Jay Leno Drives the Ferrari 550 Barchetta, Calls It a Relaxing Car With a Needy Clutch

Yes, it was also a grand tourer like the 456 that the company built from 1992 to 2003, but unlike its 2+2 sibling, the 550 was a two-seater. The first front-engined V12 Ferrari with such a layout since the 1970s. A spiritual successor to the iconic 365 GTB/4 Daytona if you will.

The 550 was also used to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Pininfarina, the company that had been designing Ferrari road cars for almost 50 years at the time. To celebrate this partnership, the 550 got a roadster version called the Barchetta.

Limited to 448 units, only 15% of the total 550 production run, the Barchetta Pininfarina is a drop-top you don't see too often nowadays. If you're a fan of Italian roadsters, a silver Barchetta recently found its way into Jay Leno's garage, who took it for a spin in the still-warm Los Angeles weather.

And he seems to enjoy the 550 a lot, especially when compared to the SF90 he drove not so long ago. Of course, the extra fun comes from the six-speed manual gearbox, which prompts Leno to compare the experience to playing a musical instrument.

But not only does he feel fully connected to the car. Jay also describes it as "very relaxing and comfortable to drive," all while stressing that sometimes he gets "tired of the hard track road cars." On the other hand, he complains about the "needy clutch." The owner jumps in to confirm that the clutch "starts stiff and then you get used to it."

So what makes the Barchetta move? Just like the regular 550, the roadster relies on a naturally aspirated, 5.50-liter V12 engine with four valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams, and a variable-length intake manifold. Part of the F116/133 family, the mill cranks out 478 horsepower and 420 pound-feet (569 Nm) of torque.

It might not sound as aggressive as other Ferrari V12 engines, but it's definitely worthy of a "prancing horse" badge. Find out more about that in the video below.