To an untrained eye, the Ferrari 550 and 575 look pretty much identical even though the 575 was supposed to be an all-new model. And apart from the exterior and interior design, it definitely was. The V12 engine in the 575 grew from 5.5 to 5.7 liters, horsepower was bumped by 30, and the suspension was redesigned to the point where the two cars felt worlds apart. But the hardcore Ferrari customers wanted to get more of that racing spirit and perhaps compete in professional racing themselves. And since Ferrari knows that the customer is always right, especially when the customer being right means them spending three or four times the money a standard 575 costs, it made the 575 GTC. The Ferrari 575 GTC price was set at $850,000 back when it was new compared to $230,000 that the standard 575 cost. In Ferrari's defense, the 575 GTC horsepower was bumped to 605 thanks to a completely revised engine, and that's only one small part of the entire picture. The 575 GTC was a race-ready V12 Ferrari that wasn't even street-legal. We will cover all the changes Ferrari has done in this 575 GTC review, but if you are in the mood to see what's on the market right now head to Exotic Car Trader to see if any standard 575s or GTCs are available.
Ever since the Ferrari 250 GTO was replaced by the 250 GTO LM, Ferrari didn't have a front-engine V12 model apart from the laid-back 2+2s. That's until the 550 and subsequently 575 came out. While it may not seem like it at first glance, the 575 GTC and 250 GTO have more in common than the majority of other Ferrari models. Namely, both the 250 GTO and 575 GTC are made exclusively for racing, although the 250 GTO was very easy to make road-legal. Plus, the 250 GTO and 575 GTC share the same layout, the same type of engine, and the same design language. Considering that the 250 GTO is Ferrari's greatest car ever made, that makes the 575 GTC fairly special as well. Unfortunately, the 575 GTC was never meant to be street legal as it was made specifically for the FIA GT Championship for private racing teams to buy. That means the GTC is a true race car that's even more hardcore than the modern GT3 racers. You might wonder then where was the 575 GTC made and the answer is N.Technology. N.Technology is set up by the Fiat Group to lead its racing team and prepare the racing cars which is what they did with the 575 GTC. And how many 575 GTCs were made? The answer is 13. This Ferrari 575 GTC review then won't be that extensive since the model is extremely scarce and information is difficult to find.
The 575 GTC is so far away from a standard 575 that the two can barely share the same name. To start off, the engine was bored out to six liters which among other things helped bump 575 GTC's horsepower and torque figures to 605 and 540 lb-ft. Surprisingly, the 575 GTC's top speed was even higher than it was with the standard 575 despite the giant rear wing and all the other downforce bits. All the extra torque from the bored-out V12 helped push the 575 GTC to 208 mph (335 km/h) which is almost 10 mph more than the 575M. That huge engine plus a sequential gearbox helped improve acceleration as well which meant the 575 GTC's 0-60 time was dropped to 3.5 seconds from 4.2. Of course, we can't forget the role that a huge weight reduction played in 575 GTC's performance. The 575 GTC weight is rated at 1,148 kg which is just two kilograms less than the 1,150 weight limit for the FIA GT Championship. Considering that the standard 575M weighs over 1,700 kg, the weight reduction alone is enough to absolutely transform the 575 GTC. It's also interesting to note that the 575 is considerably wider than the standard 575 thanks to lightweight composite body panels. If you are after your own race car or are looking to sell one, reach out to us here at Exotic Car Trader where we can help you with every step of the process.
There isn't much to say about the 575 GTC's interior as everything is stripped out making it look like virtually every other race car. We're not saying that's bad because the high roll cage, racing seats with a five-point harness, and a tall sequential transmission are nothing but exciting. The standard gauge cluster is also gone and is replaced with sequential shift lights which pretty much concludes everything that's going on behind the steering wheel. The center console is definitely more interesting as it's made entirely out of exposed carbon fiber and riddled with different toggle switches, reminding you once again that you are sitting in a purpose-built race car. The 575 GTC's design is rounded off with a racing Alcantara MOMO steering wheel, and such an extensive roll cage that makes getting in and out of the 575 GTC a full workout. And like it's the case with all race cars, there are no door cards and no carpets so don't forget your earplugs.
There is definitely a lot more to talk about the 575 GTC's exterior than there is about its interior. Starting from the front, the GTC gets a huge splitter, canards and a big red tow hook as a racing car should. There are also much bigger hood vents which are there to feed that huge V12 with fresh air and to keep the engine bay temperatures down to make the performance more consistent. Front wings are also noticeably wider than they are on a standard 575, and the hood is held down with safety pins instead of a standard latch. The side profile 575 GTC design is no less exciting than the front. There is a single exhaust exit on each side right under the doors so that V12 will quite literally scream in your ears. The vent behind the front wheels is also much bugger to prevent air from collecting inside the wheel arch, plus the rear window is almost entirely taken by the racing fuel tank filler tube. You might think that the rear is less exciting now because the quad exhausts are no longer there, but that's far from the truth. The rear end of the 575 GTC is absolutely dominated by the rear wing which is higher than the roof line, and wider than the entire car which is already extremely wide. The aggressive rear diffuser would usually look ridiculous on most other cars, but under that huge rear wing, it's no more than a small compliment. Oh, and who could forget those OZ magnesium center lock wheels which look like something that belongs at 24H of Le Mans.
Given that the 575 GTC is a real race car from the early 2000s, all of its technology will be more analog than digital. The engine itself is a simple port-injected V12 unit, albeit an absolutely perfected one. And even the transmission is a fairly simple sequential unit that's entirely mechanical. The reason Ferrari went with a sequential gearbox instead of its automated manual is that the sequential weighs less, and its straight-cut gears make less friction which frees up some of that V12 power. Apart from those, the GTC gets a fuel cell with a pressure-filling tube, and it gets Intrax suspension. Intrax only makes suspension systems for non street legal race cars so you know it's something serious. The 575 GTC technology was then relatively primitive by today's standards, but such technology won races back then and it's good enough to win races today so there is nothing wrong with that.
In the end, the big question is, how much is a 575 GTC worth? And judging by the last one sold, it's right around $150,000. These GTCs don't often come up for sale as there are only 13 of them and it's more than likely that each of them will sell for a considerably different amount. Still, they will hardly surpass $200,000 in the near future. Granted, that's still double what a normal 575 costs today, but let's not forget that the GTC costs more than three times as much when new. And the main reason GTCs are so cheap is that you can't drive them on the road and converting one into a street-legal specification will cost way too much for it to make sense. At the same time, the FIA GT Championship that the GTC was meant to race in no longer exists. And even if it did, the GTC likely wouldn't be competitive despite its amazing performance. Still, the GTC is a next-level track day car if you don't mind transporting it each time you want to use it. The only downside is that finding a Ferrari 575 GTC for sale is no easy task. Luckily, the 575 GTC only had one trim level and no options so it doesn't make any difference which one of the 13 comes up for sale. If you are looking for a 575 GTC, have a quick look at Exotic Car Trader as there might just be one hiding on there.
While the 575 GTC was a professional and competitive race car back in the day, today it's not much more than a showpiece. But with a price tag of $150,000, it's worth your money even if you use it as garage decoration. Still, let's not forget that today a lot of manufacturers make track-day cars that cost well over $300,000 and I wonder how many of them can compare to a race-ready V12 Ferrari in terms of excitement. Not that many, I'm afraid. Finding a rare supercar can often be compared to finding a needle in a haystack. Not to mention that the entire process of buying and selling one can be such a headache that it eliminates all the joy from one of the greatest moments in a car enthusiast's life. If you want to avoid that, reach out to Exotic Car Trader where we can help you with every step of the process from the moment you decide to buy a supercar, to the moment you first turn the key. In the end, this Ferrari 575 GTC review doesn't do much justice to the car as the sheer experience of driving a Ferrari race car can hardly be compared to anything else in the world when it comes to adrenaline.
Exotic Car Trader is the fastest growing marketplace built specifically for automotive enthusiasts. Click below to learn how you can sell your car with us.
LEARN MORE
