550 Maranello World Speed Record
Discussion
You don't see these up for sale very often.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...
Quite a rarity...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/f...
Quite a rarity...
I absolutely adored mine. The ride was very firm - it was a little unforgiving on poorly surfaced roads. It wasn't the fastest car around a track, but the FHP and roll cage made the car already impressive handling, phenomenal around tracks - and really flattered the driver (i.e. me!), allowing all kinds of driver indulged tom foolery and clearly telegraphing all kinds of feedback so that you knew how happy the car was with you! You could easily provoke into being an oversteer monster, allowing the driver (i.e. me!) to exceed his driver skill to power ratio with aplomb!
A
A
There's this cringeworthy mini review/Verdi advertorial of one by Hammond in TopGear magazine circa 2011.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/hammond-550-maran...
And this column from the Sunday Times/ P1 International advertorial...
Reviews
Ferrari 550 WSR
by Damon Hill
Damon Hill looks over his professional stable of super-quick machines and lets his feet pick the winner
Cars come and cars go ... Well, they’re supposed to do that, I know. But what I mean to say is that they’re sort of like shoes: some shoes become as much part of you as your foot. In fact, after a while they seem to become more your foot than your actual foot is. I tend to live with things until they have my imprint upon them, for as long as it takes for them to bear witness to my having used or abused them. They are my kind of personal cave painting, proof of my having existed. When it comes to shoes I generally finish them off for ever. They never walk again.
The Ferrari 550 WSR that we have in the P1 fleet (P1 is the club I set up for paying members to drive a range of supercars for a limited number of days each year) has that old-shoe feel to it, which is not surprising since it is one of the most popular cars in our collection.
Based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello, it has the trimmings of a genuine endurance racer without complete loss of comfort and practicality. Originally available in 1999 (ours is a 2000), it is not a typical P1 car in that it is not brand spanking new, but we felt the driving experience was sufficiently unique to warrant its inclusion.
The WSR was built partly because Ferrari’s standard 550 Maranello was starting to look a little long in the tooth and inviting epithets like “the gentleman’s express”. The slightly sluggish handling and bulky body weight did little to counter the insult.
But essentially the beautiful 550 still had the ingredients under the skin to make it a highly desirable proposition. So they decided to give it a shot in the arm by sending a slightly souped-up one to an oval test track in Columbus, Ohio, and getting some poor motoring journalists to go round and round in it as fast as they could, for as long as they could, before they either crashed or broke the car.
By some amazing stroke of luck they didn’t crash, and in fact scored three new world records for incredibly expensive touring cars.
These were: covering 100 miles at an average speed of 190.2mph, driving for one hour at an average speed of 184mph and covering 100 kilometres at 188.9mph. Bizarrely, this seems to prove that mph are faster than kph (another world record for Britain). It also demonstrates that if there were a banked lane exclusively for Ferraris on the M25 you could do a lap in less than 40 minutes. Write to your MP.
The limited-edition 550 WSR that Ferrari went on to sell was based on this record-breaking car. Only 33 WSRs were ever sold worldwide, with 10 coming to Britain. All were in “Grigio Titanio” (titanium grey) with “Bordeaux” interior.
The precise technical differences over the standard 550 are pretty small. The Fiorano handling pack gives it stiffer suspension, carbon-fibre bucket seats, racing harnesses (totally impractical), suede steering wheel and leather-trimmed roll-over bar. The latter amuses me because when skimming along on the roof after an improperly executed roundabout manoeuvre I imagine you’ll be fairly indifferent to that leather trim. The WSR has also been put through a kind of Atkins diet to shed some of its bulk.
All of these little details are a mere aperitif to the main course that is the WSR, yet they remind us of the heritage of this great marque, one founded on racing and endurance testing.
As I sit in the 550 WSR I get a slight shiver down my spine because I have raced cars like this. The environment is an essential part of the driving experience, and this interior smells, looks, feels like it has been used, worn, and sweated in. Like my shoes.
There is the tang of fear. Perhaps even a suggestion of “I love the smell of Ferrari in the morning — it reminds me of the smell of victory”. Then again, perhaps not.
