Hello there, I tried this same question in Tech Q and A to no avail...hopefully I will have better luck here. I had read a post a few weeks back regarding the difference in performance between North American 550 models...depending on whether they were pre or post 2000. Apparently, changes made to the exhaust manifolds on the post 2000 models robbed the cars of power, and this greatly reduced there performance.Someone mentioned that this change involved adding precats to the manifold system...sounds like comparative restricted breathing to me. This loss in performance seemed huge....differences quoted were (in 0-60 times) 4.3 vs 4.9...these figures seemed backed up by car mags of that "era"...all post 2000 models tested seemed in the 4.9 range..ouch. All this without nary a word from Ferrari, Grazi big brother! This seems outrageous to me! Usually, any given models' performance is tweaked upwards during the course of its lifetime, not downwards (or like the 308,up,down,then up again) Can anything be done about this? Aftermarket Exhaust manifolds?....using stock european manifolds? Am I the only one bothered by this?
360's, 550's and 456's form MY 2000 on have precats at the collector of the manifolds, exactly the place that will cause the greatest disruption of the extraction effects of the manifold. Going to a European/pre 2000 manifold will benefit HP.
I want to find a fix to this too. I couldn't do any better with my 2000 550. See my previous 0-60 thread.
Are you sure about this? I can't see a manifold change making that big of a 0-60 difference. If it was a major change F would have been forced to re-rate the bhp. The difference in magizines don't mean crap. I mean, different drivers, tracks, weather etc make a difference. All else fails get a 508 bhp 575 M I guess lol.
The butt dyno says that my july '97 is a stronger car than my dec '00. I believe Brian's answer explains it. FYI - I have changed mufflers + center resonator, this has, IMO, reduced low-end torque *slightly* (you can still start in 3rd), but the upper end zings more. Of course, the car is louder than hell. And I need to fix the x-pipe resonance. --Dan
I should add - this should *not* be the reason you buy an earlier 550. Build quality on later cars is materially better. --Dan
Am I sure?..if I was, Id have swapped out my manifold for a pre2000 within days of my purchase. I based my question and concerns on a post I read a few weeks back about performance differences from the same cars, but post and pre MY 2000. I realize Mag times should be taken with a grain (perhaps even a shaker full) of salt...but based on the comments in that aforementioned thread, I thought there might be something to this....Rifledrivers comments seem to bear out a "physical" difference, and bobafetts' butt dyno seems to concur....Im just looking for informed/experienced opinions, thats all As to the 575, besides it being out of my price range (not quite the "steal" a 550 represents)...from what I have heard, Im not sure it is the car for me. I NEED a six speed in my fun car, and apparently, would prefer the FHP on one from what Ive read. This combo on a 575 would represent a long and frustrating search....and that is assuming the prices drop to just above 550 levels. That wont be happening until the 600 is well established on the roads, me thinks. Until then...Ill "make do" with the 550, please and thank you Goldy
Well then toss on a Tubi, high-flow airboxes, and get a nice tune to make up, and exced any possible losses due to later emmisions here in the good 'ol USA. Either way good luck, I'd take any 550/575M Maranello....one of my all time favorite F-cars.
Tubi is already done, and also from what Ive read, new filters seem to be a hell of a bang for the buck. They will definately be my next change. So many have talked about the x pipes though...it sounds DAMN tempting. The problem is, Im already the biggest noise polluter in my area....apparently,fences make better neighbours than tubis
The x pipe doesn't make it much louder at all at lower RPMs but they do make it sing over 3K, really wakes the car up with a nice snarl
I second that ......... have tubi's and x-pipe on my 550. The x-pipe isn't really any louder at idle ... but sounds so much better at higher RPM's.
