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FERRARI 575M MARANELLO


Powered by 5.7-litre V12 engine generating 515 bhp


Fast-reacting adaptive dampers ‘read’ the road surface


Electronic integration of engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension


Revised interior with sporty and practical improvements


First V12 Ferrari with F1-style steering wheel paddle gear shift

The Ferrari 575M Maranello marks a whole new level of achievement for the famous Italian marque’s hugely successful line-up of V12 front-engined sports supercars. It represents a further leap forward in the development of the 550 Maranello, a car generally considered to be one of the marque’s most popular models since its introduction in 1994.

As with all Ferraris, the heart of the new car is the engine and the 575M name is the abbreviation of its engine capacity – 5,748 cc together with ‘M’ which stands for ‘modificata’ (Italian for modified). The strengths of the 575M build on those of its predecessor, the 550 Maranello, boosting all-round performance and introducing the company’s legendary Ferrari F1 semi-automatic gearchange in a road-going Ferrari V12 for the first time.

Styling & Aerodynamics

The styling of the 575M Maranello was entrusted to Ferrari’s long-time creative partner Pininfarina. The balanced lines and understated design that made the 550 Maranello an ‘instant classic’ when it first appeared, have been left largely untouched. The modifications made to the original forms are subtle and designed to meet specific technical requirements. The shape and size of the front air intakes, for instance, have been optimised to increase the flow of cooling air to the more powerful engine and there’s a new, full-width front spoiler design which increases downforce.

The new nose section of the car incorporates redesigned headlights, with body-colour surrounds and grey detailing, featuring xenon technology bulbs for dipped beam, as standard. The slim-spoke, 18 inch diameter wheels now also have a much sportier look more in line with the new car’s racier temperament.

The increased demand for cooling required a greater flow of air through the engine bay and necessitated re-examining the aerodynamcis of the underbody. Raised channels were introduced to guide the under-car airflow and those, together with small fairings around all four wheels, enabled the 575M to achieve the same aerodynamic efficiency, a Cd figure of 0.33, as the 550.

Design & Construction

Following long-standing Ferrari tradition, the 575M has an extremely robust tubular steel spaceframe chassis to which the aluminium bodywork is welded to further increase structural rigidity. The welding is carried out using an innovative process that involves interposing a special steel foil betwen the components, chemically treated with Feran. This foil allows the aluminium body panels to bond with the steel chassis.

The chassis is constructed from high tensile steel tubes of varying diameter to optimise strength and weight, depending on their level of stress and location. High torsional and flexional rigidity is achieved and the central cage offers excellent occupant crash protection.

The new car boasts a perfect weight distribution of 50 per cent over both front and rear axles with the driver on board. This results from mounting the six-speed gearbox at the rear, in unit with the limited-slip differential and the final drive.

Engine & Performance

The 575M Maranello’s new 12-cylinder power unit retains many of the classic elements of Ferrari’s most charismatic engine configuration. The 65 degree V12, has four overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, while the cylinder block, cylinder heads and oil sump are all manufactured in light alloy. A dry sump lubrication system is fitted. The new engine was designed to produce more po