550 help needed please
Discussion
Hi,
Having just got out of a GT3RS, I'm now looking at trying a 550. Utterly in love with the design and awed by the many critical acclaims it has amassed over the years.
My budget is around 70k, and I'm looking at preferably Rosso/Creme, although I'm partial to the Titanio colour too.
I've just located a WSR model, of which there is a suprisingly low amount of information. From what I understand, this comes with the FHP, a leather covered roll-cage, race seats, harnesses, suede steering wheel and some subtle aerodynamic aids. It's also in Titanio/Bordeaux, which is the only colour they did them in. There are 10 RHD versions of these in existence. Now this thing is retailing at a little over 80k. A bit over my budget, but I'm thinking the WSR model is going to be a better purchase overall? I'm thinking about a years ownership and I don't want to lose much money.
Or....
Can I safely get into a much cheaper standard 550, perhaps earlier model, safe in the knowledge that most of the depreciation has taken effect and bank the £15k I save?
I have gone through the archives on this site, I'd be grateful for opinions on the above and the three following questions:
1) Does anyone have any experience with the Fiorano Handling Pack? Is it a positive thing?
2) What should I look out for when buying used? Any specific areas of concern on 550's?
3) I've heard great things about Verdi, is there any benefit to paying a premium for an official Ferrari Dealership car?
Cheers!
CK.
Having just got out of a GT3RS, I'm now looking at trying a 550. Utterly in love with the design and awed by the many critical acclaims it has amassed over the years.
My budget is around 70k, and I'm looking at preferably Rosso/Creme, although I'm partial to the Titanio colour too.
I've just located a WSR model, of which there is a suprisingly low amount of information. From what I understand, this comes with the FHP, a leather covered roll-cage, race seats, harnesses, suede steering wheel and some subtle aerodynamic aids. It's also in Titanio/Bordeaux, which is the only colour they did them in. There are 10 RHD versions of these in existence. Now this thing is retailing at a little over 80k. A bit over my budget, but I'm thinking the WSR model is going to be a better purchase overall? I'm thinking about a years ownership and I don't want to lose much money.
Or....
Can I safely get into a much cheaper standard 550, perhaps earlier model, safe in the knowledge that most of the depreciation has taken effect and bank the £15k I save?
I have gone through the archives on this site, I'd be grateful for opinions on the above and the three following questions:
1) Does anyone have any experience with the Fiorano Handling Pack? Is it a positive thing?
2) What should I look out for when buying used? Any specific areas of concern on 550's?
3) I've heard great things about Verdi, is there any benefit to paying a premium for an official Ferrari Dealership car?
Cheers!
CK.
I like the number plate on your car.
I'm sure someone will correct me but I didnt think the 550 had the Fiorano handling option. I know the 575 does and its needed by all accounts but the standard 550 is hailed as one of the best drivers cars ever.
No personal experience but have only ever heard good things about Verdi.
One of the 550 WSR cars belongs to P1 (Damon Hills supercar club) so they must be fairly good.
>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 29th September 17:43
>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 29th September 17:44
I'm sure someone will correct me but I didnt think the 550 had the Fiorano handling option. I know the 575 does and its needed by all accounts but the standard 550 is hailed as one of the best drivers cars ever.
No personal experience but have only ever heard good things about Verdi.
One of the 550 WSR cars belongs to P1 (Damon Hills supercar club) so they must be fairly good.
>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 29th September 17:43
>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 29th September 17:44
That WLSR car does indeed look and read like the business, hopefully sounds, goes, handles and stops like it too, but I just wanted to ask if you'd driven many examples. A while back I was in love with the shape and impressed by the reviews, even thought the 550 was my next move, until I drove the 575.
mustard said:
Problem Solved
I went a bit loopy at the price, but then I saw 39,000 miles!
550 does indeed have the FHP option. Ferrari St. Albans have a 550 in stock with this option.
What happened when you drove the 575?
CK.
Blow Dog, as you've said, 550 did come with the option, and apparently it makes the world of difference.
Never driven a 550 myself, but I know how fast they can be... very.
With regards to the warranty, though, if you are buying from a main dealer, you will probably get a formula warranty. Make sure the ceiling for the claims is high (dont accept £5K limit). The Formula warranty IMO is worth every penny. But, to get one doesnt mean you have to buy from a dealer; you can also save yourself some money by having a 101 inspection done (£255) by authorised dealer, and the warranty cost will be on top of that (usually between £1.5K to £3K, depending on claim ceiling).
