Just wondering if anyone here contemplated or is contemplating a Ferrari 550/575 Maranello? I've heard of quite a few going from 996TT's to the Ferrari. Anyone have comparisons between the two?

Brad

 

550 and 575 are very different especailly if the latter is ordered with the F1 tranny...My father had a 456 GT, then moved to a 550 but sold it right before the 575 came out. It is a very different feel from the 996 TT (I have driven both). It is really big and heavy andI think the TT outhandles it hand down (I think the newer 575 can be ordered with an upgraded suspension known as the Fiorano handling package...). The sound of that V12 is intoxicating though

 

GT vs. Sports Car.
I think the 550 or 575 is awesome for an older guy who can afford it as a cruiser. I have no desire to have one because to me, owning a cruiser/GT car that you can realistically only drive a few thousand miles a year is nuts. I'd rather have an SL or something similar for a GT car.

The V12 is awesome, but worth the price of two SLs? An SL55 is faster and you can drive every day.

 

i traded my 996TT on a 550.

the 996TT is certainly more of a "sports car" than a 550 is, but i think you'd be hard pressed to classify a 996TT as NOT a GT car.

the maranellos have two suspension options - the Fiorano Handling Package purportedly (i haven't driven one) makes a substantial difference, though the stock setup is hardly anything to sneeze at).

i personally grew tired of turbo lag and e-gas and AWD.

the cars have the same weight-to-power ratio (non-X50). the 550 is 15% heavier than the 996TT.

fwiw, i wouldn't spend the money for either car for track use - get a stripped down, souped-up, non-street-legal older 911 for that. and save a fortune and a half either way.

the 550 pre-owned market is stellar right now. irrationally depressed, imo. it's tough to justify MSRP on these $240K cars given the historical depreciation curve of the maranello.

doody.

 

Good response doody!
What are the ball park ranges for these cars used?

Also, isn't the maintenance is a nightmare cost-wise?

Last question, what about daily mileage averages... can they be driven more than 8k miles a year w/o worries?

 

My dad had an 03 575M and we both hated the car....He traded his 00 360 Modena for it and hated the trade everyday... The 575M felt more like a boat then a car . I personally did not like the 575M at all...the F1 tranny stunk, the rear shock blew in 800miles, gas door kept popping open and had to be taped down , sun visor came loose and kept flopping down...reverse kept disengaging while trying to back up...etc...I mean this could have just been our car....but as for the car, as I said before, it felt like a boat compared to the 996TT, it has A LOT of body roll in the car..
Evan

 

Used 550s can be had for cheap these days

 

Hi All,
I just sold my 550, which i had for 3 years, and am moving to a TT Cab. The 550 is a great car. I had the Fiorano suspension and there was very little body roll. The car is not an old guys GT cruiser. It's also not a sports car in the classic sense, since it is on the portly side. I got rid of it since there was no place in the Chicago area to drive it the way it's meant to be driven. You could say the same thing about various Porsches, Lambos, other Ferrai's etc. I wanted to get a convertible, hence the change.

David Shapiro

 

scott:

the only serious maintenance issue is the major service, and it's a serious issue . that's every 30K miles or 5 years (6 years, 7 years - it depends on your personal risk tolerance); and it can run $5K to $6K. unlike other f-cars, it does NOT require the removal of the engine block, so in theory if you're a tinker-type, you could do much of it yourself.

there are guys on ferrarichat.com with 550s they've put 40K 50K 60K miles on thus far. there was even a thread discussing this not too long ago.

as a totally random comparison, i owned my 2001 996TT for 18 months and i owned my 1999 F355 Spider for 18 months. the 996TT cost me twice the maintenance as the F355, and it was under warranty, while the 355 was not. we're talking mid to high three figures here, but i found it to be interesting data. and i took slightly less of a depreciation hit on the 355.

ferrari maintenance is hit or miss. it depends in part on how you buy and who you buy from. if you're seriously interested, spend some time researching and talking to owners - there's a wealth of information that can save you tens of thousands in initial and ongoing costs (never mind the headaches!).

550s are going 110K to 140K or so now (1997-2000). some of the 2001s (last MY) are still attempting to fetch big numbers, but i assume they're not moving. you can buy a fully-sorted 1999 with the major service done for 125K or thereabouts. it's a stellar deal IMO.

doody.

 

I was looking at them but decided on the 996 TT for reliability and the ease of higher HP modifications.