But down to the driving. This car will shortly be joined in the fleet by the Ferrari 575 Modificato, but for now we shall have to be content with only a 5.5 litre V12 and 485bhp delivered in a sumptuously wide, smooth power curve and accompanied by the ultimate “music of internal combustion”.
I don’t know what it is about V12s, or any multiple of three cylinders for that matter (I’m not yet aware of a nine-cylinder engine), but this arrangement delivers a peculiar pulse that is the sonic equivalent of strawberry mousse and cream. The phallic gearlever is essential: anyone tackling this wild beast has to be very sure of their manhood. It takes off like a panther on the attack and that gearlever gets a good work-out as we shift through the sea of torque. You can feel the rear tyres struggle under the stress, but fortunately the car has its traction control still active. However I know how to turn it off. I press the switch. It is such a relief to drive a car without brain-numbing understeer and with a limited-slip differential. Yes, this is the way to travel — slightly at an angle.
Well, I know this is not politically correct, but it’s a bit like eating meat. I mean, if it’s already dead, you might as well eat it. Similarly, the car does the sideways thing, and I can handle it, so why not? Travelling in a straight line can be equally rewarding. Wind down the windows, find a tree-lined country road, put on some music that inspires you and imagine you’re in Italy. The shark-like body shape glides through the thickest of air with ease. So beautiful to admire from the exterior . . . let’s get Damien Hirst to put one in a tank of formaldehyde. Slice her in half and put her in the Saatchi gallery.
To choose a favourite from our entire collection of cars (see www.p1international.com) is a serious challenge, and for me to select the Ferrari 550 WSR is a little dishonest. I don’t ever want to have to choose only one, but as Napoleon once said: “It is a luxury to have a choice, so decide!”.
For many supercar buyers choice can be similarly painful. Unless you are so sensationally sure of yourself that you know for certain which car is for you, you will forever be impotently flicking through Flash Car Monthly or buying and selling cars like the Sultan of Brunei. Some of the very rich end up with a warehouse full of lifeless exhibits that go nowhere and do nothing but cost a fortune in depreciation. The point is that even though some people come to realise this trap, they can still never buy what they really want. The truth is they want it all.
The other problem is that after the agonising choice, and painful parting with large amounts of money, owners often tend not to drive their precious cars much for fear of putting too many miles on them.
Unsurprisingly, our members happily guzzle up the miles in our cars and get to sidestep the choice problem by trying out a wide range. I think that regularly swapping cars gives the impression that anything is possible, and underlines how we limit ourselves by fixing our minds on one thing only. Cars are the ultimate fashion accessory, but there is no such thing as “just the car for you”.
Our cars are virtually never in the garage, and that’s how it should be. I want my cars to be worn out. Only perhaps not quite as much as my shoes.
VITAL STATISTICS
Model Ferrari 550 WSR
Engine type V12, 5474cc
Power 485bhp @ 7000rpm
Torque 420 lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Suspension (front and rear) independent, triangular wishbones, gas shock absorbers with coaxial coil springs, anti-roll bars
Dimensions 4550mm length; 1935mm width; 1277mm height
Tyres (front) 255/40 ZR 18 (rear) 295/35 ZR 18
CO2 n/a
Fuel n/a
Top speed 199mph
Acceleration 0 to 60mph: 4.3sec
Price £157,867 (when launched)
Verdict An absolute favourite
Rating
Jeremy Clarkson is away
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/hammond-550-maran...
And this column from the Sunday Times/ P1 International advertorial...
Reviews
Ferrari 550 WSR
by Damon Hill
Damon Hill looks over his professional stable of super-quick machines and lets his feet pick the winner
Cars come and cars go ... Well, they’re supposed to do that, I know. But what I mean to say is that they’re sort of like shoes: some shoes become as much part of you as your foot. In fact, after a while they seem to become more your foot than your actual foot is. I tend to live with things until they have my imprint upon them, for as long as it takes for them to bear witness to my having used or abused them. They are my kind of personal cave painting, proof of my having existed. When it comes to shoes I generally finish them off for ever. They never walk again.
