2004 Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello #50 Pilots: G. Gardel, J. Blanchemain, P. Bornhauser Team: Larbre Compétition Team Race: DNF (GT1 class) at Le Mans in 2006 Ixo - FER 070 (diecast)
Published 12/10/21
The Tipo F133, or better known as the 550 Maranello, was produced by Ferrari from 1996 to 2001. It’s a direct descendant from the famous & gorgeous 365 GTB/4, and the first front-engined GT car since the Daytona. Powered by a 5474 cm³ V12 with 48 valves and DOHC, it delivers 480 hp. That was good enough to take the car from naught to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds. And top speed was around 320 km. In 2001 Prodrive built a racing version of the Maranello, called 550 GTO and later on, 550 GTS. Prodrive built 10 units from 2001 to 2005, all specifically made for racing.
You know what a war horse means in terms of racing? Well, if you look up the definition of the term you might possibly see this specific 550 GTS as an example. Chassis #ZFFZR49B000117110 was in 23 (!) races, from 2004 to 2008, from Le Mans to 12 Hours of Sebring to 1000 Km of Spa. At La Sarthe, however, the best result was in 2004, when at the time the #66 (racing for the British Prodrive Racing team) came in 11th overall and fourth in class. In 2006 the car didn’t have much luck, and retired with clutch issues a little bit before midnight.
This is my second 550 #50. I first bought a pw model of this car in 2017. Even back then, I was more than aware that, though not terrible, it was not a great model. Hence, after I got my 550 from BBR, I was uncomfortable with the pw. After all, a much better model was available from Ixo, and just as important, not expensive. So I finally went after one and here it is. MUCH better than a pw and not much worse than a fancy-schmancy BBR. Though it is not an historically significant car, for the price the Ixo version is a great buy. With that, this one has a pretty positive bang-for-the buck. So, unless you are a ferrarista or a big fan of the Maranello, possibly Ixo delivers all you need.