https://petrolicious.com/articles/horses-before-the-cart-looking-back-on-the-front-engine-ferrari-550-maranello-and-575m Daniel
So amazing how Petrolicious is back! Jethro Bovington has already made a vid with them! May the Horse be with you
It is amazing there are only about 3000 550's made. I owned 2 of them at one time. I drove my 550 yesterday 1st time in about 6 months. It drives like a shark cruising in the water. If I could use only one word to describe it would be smooth.
Qoute...“Every time I get in and hold the steering wheel in my hands, it’s as if time stops. So true Every once in awhile I think about selling her , but then this happens and those thoughts evaporate...
Nice article, thank you for sharing. a couple of paragraphs intrigued me: Combined with the changes caused by the electronic throttle, acceleration of the 550 was more linear, compared to the more explosive delivery of the 575M. This meant that the newer model felt much faster in straight line acceleration, which was especially noticeable at the top end of the power range. Changes were also made to the frame, and Simone explains the impact to the driving experience. “At the chassis level, one of the features with the greatest impact on road behavior was the new adaptive system, based on a control of the shock absorbers with the possibility of two choices: sport, improving the level of traction, and comfort, which is self explanatory I think. The braking system was also modified with the aim of adapting it to the greater performance of the car, in particular in terms of resistance to fading.” I would probably agree with the first observation about performance, from the writer, from my own experience owning both simultaneously. But I think the owner, Simone, is incorrect in the quotes in the second paragraph about the suspension and brakes. Would anyone care to confirm?
To me the brakes on the 575 looked like exactly the same as on the 550 - which made them feel undersized on the 575. Regarding the suspension, the 550 already had controlled dampers (with the available "Sport" setting) - although the system is probably improved on the 575; the 575 owners manual describes the system as "Skyhook", which is not the case in the 550 owners manual. In any case, the "Sport" setting was a lot better judged on the 575 - both owners manuals say it impacts the ASR, but on the 550 it is barely noticeable (with the ASR very intrusive even in "Sport") whereas in the 575 the difference was obvious (on tracks, I needed to deactivate the ASR on the 550 when on the 575 I could keep it with "Sport" selected).
Yeah, I thought that was kind of a curious comment, too. Haven't driven a 575 yet so can't make my own direct comparison, but for sure the 550 is under-braked. I thought that Ferrari improved the brakes on the 575. His comment on the "new adaptive suspension system" is a little unclear to me what he's getting at. But, whatever... Anyway, an enjoyable read and it's always interesting to read about other owners' perspectives on these cars, especially Italian owners.
Brakes are virtually identical on the 550 and 575M except for one rear brake piston size. ABS is a much newer system on the 575M, so combining this with the digital throttle makes ASR much less intrusive, as noted by LV. Multiple 575M references to the new 575M-only adjustable shock system, even though the 550 has one, too, as does the 456/456M. Just Sachs instead of Bilstein. This must have started from one incorrect reference, but now there are lots of incorrect references.
I always found the ASR to be really intrusive on the 550 and yes I totally agree the electronic throttle makes the traction way more cohesive in the 575m. Plus there is this top end burst or shove that you don’t get in the 550. You only really notice this if you really get up it though! May the Horse be with you
I cannot comment on the 575 as I have not driven one but my decatted 550 displays a top end shove above ~6500 rpm. The cat delete certainly helps but also making sure that the throttle bodies open 100%, which on most cars may not be the case as the throttle cables need readjustment every now and then, as was the case on my car when I purchased it.
