my friend’s dad’s 430 F1 several years ago (fun car!), and I had like 5 minutes in a 488 in (not my cup of tea). Overall, I haven’t had much seat time in modern sports cars and my daily driver for the last 15 years has been a well set up Audi RS4. So my perception of speed and performance may be totally out of line with the times. Actually the fact that I think the 575 and even the Vanquish are very fast has me wanting to get behind the wheel of a F12 or 812 or 720S just to see what the last 15 years of development has brought.

What’s next for my garage? I’m finally retiring the Audi from daily duties (will use it for track now), and ordered a new Land Rover Defender. My remaining dream cars are SLR McLaren, Carrera GT, and 300SL Gullwing but any of those are many many years out. Another plus of getting the 575 over the 550 means maybe I could add a 550 Barchetta and not be totally redundant!

Thanks again to everyone on this forum. Enjoy your cars in good health!
-Alistair