The power warranty is also available via this method (or more accurately, only available via this method) and is in fact cheaper. Circa £1000 unlimited ceiling, but be warned car must have FULL FERRARI SERVICE HISTORY WITHOUT ANY MISSED OR (OVERLY) LATE SERVICES. Also, a prerequisite is less than 6 years old cars IIRC. I have docs with information for this and can email you, just let me know.
I think in the end, its worth the extra for a dealer car, as you get all that hassle solved for you.
But I know Karl Verdi is very good also, and their warranties are very flexible in terms of claims and ceilings. Call him he may be able to find a car to accomodate you.
The 550 will lose value either way, but I think to minimise depreciation, go for one that is furthest down the dep line. If its not a keeper, you;ll lose the most in that period as the biggest loss on these cars is the spread between dealer sells and dealer buys prices. But at the end of the day, its for fun, so £10K here or there to get one you really want is probably worth it.(IMO)
Never driven a 550 myself, but I know how fast they can be... very.
With regards to the warranty, though, if you are buying from a main dealer, you will probably get a formula warranty. Make sure the ceiling for the claims is high (dont accept £5K limit). The Formula warranty IMO is worth every penny. But, to get one doesnt mean you have to buy from a dealer; you can also save yourself some money by having a 101 inspection done (£255) by authorised dealer, and the warranty cost will be on top of that (usually between £1.5K to £3K, depending on claim ceiling).
The power warranty is also available via this method (or more accurately, only available via this method) and is in fact cheaper. Circa £1000 unlimited ceiling, but be warned car must have FULL FERRARI SERVICE HISTORY WITHOUT ANY MISSED OR (OVERLY) LATE SERVICES. Also, a prerequisite is less than 6 years old cars IIRC. I have docs with information for this and can email you, just let me know.
I think in the end, its worth the extra for a dealer car, as you get all that hassle solved for you.
But I know Karl Verdi is very good also, and their warranties are very flexible in terms of claims and ceilings. Call him he may be able to find a car to accomodate you.
The 550 will lose value either way, but I think to minimise depreciation, go for one that is furthest down the dep line. If its not a keeper, you;ll lose the most in that period as the biggest loss on these cars is the spread between dealer sells and dealer buys prices. But at the end of the day, its for fun, so £10K here or there to get one you really want is probably worth it.(IMO)
Hey eli, how you doing?
Thanks a lot - that's real informative.
From the people I've been speaking to, including you, the general advice is to settle into a well looked after, early 550.
This way, it's had most of its depreciation and any neccessary works may already have been carried out.
Eli, what would you say is a good resale colour combo?
I really like Red/Creme, but a Main dealer told me yesterday that he would be looking at knocking down an offer if the 550 was in red as it isn't a sellable colour. I also like Titanio, but notice mose of them have bordeaux interiors.
CK.
Thanks a lot - that's real informative.
From the people I've been speaking to, including you, the general advice is to settle into a well looked after, early 550.
This way, it's had most of its depreciation and any neccessary works may already have been carried out.
Eli, what would you say is a good resale colour combo?
I really like Red/Creme, but a Main dealer told me yesterday that he would be looking at knocking down an offer if the 550 was in red as it isn't a sellable colour. I also like Titanio, but notice mose of them have bordeaux interiors.
CK.
Blow Dog said:
What happened when you drove the 575?
CK.
ninja_eli said:I got the invitation to test drive the 575M as one of the Fcars at the opening 'do' for the Ferrari / Maserati showrooms of Dick Loves-It in Swindon. AFter imagining it would be a revelation, I was disappointed. I know you guys are well accustomed to high performance so I just wondered if you might get the same reaction. Overall, the car looked stunning, it was the titanium colour mentioned above. The interior was pure class. But out on the road though it just couldn't disguise its weight, and pick up in second and third was disappointing. Blistering is not a word I'd use. The set-up seemed to be between a rock and a hard place, and while it was my first drive in this tipo it didn't inspire confidence or beg to be driven hard. Brakes were only OK and not eye popping. Maybe stepping out of a lightened and fettled 911T was just too unfair as a comparison. Believe me I went into the experience with nothing but admiration and high expectation, but came away surprised by the first-hand experience. On the drive home, the same car was being nailed by another potential customer, and from the outside - next to an old 911T - it wasn't any better. Just one person's view. I'm probably totally wrong as every review has raved about these cars.
