2004 Ferrari 575 Maranello: the Even-Keeled Supercar
If you prefer your supercars with a little less temper and a little more usability, look no further than this well-kept Ferrari 575!
As fans of the prancing horse are well aware of, Ferrari long held a reputation for making cars that were, well, a little on the temperamental side. Some called it an annoyance, we like to refer to it as character building. But then, something strange happened when Ferrari rolled out the 550 Maranello. This was a car with familiar 2+2 styling and prodigious speed, yet with none of the annoyances of past models. Then, along came the new and improved Ferrari 575 Maranello to make it even better.
The 575 wasn’t exactly earth-shattering, mind you. In fact, the biggest difference between it and the 550 came in the form of the newly available F1 gearbox. A gearbox that had, in fact, been around since 1997 in the F355. This interesting piece of kit uses computer-controlled solenoids and hydraulic actuators to shift through all six gears based on the driver’s input via steering wheel-mounted paddles. Or, if you prefer, there’s an automatic mode, too.
If you’re a fan of the tech, and more importantly the sex-on-wheels design, you won’t find many nicer than this 2004 Ferrari 575 Maranello we spotted on Bring a Trailer. The F1 tranny-equipped red beauty shows only 12,071 miles on the odometer and looks essentially new. Options include Daytona seats covered in tan leather, Scuderia shields, leather parcel shelf, and red stitching throughout.
The Ferrari-appropriate Rosso Corsa finish looks fantastic, a testament to the protective film covering the car’s flanks. But the interior is equally flawless, and it’s even fitted with a sweet F1 championship commemorative plaque on the dash. You know, to remind you that this was a car born of Ferrari’s amazing racing success in this era.
The 575M is one of our favorite modern-era Ferraris, and we can’t help but drool over this amazing example. Some will chide its pseudo-manual transmission and predicable manners, of course. But none can deny that the 575 helped usher in a whole new era of supercar!
