2001 550 Barchetta  |
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The Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina was the second version of the 550 to be unveiled. This vehicle was in celebration of Pininfarina's 70th Anniversary. 448 vehicles were scheduled to be produced.
All Ferraris are limited edition pieces, some more so than others. With only 448 produced, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is a very special car indeed. It is a salute to the 70th anniversary of the house that has styled more Ferraris than any other, the 50th anniversary of the two company's first joint endeavor, and a celebration of the Scuderia Ferrari's 2000 and 2001 World Championships for Formula 1 Constructors. With a shape and a name that harkens to the sports racers and legendary sports spiders of the 1960s, and all the technology of a modern Ferrari GT car, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is perhaps the ultimate expression of a sun-lover's Italian automobile.
From every angle the 550 Barchetta is exciting, and wîth the tasteful addition of Carrozzeria Scaglietti equipment as standard, it elegantly stands out from the crowd. The most striking aspect of the Barchetta is its open top. Its structure having been specially modified to maintain strength and rigidity on par wîth the 550 Maranello, the Barchetta is designed for al fresco motoring; the removable roof panel is an occasional solution for leisurely driving in inclement weather. A Barchetta Pininfarina's fortunate owner will revel in the glorious sound of the 485bhp Ferrari V12, the stupendous dynamic sensations provided by driving, and the sheer joy of communing wîth nature from the road or track.
Design
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is the perfect interpretation of the classic, open-top front-engined V12 Ferrari sports car, complete wîth modern styling and technology. The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina has a traditional barchetta-style cut to the windscreen (around 4 inches lower than the 550 Maranello) wîth a body-coloured finish to the lower section of the surround. Furthermore it reflects the past as a model aimed exclusively at open-air use, providing just a manual soft-top for emergency use.
Functional and unadorned wîth a simple manual soft-top, the barchetta-style solution has enabled Ferrari's engineers to offset the additional weight gained by reinforcing the chassis and fitting rear roll bars. Consequently the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina weighs no more than the 550 Maranello.
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's exclusive design includes other distinctive features such as Ferrari badges on the wheelarches, two-piece alloy wheels and a unique aluminum fuel filler cap. The car can be ordered in any colour in the Ferrari range.
Aerodynamics
A creature of the wind tunnel as well as the outdoors, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's aerodynamic shape is the result of controlled tests that achieved the targets of constant vertical load on the wheels, minimal sensitivity to side winds, and minimal drag. The car's undertray represents another step forward by Ferrari engineers, resulting in excellent stability and driving safety without the use of moving parts or unnecessary surfaces.
Bodywork
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's bodywork is an evolution of the 550 Maranello's. The car is built around a tubular steel frame to which the light aluminum alloy coachwork is welded wîth Feran. Apertures have been styled for efficiency and beauty. Fixed, integrated homofocal light clusters were designed to improve lighting, airflow, and wind noise. Fog lights are similarly incorporated into the front bumper and the door windows are flush wîth the windshield frame.
Chassis
The frame of the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is welded from varied-section high tensile steel tubes. Torsional rigidity is 10,850lb-ft/degree, and flexional rigidity is 69lbs/inch. The highest standards of handling necessitate a strong chassis, especially in an open-top car. The frame's design benefits from Ferrari's many years of racing experience, which also guarantees total engineering safety in terms of unitary construction. The safety features are outstanding, particularly wîth regard to the strong central cage and protective peripheral elements constituting a high energy absorption system. Particular care has been taken wîth rollover protection, resulting in the twin hoops above and behind each passenger seat.
Engine
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina uses the same 5474cc 65 degree V12 as the 550 Maranello. The engine produces 485bhp at 7000rpm, wîth a maximum of 420lb-ft of torque on tap at 5000rpm. The cylinder block, cylinder heads and sump are all in light alloy wîth Nikasil-coated aluminum wet liners. The con rods are in Ti6a14V titanium alloy for maximum reliability at high revs during lengthy high-speed running. The four-valve heads incorporate hydraulic tappets.
