Remember when Ferraris were strikingly pretty? Here, this should jog your memory
Remember when Ferraris were strikingly pretty? Here, this should jog your memoryAnother day, another new Ferrari design that’s kicked up a fuss. This time, it’s the one-off, a tribute to the legendary F40 complete with fixed rear wing, slanted nose and triangular ducts behind the doors.
Ferrari even redeveloped a ‘carbon-Kevlar’ weave to really hammer home the F40 link. But, as with many of Flavio Manzoni’s designs of late, it’s not a car that’ll make you fall head over heels the moment you set eyes on it - to put it lightly. And that’s been a running theme of Ferrari design for the past few years. Where have all the pretty cars gone? Even Manzoni admitted that the F80 wasn’t achingly good-looking like a 250 GT or LM, but was instead a ‘beautiful spaceship’ designed to stimulate awe in all those who gazed upon it. And let’s not forget he was responsible for the LaFerrari, which is up there with the firm’s most striking cars since the turn of the century. But his detractors will say that Ferrari design hasn’t been the same since it dropped Pininfarina, and it’s hard to argue. Among the last cars penned by the legendary design house, there is the F12, 612 Scaglietti, the 599 and this heart-stoppingly stunningInterestingly, some in the Ferrari forums believe the 550 to be the prettier of the two, which is like choosing between a fighter jet or a space rocket. Both are epically cool. And you do need to study them quite closely to spot the differences, the main ones being the smaller grille on the 575M Maranello , the slightly tweaked headlight design and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tweak to the boot lid. But, as I’m sure you’ll agree, in Argento Nurburgring silver over a dark blue leather interior, it’s a phenomenal looking thing. While the changes to the exterior were relatively minor, the underpinnings received most of the upgrade budget. This included an improved Skyhook adaptive suspension system, larger brakes, tweaked aerodynamics and improved weight distribution. But it’s under the bonnet where you’ll find the biggest change of all, that being the larger 5.7-litre naturally aspirated V12 with 515hp on tap - 30hp more than the old car. Along with the larger engine, Ferrari introduced its F1 automated manual gearbox to the lineup, which could shift cogs in 200 milliseconds, or 50 per cent faster than a conventional manual. The majority left the factory with the flappy paddle ‘box, which is what’s fitted to this 2003 example. Not only that, but it also comes with the optional Fiorano Handling Package, bringing with it a stiffer suspension setup, beefier anti-roll bars, bigger brakes and a quicker steering rack. Apparently, the upgrade was worth more than the sum of its parts, correcting some of the wayward characteristics of the launch model, and is therefore highly sought after by those wanting to add one to their garage. If you’re among them, then this is a car you’ll seriously want to consider. It’s only covered 30,592 miles, benefits from a full service history split between main dealers and specialists, and has recently had its belts done, which should bring some peace of mind. It’s also had a tastefully integrated infotainment upgrade, which occupies the single DIN space in the centre console, meaning the dashboard hasn’t been hacked to bits. Above all, it’s in marvellous condition and looks to have been cherished by owners who knew just how special it is. Bidding opens on October 28th and will run for seven days, which gives you some time to either get your finances in order - or else submit an offer to beat the others to the punch.
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