2002 Ferrari 575M – Manual
Details
Apple, Coco-Cola, McDonalds and Nike are brands recognisable the world over. So is Ferrari and interestingly the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer was named ‘The World’s Strongest Brand’ in the 2019 Brand Finance Global 500 Report.
Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeo’s race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni the company built its first car in 1940. The Second World War halted Ferrari’s dream, which was finally realised in 1947, when the first car bearing his name, the Ferrari 125 S, was built. From that day on Ferrari race cars dominated the world over, winning race after race and many world championships in Formula One, sports car racing and endurance racing. Ferrari built exclusive sports cars for the road too, but in the early days, this was primarily to fund his motor racing!
The Cavallino Rampate or ‘prancing horse’ was the symbol chosen by Ferrari and like the ‘golden arches’ it is recognised by just about every man, woman and child on the planet!
The Ferrari road cars from the 1940’s and early to mid-1950’s were built in very small numbers and it was not until the introduction of the 250 series cars that production numbers increased. Almost 1,000 Ferrari 250 GTE’s were built from 1959 – 1963. The 250 series also produced some of the most special Ferraris ever built, including the Ferrari 250 LM, 250 SWB, 250 California Spider and of course the 250 GTO. The 250 series cars were superseded by the 275 series cars, the 330 series cars and later the 365 series cars. The nomenclature designated the cubic capacity of each cylinder. So, a Ferrari 330 was powered by a 12-cylinder engine of 3967cc capacity.
The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were fabulous times for Ferrari. Its flagship 365 GTB/4 Daytona was a resounding success and Enzo’s ‘big risk’ the Dino 246 was also selling very well. At that time Ferrari wanted to continue with his tradition of producing high performance ‘Grand Touring’ cars with a 2+2 configuration and the 365 GTC/4, which was a successor to the 365 GT 2+2 and the 365 GTC, filled that niche.
The early 1970′s were a time of innovation and Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati et al. continued to introduce new models in an endeavour to trump the other. The 365 GTC/4 was only in production in 1971 & 1972 and its successor the 365 GT/4 2+2 was first shown in October 1972 at the Paris Motor Show. This car, designed and built by Pininfarina, featured unique styling and whilst the sharp angular lines were ‘very new’ for Ferrari it did share the characteristic design feature of a swage line dividing the body into an upper and a lower half with the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. Unlike the GTC/4 the GT/4 2+2 could seat four people in relative comfort.
The 365 GT/4 2+2 was superseded by the 400 in 1976 and subsequently the 412 in 1985. Production of the 412 ended in 1989 without a direct successor.
In 1992 Ferrari introduced its next front engine Grand Tourer, the 456. It was a great success for Ferrari with approximately 3,289 cars produced during its 5 years in production.
In 1996 Ferrari unveiled the Ferrari 550 Maranello at the Nürburgring racing circuit in Germany. The introduction of the 550 marked the return of the front engine 2 seater Ferrari, 23 years after the Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona had been replaced by the mid-engined 365GT/4 BB. Designed by Pininfarina, the 550 Maranello continued on the success of the 456 and some 3,600 cars were built during its production run until 2002 at which time it was succeeded by the 575M.
The 575M was an updated version of the 550. With subtle styling improvements, the 575M was more aerodynamic and it also had a number of mechanical improvements, including a more powerful engine, bigger brakes, upgraded suspension and improved weight distribution. The interior was also refreshed. The end result was a genuine supercar with its 5.7 litre V12 engine pumping out 379 kw or 508 bhp of power and 589 nm or 434 lb-ft of torque. Top speed was quoted as 325 km/hr or 202 mph, the 0-100 km/hr or 60 mph sprint taking 4.2 seconds and incredibly the 0-160 km/hr or 100 mph sprint taking only 9.4 seconds.
The 575M also became the first Ferrari V12 to be sold with the “F1” automated manual gearbox. The 575M was also available with a retractable hardtop and sold as the Ferrari 575M Superamerica. The 575M (2,056 examples built) and 575M Superamerica (559 examples built) remained in production until 2006 when succeeded by the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.