Suspension
Únsprung weight of the Barchetta Pininfarina has been safely lightened to provide pinpoint §teering and perfect control of the car in all conditions, especially those necessitating excellent overall dynamic balance. The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina has four wheel independent suspension wîth a transverse parallelogram structure and triangular arms, aluminum gas dampers wîth coaxial coil springs, and anti-roll bars front and rear. The suspension incorporates a variable logic, multiple parameter driver-adjustable system to vary damper settings.Source - Ferrari
From every angle the 550 Barchetta is exciting, and wîth the tasteful addition of Carrozzeria Scaglietti equipment as standard, it elegantly stands out from the crowd. The most striking aspect of the Barchetta is its open top. Its structure having been specially modified to maintain strength and rigidity on par wîth the 550 Maranello, the Barchetta is designed for al fresco motoring; the removable roof panel is an occasional solution for leisurely driving in inclement weather. A Barchetta Pininfarina's fortunate owner will revel in the glorious sound of the 485bhp Ferrari V12, the stupendous dynamic sensations provided by driving, and the sheer joy of communing wîth nature from the road or track.
Design
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is the perfect interpretation of the classic, open-top front-engined V12 Ferrari sports car, complete wîth modern styling and technology. The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina has a traditional barchetta-style cut to the windscreen (around 4 inches lower than the 550 Maranello) wîth a body-coloured finish to the lower section of the surround. Furthermore it reflects the past as a model aimed exclusively at open-air use, providing just a manual soft-top for emergency use.
Functional and unadorned wîth a simple manual soft-top, the barchetta-style solution has enabled Ferrari's engineers to offset the additional weight gained by reinforcing the chassis and fitting rear roll bars. Consequently the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina weighs no more than the 550 Maranello.
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's exclusive design includes other distinctive features such as Ferrari badges on the wheelarches, two-piece alloy wheels and a unique aluminum fuel filler cap. The car can be ordered in any colour in the Ferrari range.
Aerodynamics
A creature of the wind tunnel as well as the outdoors, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's aerodynamic shape is the result of controlled tests that achieved the targets of constant vertical load on the wheels, minimal sensitivity to side winds, and minimal drag. The car's undertray represents another step forward by Ferrari engineers, resulting in excellent stability and driving safety without the use of moving parts or unnecessary surfaces.
Bodywork
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina's bodywork is an evolution of the 550 Maranello's. The car is built around a tubular steel frame to which the light aluminum alloy coachwork is welded wîth Feran. Apertures have been styled for efficiency and beauty. Fixed, integrated homofocal light clusters were designed to improve lighting, airflow, and wind noise. Fog lights are similarly incorporated into the front bumper and the door windows are flush wîth the windshield frame.
Chassis
The frame of the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is welded from varied-section high tensile steel tubes. Torsional rigidity is 10,850lb-ft/degree, and flexional rigidity is 69lbs/inch. The highest standards of handling necessitate a strong chassis, especially in an open-top car. The frame's design benefits from Ferrari's many years of racing experience, which also guarantees total engineering safety in terms of unitary construction. The safety features are outstanding, particularly wîth regard to the strong central cage and protective peripheral elements constituting a high energy absorption system. Particular care has been taken wîth rollover protection, resulting in the twin hoops above and behind each passenger seat.
Engine
The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina uses the same 5474cc 65 degree V12 as the 550 Maranello. The engine produces 485bhp at 7000rpm, wîth a maximum of 420lb-ft of torque on tap at 5000rpm. The cylinder block, cylinder heads and sump are all in light alloy wîth Nikasil-coated aluminum wet liners. The con rods are in Ti6a14V titanium alloy for maximum reliability at high revs during lengthy high-speed running. The four-valve heads incorporate hydraulic tappets.
Suspension
Únsprung weight of the Barchetta Pininfarina has been safely lightened to provide pinpoint §teering and perfect control of the car in all conditions, especially those necessitating excellent overall dynamic balance. The 550 Barchetta Pininfarina has four wheel independent suspension wîth a transverse parallelogram structure and triangular arms, aluminum gas dampers wîth coaxial coil springs, and anti-roll bars front and rear. The suspension incorporates a variable logic, multiple parameter driver-adjustable system to vary damper settings.Source - Ferrari
The 550 Maranello is Ferrari's interpretation of a 21st Century 12-cylinder front-engined sports berlinetta.
