How did Ferrari get the extra bhp out the 550 vs the 456?

induction system, exhaust and ECU differences ???? also, i wouldn't be suprised if they just plain lied.

do an acrchive search, i think it has already been thrashed.

 

Well, from what you can find everywhere, the 550 does pump out 485 bhp, even more with tiny mods (X pipe,and/or Filters)

Probably they changed ECU, and surely other stuff as well....maybe cam settings ?

Can't say

 

Does 550 have variable valve timing?

 

ECU, and some of the exhaust is different.
Plus doesn't the 550 have bigger airboxes?

 

marketing

 

Go away troll.

 

The 550 has a different, more complex induction system consisting of a third chamber with 12 butterflies. It sits at the center between the left and right induction chambers. It provides for a two-stage induction system, one stage with long induction runs and the other with short ones. There is also supposed to be some resonance effect to increase the incoming air charge. The effect of this is stronger high end power development than on the 456. You can clearly feel it when driving the car at high rpms; there is a "second wind" around 6,000 rpm which continues to redline.

 

I'm curious. The redline is at 7500? How can you feel that "wind" between 6-7500. My 360 it seems to take a while (relatively speaking) to get from 7000-8500 (redline). My Vanquish goes to its redline a sh*tload quicker. At full throttle half the time I can't hit the paddle quick enough (that's even using my *****-finger) and the rev limiter will kick in. They got 40 more hp on the Vanquish with timing and compression-I think.

Do you other 550/575 guys feel the same about the torque and engine acceleration of that V12 compare to a slower but higher rpm V8.

P.S. Vanquish or not, at least I am a brother in V12 arms......

 

That can be due to the gearing....
Numerically higher gears will make the engine rev quicker....

 

As a former 456GT owner, with some mods ( X-pipe, straight pipes /w cats, BMC filters) I was just as quick as any 550, to the extent it was driver dependant. All came down to who got the jump on who.

My guess is they are pretty close to one another in a straight line and the difference in 0 to 60 and top speed is mostly marketing. In the twisties, now doubt the F550 wins. After all, how would it look for a 2+2 to keep pace with Ferrari's premier GT car

No doubt a 456GTA would never keep pace with any 456GT or F550.

Christian

 

I wondered what that was

Frank, not sure how they do it but it's a bit like a turbo kicking in pushing the car forwards, it really is noticable

 

I assume then that the torque band is not linear in a 575, whereas in the Vanquish it is more linear?

FWIW Gears and speed in Vanquish:

1st: 35-40? don't really know comes up too quick to tell
2nd: 70
3rd: 95
4th: 135
5th: 170+ I let off and shifted ( dove season and I've already nailed a couple with my truck...and yes.......I am a poosy) I think I was around 6000-6500rpm.

Tell you what the b*tch was pulling in all gears- I need to get rid of that spider and get a Ferrari V12............

 

You can really see the impact of the dual intake runners of the 550/575 engine coming on when you look at the dyno plots of a 456M vs a 550. At around 5600 rpm the 456's engine starts to starve for air, and HP drop from its peak, while the 550 just climbs to its peak at around 6800, and then holds it pretty flat for a few hundred rpm. right up to rev limiter cutting in.

I had heard also that the intake system on the 550/575 was a principle reason for the bulge and scoop on the hood. Had to make a bit more room under hood. Couldn't cram that stuff in the 456 and keep the flatter hood.
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Great stuff Eric. How does the rev limiter work on the V12s? I've never experienced it on the 360 as it takes a while to get there (as stated earlier).

In the Vanquish, with normal mode, it coughs, burps and spits up at redline. In sport mode it upshifts.

 

I'm not sure of the specifics, but would guess it's an eletronic cutout of fuel and/or spark at the limiter redline/cutout point.

In practice, it's fair sailing up to the point where suddenly it feels like someone turned off the power, the engine makes a few ungainly noises much as you describe in the Vanquish. Feels sort of like someone dragged an anchor out back.

It's real easy to hit it in 1st and 2nd if you're not paying close attention. And tempting to hit it in higher gears, the engine sounds so good and feels so strong. Do it a few times and you learn it really slows the car down and to shift before it hits the limiter.

Would be really intersting to hear a 12 without the limiter. Not on my car of course, and purely for the purpose of understanding these things, but still, given how happily the engine runs to 7500, gotta wonder how much more it has in it and what that sounds like.

 

V12s are just Tits aren't they!

Just found this. This is how Aston redid the V12:

"the V12 engine, still displacing 5.9 litres (AM love to call it 6 litres) has been enhanced with new cylinder heads with fully machined inlet ports and combustion chambers to improve airflow, revised engine mapping and new fuel injectors. The result of the reworking has moved the output to 520 bhp (from 460) with a very useful 425 lb ft of tourque (up from 400). "

P.S. I honestly don't remember, but it seemed to me that my SL 55 traction control was at the wheels/brakes, not electronically as the F1s-makes sense with the mechanisms-clutch vs torque converter. Maybe not. I don't remember, it only hapened in the rain. I don't remeber it having a lateral motion sensor to limit the engine as do the Ferrari and Vanquish. Only wheel spin on the SL....I think- don't remember.