autoevolution
 

This Ferrari Comes With a Manual, But Doesn’t Cost a Fortune

The Ferrari 550 Maranello is one of the most gorgeous examples of what the Prancing Horse can do. Blending the right amount of the right stuff for a GT car is no easy task, but this has and still is the bread & butter of the most revered name in the biz.
Ferrari 550 Maranello manual 16 photos
Photo: Bonhams
Ferrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manualFerrari 550 Maranello manual
When we tested the Ferrari F12berlinetta, we found only one major flaw with the grand tourer from Maranello. It’s the starting price of $330,000, which is mind-bending even for those that can afford it.

At the end of the day, do you know what’s missing from the overall Ferrari experience regardless of model? The availability of a third pedal and a gated manual shifter. I know modern performance cars are all about the figures, and most customers can’t be bothered to swap cogs the old fashioned way.

Despite all the go-faster advances, enthusiasts miss the stick shift.

Be it a Ferrari, Lamborghini or second-gen Audi R8, the manual transmission has been left for dead. As such, it pains us to say this but the only way to enjoy supercar performance with three pedals and GT prowess is to get an old car. This Ferrari 550 Maranello is a case in point.

I won’t dwell into “manual cars are more organic” and that other nonsense related to the rise of the auto and dual-clutch. Last week the Internet was awash with the story of a 599 GTB Fiorano manual, listed for more than half a million dollars. Crazy times we’re living in, huh? Older Fezzas, like the 250 Series grand tourers, are worth millions, which is why the 550 is making sense. The 612 Scaglietti is interesting too.

Slated to be auctioned by the peeps from Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on June 26th, the 1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello on hand boasts a gated shifter and a third pedal for heel-and-toe action. Though it’s left-hand drive, this 550 Maranello is imported from Japan and is in pristine condition.

Look at the photo gallery below then ask yourself “Is this all-new or those 5,896 km (3,663 miles) on the odometer are real?” Well, take a wild guess. If you’re after a return to the grand tourer’s traditional values, a 5.5-liter V12 tower-of-power, three pedals and 485 horsepower are just what the doctor ordered.

Apart from the driver-oriented details, the barchetta-style body shell and design cues are to die for. Pricing? The estimate on this example of the Prancing Horse breed is “a mere” £95,000 to £115,000 ($175,615).
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories