The Ferrari 575M came out in 2002 after its predecessor, the 550 had already been in production for nearly six years. Considering that the 575M is nothing more than a facelifted 550, at least when it comes to exterior design. That's why the later production date 575s might have looked a little outdated for their age. But today, that's actually a good thing. There is no real price difference between the 550 and 575Ms on the used market, and because the 575M is younger you can easily find one in good condition and with low miles. In such a condition, a standard 575M Maranello price will be right around $100,000 if it has an automatic transmission. And that's an amazing price point when compared to the 550 because the 575M is a better car in every way. To start off with the simple differences, the 575M horsepower is rated at 515 compared to the 485 the 550 gets. That's thanks to a bigger, 5.7 liter V12 which in the 575M Superamerica was pushed to 540 horsepower. But that's only a small fraction of all the differences between the two models and we will cover all the major ones in this 575M Maranello review. Also, if you are looking to buy a 575M, there are almost always a few examples here at Exotic Car Trader. On the other hand, if you are looking to sell a 575M, reach out to us and we will help you with every step of the process.
When the Ferrari 550 first came out, everyone was a little skeptical as they thought that nothing could replace a mid-engine V12 Ferrari. Some automotive journalists even compared it to the Toyota Supra, jokingly, of course. But the idea of the 550 being a more expensive Supra went right out the window as soon as you sat in one and punched that gas pedal. The 550 handled miles better than the Testarossa despite being front-engined, it was more comfortable, more spacious, more practical, and much faster. Still, the 550 lacked some of that raw feel that the previous V12 Ferraris had, and with that, a lot of the excitement was gone. Luckily, Ferrari learned what it had to learn with the 550, and fixed all of its mistakes when it was working on the 575M. The 575M was much more direct, more explosive, more exciting, and faster despite the differences on paper being minimal. All of the comfort was still there as well. That makes the 575M the quintessential Ferrari GT as the following 599 was more of a front-engined supercar than a GT as it had lost the laid-back, easy-going part of the character that every true GT should have. And considering how cheap the 575M is, there is hardly a better entry into Ferrari ownership. And don't go thinking it's cheap because of how many 575M Maranellos were produced. Ferrari only made 2,056 575Ms making it twice as more exclusive as the 599 of which Ferrari made just over 4,000. And where was the 575M made? It was made at the same Maranello factory as the 599 and all other road-going Ferrari models. And now, it's time to take this Ferrari 575M Maranello review to the more technical side of things.
The biggest difference between the 550 and 575M is, of course, the engine. The 575M engine isn't just a bored-out version of the 550 V12, but a much more modern engine overall that we will mention a bit later. All those small changes made the 575Ms engine much more responsive and much more aggressive bringing it back to its supercar origins. The 5.7 V12 gets the 575M Maranello horsepower and torque ratings of 515 and 434 respectively. Along with other suspension tuning changes, the 575M was definitely a quicker car, but the difference wasn't anything groundbreaking. The 575M Maranello's 0-60 time was 4.2 seconds which is just 0.2 seconds quicker than the 550. But even more shockingly, the 575M laps the Nurburgring in 8:05 which is only two seconds quicker than the 550. But at the end of the day, nobody who is buying a 575M is worried about lap times and the most important factor is actually driving experience and that's where the 575M leaves the 550 in the dust. Still, you will be happy to know that the 575M is still faster in every way than the 550. For example, even the 575M Maranello's top speed is considerably higher at 205 mph, compared to the 199 mph of the 550. Lastly, Ferrari knows that reducing weight is the absolute best thing you can do to improve performance and driving experience, so it dropped 575M Maranello's weight to 1,730 kg from 1,778. Granted, the 575M is still a very heavy car, but that's why every bit counts.
The 575M Maranello interior definitely looks exciting even today. Even though the interior might look like it's missing something at first glance, at least when compared to modern cars, don't let that feeling fool you. Everything you need is there, and everything it has looks like money well spent. The first thing you will notice when you look inside a 575M is that virtually everything is covered in leather starting from the top of the dashboard, down to your feet. The first major difference between the 550 and 575M the driver will notice is that the 550 gauge cluster is gone. The 575M sports a huge centrally mounted rev counter just like you get in the newer F430 and 599. That's a huge step forward compared to the standard gauge cluster in the 550 that looks like it came out of a Fiat. And the same can be said for the steering wheels. The 575M gets a color-coded steering wheel with aluminum or carbon fiber inserts, plus it has a much more complex design than the one in the 550. The only downside to the 575M Maranello Design is that Ferrari got rid of the three gauges mounted at the top of the dashboard which we can find in the 550. Some buyers might like the 575M more because of that, but I'm sure that the majority won't. Apart from that, the 550 and 575M interiors are largely the same. Both are very functional, and spacious, as luxurious as car interiors can get with the 575M putting just a little more emphasis on the sporty part of its character.
