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Ferrari Unveils Amazing 550 Barchetta!  Ferrari has lifted the lid from its secret 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, which was commissioned as a limited production run by boss Luca di Montezemolo to celebrate the 70th anniversary of
Pininfarina.
Seen here officially for the first time prior to making its public debut at next week's Paris Motor Show, it
promises to be a highly sought after modern collectors' piece. Ferrari intentionally designed it to be provocative and more extreme than the rest of the firm's current range and, as such, only a limited
amount will be built at Maranello during 2001. Each will be individually numbered and feature a plaque with the car's serial number and Sergio Pininfarina's signature.
Intended for the wealthiest of owners, it is meant purely as a 'toy' for sunny days. Because of this, a full soft-top mechanism as used in rivals such as the Aston Martin DB7 was considered unnecessary,
with a basic, manually operated roof the only weather protection offered. The overall weight is no greater than the tin-top car's, despite extra chassis strengthening to keep the handling taut and avoid
the scuttle shake which afflicts some open-top cars.
The safety implications of losing the roof have not been ignored, either. There are twin leather-trimmed
hoops, while the windscreen surround has been reinforced with a high-strength steel tube for extra rollover protection. Sharing the same mighty 5.5-litre engine as the tin-topped 550 Maranello, the V12 delivers an awesome 485bhp at 7,000rpm. Unsurprisingly, performance is astonishing, with the
Barchetta hitting 60mph from rest in only 4.4 seconds and boasting a top speed of 186mph.
Power is fed to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual box. Traction control is standard, but the
long list of modifications that ensure the Barchetta handles as well as the coupé suggests it is a precautionary measure rather than necessary. |
