The Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello Prodrive remains one of my absolute fan-favourite GT cars. Enjoy this video posted by the Italiansupercarvideo Youtube account: quickly dive into the past and return to the 2020 edition of the Challenge & GT Days on the Red Bull Ring circuit in Austria, including a fantastic onboard video.
With only 10 units built, specifically, the 550 GTS in question is chassis number 117110; Prodrive decided to take over the Ferrari GT project. The previous results were encouraging for the potential but unfortunate for the breakages, which the initial specimens built by Italtecnica had highlighted. Prodrive decided to beef up the naturally aspirated V12 engine by increasing the displacement to 6.0 litres and positioning it lower and towards the car’s centre for better weight distribution.
The engine, limited by the restrictions imposed by the regulation, develops 600hp at 6,400 rpm with 600Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm, powered by an X-Trac 6-speed sequential gearbox. A unique and efficient aerodynamic package was therefore created. With the extensive use of carbon fibre, the weight dropped to 1,100Kg per FIA regulations, removing over 500 kg from the road-derived car.
This 550 GTS specimen was built in 2004 and obtained 4th place in its category at the 24h of Le Mans of the same year. It continued to race in various championships, such as the FIA GT and the ALMS, until today. Fortunately for us enthusiasts, it is possible to see the 550 GTS in action during the Endurance Racing Legends championship races organized by Peter Auto.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!
— see video above —
Leave a Reply