 The
550 Maranello is equipped with a 4-valve per cylinder 485-bhp 65° V12
which has a relatively flat torque curve from 3,000 rpm all the way up
to the red line. Maximum power is delivered at 7,000 rpm, while torque
peaks at 58 kgm (420 lbs/ft) at 5,000 rpm. The all-alloy engine weighs
235 kg (518 lbs) and features Ti6a14V titanium alloy con rods for reliable
high speed running which, in turn, have made it possible to lighten the
counter-weighting of the drive shaft, improving the engine's pick up and
innate balance. The forged aluminium alloy pistons have a particular crown
design to enhance the thermodynamic efficiency of the combustion chamber.
The V12 is also fitted with a variable geometry intake manifold and variable
back-pressure exhaust manifold. The latter helps increase torque under
part load and increase combustion efficiency at high revs. The 6-speed
gearbox is in unit with the rear limited slip differential ensuring a near
perfect weight distribution. Drive is transmitted from the clutch to the
gearbox by a driveshaft supported by three bearings and housed in a rigid
steel tube linking the engine and gearbox. |
Pininfarina
styled an aggressively proportioned body for this front-engined two-seater
berlinetta. Its sinewy lines provide hints of Ferraris past, with classic
styling cues like the long bonnet, short tail stance, the rise and plunge
of the front wings over the headlights, the air scoop in the bonnet and
the engine bay extractor vents in the front wings. Those lines were sculpted
by 4,800 hours in the wind tunnel achieving minimal drag (Cd 0.33) with
very low sensitivity to side winds, constant downforce over both axles
and slightly negative lift.
The
550 Maranello chassis draws on Ferrari's decades of experience in constructing
tubular spaceframes for racing cars. The chassis features high tensile-strength,
variable-section steel tubes to optimise rigidity in those areas where
stress loads are highest. Impressive levels of torsional rigidity (1500
kgm/degrees) and flexional rigidity (800 kg/mm) have been achieved to guarantee
the sort of precision handling customers expect from Ferrari's flagship
sports car. The 550 Maranello uses the same construction technology - Feran
foil - first introduced on the 456 GT to weld the aluminium body panels
to the underlying steel frame to provide even greater structural rigidity.
For
pinpoint steering accuracy and perfect suspension control, especially in
extreme handling situations, the 550 Maranello features all-round double
wishbone suspension with anti-dive geometry at the front, co-axial coil
springs over aluminium gas dampers, and front and rear anti-roll bars.
The two-position electronic damping provides the ideal damping response
for relaxed or press-on driving, while the front track is wider than the
rear to guarantee extra turn-in bite and speed in corners. The braking
system (with drilled brake discs all round) was developed in conjunction
with Brembo employing methods perfected on Ferrari's Formula 1 cars in
recent seasons. These include drilled brake discs, aluminium four-pot calipers
with different diameter pistons with special thermal insulation on the
front pistons to reduce the operating temperature of the brake fluid, and
high-performance brake pad friction material. The system is completed by
four-channel ABS. 
In
the best Ferrari tradition, the interior matches the practical functionality
of a sports car with the level of equipment and finish of a luxury car.
The cockpit is laid out with the serious driver in mind, with all the instruments
grouped in the driver's field of vision and the major controls lying instinctively
to hand. Comfortably ensconced in the hide seats, the 550 Maranello's virtues
as a true long-distance cruiser come to the fore, with a spacious boot
and a large luggage shelf complete with classic leather straps behind the
seats.