Never driven a 550 myself, but I know how fast they can be... very.
Cem,
I also looked at buying a 550, great choice.
I decided to go for a GT2 in the end, but looked around including at the WSR car up for 80k (which looks great)
I spoke to a friend and long term 550 owner of mine who thought 75k was the right price for it.
It's a beaut, so good luck if you do go for it.
I also looked at buying a 550, great choice.
I decided to go for a GT2 in the end, but looked around including at the WSR car up for 80k (which looks great)
I spoke to a friend and long term 550 owner of mine who thought 75k was the right price for it.
It's a beaut, so good luck if you do go for it.
Blow Dog said:
Hey eli, how you doing?
Thanks a lot - that's real informative.
From the people I've been speaking to, including you, the general advice is to settle into a well looked after, early 550.
This way, it's had most of its depreciation and any neccessary works may already have been carried out.
Eli, what would you say is a good resale colour combo?
I really like Red/Creme, but a Main dealer told me yesterday that he would be looking at knocking down an offer if the 550 was in red as it isn't a sellable colour. I also like Titanio, but notice mose of them have bordeaux interiors.
CK.
Hello mate,
There does seem to be less red 550's around, and I have too heard they are not good for resale.
Personally, I think Black, Titanio and Argento are the colours to go for. I quite like the Bordeux myself, but I guess you can get black too and that would also look smart.
If you get a red one cheap, then you can sell it cheap, the net result might be the same?
One thing I've noticed, with most merchandise in fact, is there is sometimes a price point where they dont fall below, because they become great value for money, so some buyers may take it on even if it isnt ideal spec.
The ferrari used locater is quite good, but it isnt always totally up to date. So check all the dealers websites individually. Also, call them up and let them know what you are looking for. They might know an owner that has a good colour combo and has mentioned he is interested in selling etc. Its how I found my car, I let all the dealers know I wanted a black spider with shields and red calipers.
Good luck with the hunt, part of the fun is finding the right car!
Blow Dog said:
Problem Solved
I went a bit loopy at the price, but then I saw 39,000 miles!
550 does indeed have the FHP option. Ferrari St. Albans have a 550 in stock with this option.
What happened when you drove the 575?
CK.
Now sold to a lovely ladddddddddddy
CK,
I was looking at the WSR version of the 550 also,and there does seem to very little info available about this model. Suffolk Sports has one claiming it is one of 11 made, Top 555 has one claiming it is one of 20 made and Nick Whale claims one of 10 who is right?
Allegedly Mr Beckham has one but what makes it special?
Personally I think the grigio / bordeaux colour combo looks the dogs, but I'm not struck on the race harness bit, I just want to get in and drive not pee around with seat belts.
Mustard you got something to tell us ?
MP
I was looking at the WSR version of the 550 also,and there does seem to very little info available about this model. Suffolk Sports has one claiming it is one of 11 made, Top 555 has one claiming it is one of 20 made and Nick Whale claims one of 10 who is right?
Allegedly Mr Beckham has one but what makes it special?
Personally I think the grigio / bordeaux colour combo looks the dogs, but I'm not struck on the race harness bit, I just want to get in and drive not pee around with seat belts.
Mustard you got something to tell us ?
MP
Here you go
Reviews
Ferrari 550 WSR
by Damon Hill
......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.
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
>> Edited by mustard on Saturday 2nd October 08:47
Reviews
Ferrari 550 WSR
by Damon Hill
......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.
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
>> Edited by mustard on Saturday 2nd October 08:47
SIR MP said:
Good work Mustard,
Will it be a sought after collectable in years to come, only 33 worldwide is a very limited run.
Is it worth the premium over a regular 550,or is it just a Sales makeover, who knows.
I thought you were about to reveal that you had bought the Nick Whale example.
MP
Would have thought they are/will worth a small premium for having the right 'bits' and a desirable colour combination.
The buyer... cound'nt possibly comment!
mustard said:
.....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.>> Edited by mustard on Saturday 2nd October 08:47
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