The 575M Maranello exterior might seem identical to the 550 even to a well-versed car enthusiast's eye. And nobody could blame one for thinking that the differences really are subtle, although once you see them, you can't unsee them. But first, the 575M and 550 design in general is very attractive, especially with those double rear lights that complement the quad exhaust pipes. The front of the 575M is very tame by today's standards, but it's definitely beautiful and leans more to the masculine side, unlike a lot of the future Ferrari models. The body-painted headlights make it look more modern than it is, and the huge hood scoop lets you know that this isn't an all-show no-go type of GT. The side profile is graced by two big, but very inconspicuous vents right behind the front wheels, and the famous Ferrari side shield. All in all, the 575M design is very proportional, beautiful, and timeless. But how do you differentiate between the 575M and the 550? To start from the front, the 550 has black headlights while the 575M has color-coded ones. The 550 also has fog lights inside the center bumper intake while the 575M only has a taller and narrower intake with silver slats. The two side intakes are also angled in the 550. As for the rear, the 575M has bigger and round exhausts, while the 550 has smaller and oval exhausts. And apart from the wheels, that pretty much concludes all the exterior differences between the 575M and the 550.
When it comes to 575M technology, there is a fair bit to talk about. To start off with the engine, the 575M got electronic throttle bodies while the 550 got conventional throttle cables. That meant the 550's power delivery was more linear than it usually is with a V12 engine. But it also meant that the Ferrari engineers could play around with throttle body software programming to make the new 5.7 liter V12 more explosive and responsive. And while that might be considered artificial, the engine is still doing all the work so it's definitely a positive. The 575M also gets individual ignition coils while the 550 gets two sets of six coils. That means the 575M can control the ignition timing much more and make the engine smoother, more efficient, and more powerful, not to mention more reliable and cheaper to maintain. But the biggest difference between the two is that the 575M got an F1 automated manual transmission as an option unlike the 550 which was only available as a manual. Those early F1 automatics might have been a little jerky and unrefined, but the shifting was mind-binding fast at the time and the car didn't lose any power to the wheels, plus the weight difference between the two was neglectable. At the same time, you got paddle shifters just like a Formula One driver, and let's keep in mind that virtually no other car had those at the time. The transmission was such a bug hit that only 246 575Ms were made with a manual transmission while over 1,750 got the optional F1 automatic. If you are after a 575M with a manual transmission, it won't be an easy find. But you can always test your luck at Exotic Car Trader.
Answering how much is a 575M Maranello worth is fairly difficult. The type of transmission, body style, production year, and originality all play a huge role in the price. The cheapest 575Ms are of course automatic coupes. These start at around $60,000 and go anywhere up to $200,000 with the average price being right around $100,000. Manual 575Ms are a fair but more expensive but the difference isn't as big as it is for some other Ferrari models. You can still pick up a slightly modified 575M for around $100,000 but depending on the condition, the price can easily pass $400,000 with the average being $300,000. And then we reach the most expensive 575M variant, the Superamerica. The Superamerica could be had with a manual transmission and as a Barchetta. Manual Barchettas are among the most expensive ones reaching $1M, and an average price of $450,000. The coupes with automatic transmissions are more down to earth at around $200,000 to $250,000. Other 575M Maranello trim levels are all down to specific optional equipment, but rest assured that no 575M will feel like a poverty spec. Regardless of which one you are looking for, you can always check Exotic Car Trader to find a Ferrari 575M Maranello for sale.
In the end, this Ferrari 575M review is here to mainly tell you the differences between the 575M and 550 as that's the most common question 575M buyers have. And the 575M is a better car in virtually every way unless you are looking for a manual one. That's not because manual ones are bad but because they are considerably more expensive than the 550. On the other hand, if you are looking to sell your 575M or 550, reach out to us at Exotic Car Trader and we will help you with every step of the process. We can also help you if you are looking to buy a replacement supercar and make the entire process as stress-free and as quick as possible. In the end, the 575M is a Ferrari that you can use in all kinds of different settings making it an even bigger bargain than it already is. You can use it as a weekend car, a road trip car, an everyday car, and even as a canyon carver. The choice is yours, and you can't make a wrong one.
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