The Ferrari 550 WSR that we have in the P1 fleet (P1 is the club I set up for paying members to drive a range of supercars for a limited number of days each year) has that old-shoe feel to it, which is not surprising since it is one of the most popular cars in our collection.
Based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello, it has the trimmings of a genuine endurance racer without complete loss of comfort and practicality. Originally available in 1999 (ours is a 2000), it is not a typical P1 car in that it is not brand spanking new, but we felt the driving experience was sufficiently unique to warrant its inclusion.
The WSR was built partly because Ferrari’s standard 550 Maranello was starting to look a little long in the tooth and inviting epithets like “the gentleman’s express”. The slightly sluggish handling and bulky body weight did little to counter the insult.
But essentially the beautiful 550 still had the ingredients under the skin to make it a highly desirable proposition. So they decided to give it a shot in the arm by sending a slightly souped-up one to an oval test track in Columbus, Ohio, and getting some poor motoring journalists to go round and round in it as fast as they could, for as long as they could, before they either crashed or broke the car.
By some amazing stroke of luck they didn’t crash, and in fact scored three new world records for incredibly expensive touring cars.
These were: covering 100 miles at an average speed of 190.2mph, driving for one hour at an average speed of 184mph and covering 100 kilometres at 188.9mph. Bizarrely, this seems to prove that mph are faster than kph (another world record for Britain). It also demonstrates that if there were a banked lane exclusively for Ferraris on the M25 you could do a lap in less than 40 minutes. Write to your MP.
The limited-edition 550 WSR that Ferrari went on to sell was based on this record-breaking car. Only 33 WSRs were ever sold worldwide, with 10 coming to Britain. All were in “Grigio Titanio” (titanium grey) with “Bordeaux” interior.
The precise technical differences over the standard 550 are pretty small. The Fiorano handling pack gives it stiffer suspension, carbon-fibre bucket seats, racing harnesses (totally impractical), suede steering wheel and leather-trimmed roll-over bar. The latter amuses me because when skimming along on the roof after an improperly executed roundabout manoeuvre I imagine you’ll be fairly indifferent to that leather trim. The WSR has also been put through a kind of Atkins diet to shed some of its bulk.
All of these little details are a mere aperitif to the main course that is the WSR, yet they remind us of the heritage of this great marque, one founded on racing and endurance testing.
As I sit in the 550 WSR I get a slight shiver down my spine because I have raced cars like this. The environment is an essential part of the driving experience, and this interior smells, looks, feels like it has been used, worn, and sweated in. Like my shoes.
There is the tang of fear. Perhaps even a suggestion of “I love the smell of Ferrari in the morning — it reminds me of the smell of victory”. Then again, perhaps not.
But down to the driving. This car will shortly be joined in the fleet by the Ferrari 575 Modificato, but for now we shall have to be content with only a 5.5 litre V12 and 485bhp delivered in a sumptuously wide, smooth power curve and accompanied by the ultimate “music of internal combustion”.
I don’t know what it is about V12s, or any multiple of three cylinders for that matter (I’m not yet aware of a nine-cylinder engine), but this arrangement delivers a peculiar pulse that is the sonic equivalent of strawberry mousse and cream. The phallic gearlever is essential: anyone tackling this wild beast has to be very sure of their manhood. It takes off like a panther on the attack and that gearlever gets a good work-out as we shift through the sea of torque. You can feel the rear tyres struggle under the stress, but fortunately the car has its traction control still active. However I know how to turn it off. I press the switch. It is such a relief to drive a car without brain-numbing understeer and with a limited-slip differential. Yes, this is the way to travel — slightly at an angle.
Well, I know this is not politically correct, but it’s a bit like eating meat. I mean, if it’s already dead, you might as well eat it. Similarly, the car does the sideways thing, and I can handle it, so why not? Travelling in a straight line can be equally rewarding. Wind down the windows, find a tree-lined country road, put on some music that inspires you and imagine you’re in Italy. The shark-like body shape glides through the thickest of air with ease. So beautiful to admire from the exterior . . . let’s get Damien Hirst to put one in a tank of formaldehyde. Slice her in half and put her in the Saatchi gallery.
