Ferrari won't build 550's

[pink69]

Ferrari have announced they have no intention of building a GTS 550. It is now upto prodrive if they want to continue the 550 programme, or make some cars to be sold, as there has been huge interest for their cars.

[Speedworx]

Shame

I like the Ferrari 550 Maranellos in the FIA GT Championship. I wish Rafanelli had carried on running their 2 cars. They were the best.

Reason Ferrari said no, is that Di Montezemolo(sp) doesn't think the 550 should race.

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by hakkiman
Di Montezemolo(sp) doesn't think the 550 should race.

Didn't McLaren originally say that about the F1...........!

[Speedworx]

I wouldn't know about that. I read about the Ferrari in this weeks Autosport magazine.

The McLaren F1 came before i got interested in sportscars (1997).

[Aysedasi]

You missed a treat then, Hakkiman. Beautiful car.

[Speedworx]

I saw the long tail version race in the 1997 FIA GT Championship. I have seen pics of the short tail version and think its ugly.

The long tail version is the best. I liked the EMKA McLaren in the British GT series in 1999 and the GTC car in FIA GT 1998. Also there were a couple of McLarens in the All Japan GT Championship this year and one of them won a race.

[Osella]

Ferrari's non-commital attitude towards sportscars continues unabated. The only logical explanation is that they, and Porsche, have an agreement not to compete head-to-head in this field of racing as a way of containing costs, freeing up the the Agnelli millions for the F1 team and leaving Porsche the undisputed king of privateer GT racing. (Judging by their efforts at Footwork, Ferrari didn't need Porsche's half of the deal, staying out of F1...and who is now the main customer F1 engine supplier???)This also has the added benefit of removing the fire of publicity that would be available to a third party able to beat the pair of them; Lamborghini, BMW(errm) or a Japanese manufacturer. Why else would Ferrari not enter the 333SP, surely one of the most successful sports-prototypes ever, can the F50GT1, not enter a factory F40 in spite of its competitiveness years after its launch, ignore the potential of the 348 and 355, let a third party make the 360 a Porsche-beater and let no less than three other teams develop 550s(Italtecnica, Rafanelli, Prodrive).
In another era, a more passionate Ferrari would be entering these cars under its own name on weekends when messrs Schumacher, Barrichello, Burti and Badoer were available.

[AllonFS]

I agree Osella. I feel really lucky that I saw, (and of course heard) for a while the Rafenelli 333SP in 1999. It could be a while before another Ferrari is seen at Le Mans, which is a real pity as like Bentley, Porsche, and Jaguar they really are part of the race. Maybe if F1 disappears up its own exhaust pipe by spending too much and providing too little entertainment, we may see Ferrari and Jaguar look again at Le Mans.

Well, we can but hope.