Technicians were given a particularly demanding brief: design and build a car able to meet the needs of Ferrari customers seeking sensual driving and exciting performance without foregoing driveability or comfort. Ferrari customers are attracted by state-of-the-art technical solutions from a company which has always treated design as an aesthetic response to the demand for performance, and has always built its cars wîth sophisticated craftsmanship.The 550 Maranello provides superb response to every dynamic requirement, exceptional quality of life on board, and styling efficiency that combines an extremely modern concept wîth the best of Ferrari tradition. In short, it is the finest two-person GT car available today.
Design
Pininfarina designed the 550 Maranello wîth features that announce this return to the classic front-engined berlinetta as a great sports car. By adopting sober, functional cues consistent wîth today's tastes and requirements, Pinifarina's bold understatement respects Ferrari's styling traditions.
The 550 Maranello is styled to be fast and sinuous, its dihedrons stretching the soft surfaces of the sheet metal, creating strong impressions from every angle. The lines are clean and functional, not smoothed or tapered: the car's physical presence underlines its performance.
Fine pillars make the unusually high roofline less visually obvious and stress the importance of the car's body. The optical center of gravity is also lowered by original elements such as the shallow, narrow air intake whose complex shape creates an aggressive interplay between auxiliary lights. The Maranello is the first Ferrari designed wîth visible, integrated front light clusters, themselves further highlighted by the engine's functional air scoop that links this car to its heritage.
Typically Ferrari, the side aspect shows forceful dynamism in the relationship between the long bonnet, small rear cabin, and smooth link wîth the high tail. Similarly, two outlets for engine bay air in the front fender reference the classic front-engined berlinettas. The rear is simple and powerful: it is higher in the middle where it links to the roof wîth a small spoiler. The double round lights are characteristic Ferrari design.
Drivetrain
The 550 Maranello engine is a 5.5 liter, 518lb unit wîth 12 cylinders in a 65° V, that delivers almost all its torque from 3000rpm. Maximum power is 485bhp at 7000rpm, peak torque is 419lb-ft at 5000rpm, compression ratio is 10.8:1, all controlled by a Bosch Motronic M5.2 management system. The cylinder block, head, and oil sump are light alloy. The damp press-fitted aluminum cylinder liners are of Nikasil. The crankshaft is supported by seven journals on anti-friction bearings. The con rods are light titanium alloy allowing counter-weighting of the crankshaft to be lightened, improving response and balance. The Mahle-forged aluminum alloy pistons enhance thermodynamic efficiency. Lubrication is by a cooled dry sump system. The four-valve per cylinder head is fitted wîth hydraulic tappets. This system helps to curb emissions, makes periodic adjustment almost unnecessary, and guarantees consistent engine performance.
Intake
Ferrari developed a torque- and power-enhancing variable geometry intake for the 550 Maranello's engine. The Ferrari patented system alters the fluodynamics of the intake system through a third chamber linked to the manifold by 12 throttle valves wîth electropneumatic control. The additional chamber shapes air flow to enhance power and efficiency. The intake, like the injection and ignition systems, is managed by a Bosch Motronic 5.2 system for each row of cylinders, linked by a high speed serial line.
Exhaust
The Maranello's insulated stainless steel exhaust system employs variable back pressure through bypass valves situated on the rear silencers. The bypass valves are electropneumatically actuated by the engine management system, based on engine speed and throttle opening. Varying back pressure makes it possible to optimize engine efficiency in various conditions. Greater back pressure allows higher torque under average load, while lower back pressure enhances full load engine efficiency.
Transmission
For optimal weight distribution the 550 Maranello employs a transaxle system wîth integrated gearbox and differential. Drive is transmitted by the clutch to the gearbox through a three-bearing propeller shaft housed in a rigid steel tube linking the engine and the gearbox. The hydraulic single-plate dry clutch is flywheel-mounted. The gearbox has six dual-cone synchronized speeds, plus reverse, wîth pressurized and cooled lubrication. Gearbox control is the classic Ferrari type wîth an aluminum knob, lever and grooved selector; commands are transmitted by a rigid shift.Source - Ferrari
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