To choose a favourite from our entire collection of cars (see www.p1international.com) is a serious challenge, and for me to select the Ferrari 550 WSR is a little dishonest. I don’t ever want to have to choose only one, but as Napoleon once said: “It is a luxury to have a choice, so decide!”.
For many supercar buyers choice can be similarly painful. Unless you are so sensationally sure of yourself that you know for certain which car is for you, you will forever be impotently flicking through Flash Car Monthly or buying and selling cars like the Sultan of Brunei. Some of the very rich end up with a warehouse full of lifeless exhibits that go nowhere and do nothing but cost a fortune in depreciation. The point is that even though some people come to realise this trap, they can still never buy what they really want. The truth is they want it all.
The other problem is that after the agonising choice, and painful parting with large amounts of money, owners often tend not to drive their precious cars much for fear of putting too many miles on them.
Unsurprisingly, our members happily guzzle up the miles in our cars and get to sidestep the choice problem by trying out a wide range. I think that regularly swapping cars gives the impression that anything is possible, and underlines how we limit ourselves by fixing our minds on one thing only. Cars are the ultimate fashion accessory, but there is no such thing as “just the car for you”.
Our cars are virtually never in the garage, and that’s how it should be. I want my cars to be worn out. Only perhaps not quite as much as my shoes.
VITAL STATISTICS
Model Ferrari 550 WSR
Engine type V12, 5474cc
Power 485bhp @ 7000rpm
Torque 420 lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission Six-speed manual
Suspension (front and rear) independent, triangular wishbones, gas shock absorbers with coaxial coil springs, anti-roll bars
Dimensions 4550mm length; 1935mm width; 1277mm height
Tyres (front) 255/40 ZR 18 (rear) 295/35 ZR 18
CO2 n/a
Fuel n/a
Top speed 199mph
Acceleration 0 to 60mph: 4.3sec
Price £157,867 (when launched)
Verdict An absolute favourite
Rating
Jeremy Clarkson is away
Edited by MogulBoy on Tuesday 16th December 14:38
Anjum said:
Thats my car, in the Top Gear article!
Also, the dedication plaque is dash, to the right of the steering wheel, in a recessed space for it - and not on the centre console, like the red one being advertised.
A
Wonder why the red cars plaque is where it is?Also, the dedication plaque is dash, to the right of the steering wheel, in a recessed space for it - and not on the centre console, like the red one being advertised.
A
Edited by Anjum on Tuesday 16th December 14:46
-1
The default colour scheme was Grigio Titanio / Bordeaux but there's another LHD Rosso LHD WSR (with beige) for sale in Modena.
http://www.autoluce.com/EN/autofull.php?id=1418829...
The default colour scheme was Grigio Titanio / Bordeaux but there's another LHD Rosso LHD WSR (with beige) for sale in Modena.
http://www.autoluce.com/EN/autofull.php?id=1418829...
Interesting. Back to google!
I had read the production dates on the WSRs was 1999, whereas that's listed as a 2001 car. Is it a pukka WSR or a has it been spec'd up? Appears to be wearing 575 modular rims?
I haven't found a definitive list or register.
I did find Italian Wikipedia is different to English for some reason:
Ferrari 550 Maranello Michael Schumacher Edition
In 1998 Michael Schumacher bought a Ferrari 550, and on it the German champion and driver of Scuderia Ferrari demanded numerous customizations and optionals. In 1999 the car was built above equipping sports exhaust, the Fiorano Handling Package, seats and carbon inserts and a roll-bar leather-wrapped.
Some customers aware of the specifications required by the Ferrari driver demanded a car with the same technical specifications and accessories. It is estimated that about 13 cars were made with a budget similar to those ordered by the pilot.
Ferrari 550 Maranello WSR
In 1999, the 550 Maranello won the World Speed ??Record, achieving the highest average speed for a production car on a race lasting 24 hours.
To celebrate this important sporting results with a standard car, testifying both performance and reliability of the 550 Maranello, Ferrari proposed dealers to offer customers the possibility to prepare and have a 550 Maranello equipped like the one that established the World Speed ??Record, the Ferrari 550 Maranello WSR.
Only 33 cars were ordered and provided with the specific WSR and are recognizable by its nameplate silver plate. The 550 Maranello WSR were very similar to the car to be built previously for Michael Schumacher, were all with that of the roll bar (coated), leather seats type "Daytona" with carbon shell and 4-point belts (type racing), Handling Fiorano (including the suspension stiffened and lowered) and sports exhaust and fuel filler "type race."
Some of the latest 550 Maranello resumed in 2001-2002 produced a display similar to the WSR.
ETA:
Ferrari 550 Maranello " WSR " for 3 records held by the 550 Maranello.
1. Cover 100 miles at an average speed of 305.78 km / h .
2. Conduct for one hour at an average speed of 296.12 km / h
3. Coverage of 100 kilometers 304.01 km / h .
Limited edition of 33 Ferrari 550 WSR " Grigio Titanio " with inside "Bordeaux" , carbon fiber bucket seats, racing harnesses , steering wheel leather-trimmed suede , roll bar and pack Fiorano gives a stiffer suspension.
ETA 2. Following some searching in three languages, this is the best I could find in terms of a definitive list of chassis numbers. Build numbers suggest a greater range of dates. There's some variation in spec details on cars I've found images for (Bordeaux wheel?!)
WSR VIN
113125 Maranello 99 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux & Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000113125 ass#30141 RollBar Fiorano Handling package
113179 (?) ,Maranello dark Blue/crema ZFFZR49B000113179 black & crema dashboard bordeaux steering wheel !
113182 Maranello 99 Rosso Corsa/Grigio LHD EU ZFFZR49B000113182 Custom built for Michael Schumacher
113518 (?) ,Maranello WSR Michelin/car and driver Speed-Record-Car Grigio Titanio LHD US ZFFZR49A5X0113518 Red Calipers
114641 Maranello WSR Griggio Titanio met / Nero LHD ZFFZR49A9X0114641. 1999 USA car.RollBar Fiorano Handling package
115492, Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux ZFFZR49B000115492
116387, Maranello WSR Rosso ZFFZR49B00116387
117131 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux LHD ZFFZR49B000117131
117145, Maranello WSR 99 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD
117414 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Black ZFFZR49B000117414
117415, Maranello WSR Yellow/black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000117415
117419, Maranello WSR Blu Pozzi521 D.S./bordeaux LHD EU ZFFZR49B000117419
117421 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met
117429 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD UK ZFFZR49C000117429
117430, Maranello WSR Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD UK
117431, Maranello WSR 00 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD
117432(?) Maranello Grigio Titanio/ Bordeaux RHD
117670, Maranello WSR
118695 Maranello WSR Rosso/Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000118695
118697 Maranello WSR Rosso/Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000118697 ass#36330
122194, Maranello WSR Red/Black LHD EU World Speed recordi edition
122195, Maranello WSR Silver/black ZFFZR49B000122195
123215 Maranello WSR Rosso/Beige LHD EU ZFFZR49B000123215
124572 Maranello LHD EU ass#41322
Every day's a school day.
I had read the production dates on the WSRs was 1999, whereas that's listed as a 2001 car. Is it a pukka WSR or a has it been spec'd up? Appears to be wearing 575 modular rims?
I haven't found a definitive list or register.
I did find Italian Wikipedia is different to English for some reason:
Ferrari 550 Maranello Michael Schumacher Edition
In 1998 Michael Schumacher bought a Ferrari 550, and on it the German champion and driver of Scuderia Ferrari demanded numerous customizations and optionals. In 1999 the car was built above equipping sports exhaust, the Fiorano Handling Package, seats and carbon inserts and a roll-bar leather-wrapped.
Some customers aware of the specifications required by the Ferrari driver demanded a car with the same technical specifications and accessories. It is estimated that about 13 cars were made with a budget similar to those ordered by the pilot.
Ferrari 550 Maranello WSR
In 1999, the 550 Maranello won the World Speed ??Record, achieving the highest average speed for a production car on a race lasting 24 hours.
To celebrate this important sporting results with a standard car, testifying both performance and reliability of the 550 Maranello, Ferrari proposed dealers to offer customers the possibility to prepare and have a 550 Maranello equipped like the one that established the World Speed ??Record, the Ferrari 550 Maranello WSR.
Only 33 cars were ordered and provided with the specific WSR and are recognizable by its nameplate silver plate. The 550 Maranello WSR were very similar to the car to be built previously for Michael Schumacher, were all with that of the roll bar (coated), leather seats type "Daytona" with carbon shell and 4-point belts (type racing), Handling Fiorano (including the suspension stiffened and lowered) and sports exhaust and fuel filler "type race."
Some of the latest 550 Maranello resumed in 2001-2002 produced a display similar to the WSR.
ETA:
Ferrari 550 Maranello " WSR " for 3 records held by the 550 Maranello.
1. Cover 100 miles at an average speed of 305.78 km / h .
2. Conduct for one hour at an average speed of 296.12 km / h
3. Coverage of 100 kilometers 304.01 km / h .
Limited edition of 33 Ferrari 550 WSR " Grigio Titanio " with inside "Bordeaux" , carbon fiber bucket seats, racing harnesses , steering wheel leather-trimmed suede , roll bar and pack Fiorano gives a stiffer suspension.
ETA 2. Following some searching in three languages, this is the best I could find in terms of a definitive list of chassis numbers. Build numbers suggest a greater range of dates. There's some variation in spec details on cars I've found images for (Bordeaux wheel?!)
WSR VIN
113125 Maranello 99 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux & Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000113125 ass#30141 RollBar Fiorano Handling package
113179 (?) ,Maranello dark Blue/crema ZFFZR49B000113179 black & crema dashboard bordeaux steering wheel !
113182 Maranello 99 Rosso Corsa/Grigio LHD EU ZFFZR49B000113182 Custom built for Michael Schumacher
113518 (?) ,Maranello WSR Michelin/car and driver Speed-Record-Car Grigio Titanio LHD US ZFFZR49A5X0113518 Red Calipers
114641 Maranello WSR Griggio Titanio met / Nero LHD ZFFZR49A9X0114641. 1999 USA car.RollBar Fiorano Handling package
115492, Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux ZFFZR49B000115492
116387, Maranello WSR Rosso ZFFZR49B00116387
117131 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux LHD ZFFZR49B000117131
117145, Maranello WSR 99 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD
117414 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Black ZFFZR49B000117414
117415, Maranello WSR Yellow/black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000117415
117419, Maranello WSR Blu Pozzi521 D.S./bordeaux LHD EU ZFFZR49B000117419
117421 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met
117429 (?) Maranello Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD UK ZFFZR49C000117429
117430, Maranello WSR Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD UK
117431, Maranello WSR 00 Grigio Titanio met/Bordeaux RHD
117432(?) Maranello Grigio Titanio/ Bordeaux RHD
117670, Maranello WSR
118695 Maranello WSR Rosso/Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000118695
118697 Maranello WSR Rosso/Black LHD EU ZFFZR49B000118697 ass#36330
122194, Maranello WSR Red/Black LHD EU World Speed recordi edition
122195, Maranello WSR Silver/black ZFFZR49B000122195
123215 Maranello WSR Rosso/Beige LHD EU ZFFZR49B000123215
124572 Maranello LHD EU ass#41322
Every day's a school day.
Edited by ferrisbueller on Saturday 20th December 22:51
paul0843 said:
I remember test driving one at ferrari Colchester about 10 years ago.
Silver car,as they all were and apparently owned by a team owner/manager from the formula 1 world.
It was definately a lot firmer and a lot more focused than the normal 550 I ended up buying at the time.
Paul
Or should that be Grigio titanio Silver car,as they all were and apparently owned by a team owner/manager from the formula 1 world.
It was definately a lot firmer and a lot more focused than the normal 550 I ended up buying at the time.
Paul
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