The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 575M are true modern classics. They appeal to both the traditional classic Ferrari enthusiast as well as the modern supercar owner.
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 2002 Ferrari 575 M Maranello.
This Australian delivered example was sold new by Brisbane Ferrari dealer John Cant Motors in Toowong, Queensland, to its first Brisbane based owner on 17 January 2003. The car was delivered with the following factory options: 19″ modular wheels, carbon fibre competition seats, carbon fibre trim, yellow brake callipers and a unique grey/black/Alcantara interior.
The service book confirms this car has always been religiously serviced by Ferrari or Ferrari specialists in South East Queensland. Its most recent service was performed by Enzotech on 8th September 2021 when the odometer read 14,886 km. During this service the cam belts and tensioners were replaced.
When the current owner acquired this car in 2020 it was ‘just’ another typical Ferrari 575M. It was a low mileage, highly optioned car in excellent condition equipped with its factory “F1” automated manual gearbox. With the help of Ferrari specialist Marc Jones from Enzotech in Caboolture, he decided to go on the journey of converting the car to a traditional manual 6 speed gearbox. The work was of course completed using all genuine Ferrari parts. It was completed in 2021 and except for a few very small details the car now presents as if it was delivered with a traditional manual gearbox from the factory. Yes, the factory did build a few 575M’s with a manual gearbox, but they are unicorns!
Walking around the car it is hard to believe it is 20 years old. The paint is in very good condition with only a few small stone chips, mainly on the front bumper and one small scratch on the passenger side door. The ‘rosso corsa’ paint work has a strong depth of colour and it retains a high gloss finish. The glass and all of the exterior trim, including the headlight covers, taillights, badges and decals on the car are all in excellent condition. The same can be said for the wheels, which are unmarked. The wheels are shod with ‘as new’ Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres all around.
Open the door and the interior presents almost like new. The first thing you notice are the carbon fibre competition seats. If you wouldn’t know any better, you’d think they should have been in every Ferrari 575M and not an option. Slide in behind the steering wheel and you are genuinely surprised at how comfortable and supportive the seats are. As you take your time to get acquainted with your surroundings you see a lot of other detail. There’s the Ferrari logo in the headrests, the small plaque on the right hand side of the dash commemorating the six Formula One championships from 1999 until 2004, the Ferrari Pininfarina flag badge on the centre console, the 575M Maranello badge on the glove box and last but not definitely not least, the gear stick! A peek into the driver’s footwell confirms there are three pedals and one of them is definitely a clutch . . .The interior in this car is simply stunning, the upholstery is in beautiful condition, including the driver’s seat bolster which with the competition style seats is usually the first thing that shows some wear. A weakness of this era Ferrari is that in time the plastic switches can deteriorate and become ‘sticky’. On this car, however, they are still in very good condition. The current owner has fitted an aftermarket Pioneer stereo system with a built in reversing camera. This is actually a brilliant addition and it makes reversing the car a much safer and more comfortable process. The original stereo system also comes with the car.
This is a car you could walk around and admire or indeed just sit behind the wheel and admire forever in a day. That said, it IS a front engined V12 Ferrari and we are genuinely excited to try out the manual gearbox. Let’s drive!
You climb back in behind the wheel and once you’ve again absorbed all the beautiful details of the interior it’s time to start the car. Insert the key into the ignition, press the button on the remote to turn the alarm off, turn the key and the V12 engine bursts to life and immediately settles into a smooth idle. The engine sounds fantastic without being overly loud. Once you’re comfortable with your seating position and the mirrors it is time to depress the clutch and select first gear! Off you go . . . As with a traditional Ferrari 575M with an “F1” gearbox this gear is incredibly easy to drive. It is hard to fathom that you are behind the wheel of a genuine 320 km/hr supercar as you are comfortably cruising through heavy traffic whilst getting acquainted with this car. Within a very short time you feel very comfortable driving the car. Eventually, you find a break in the traffic and with a prod on the accelerator you are going too fast! The acceleration is smooth and progressive yet quite breathtaking.
In summary, driving this Ferrari 575 M Maranello is a real joy. This car is simply amazing to drive. The manual gearbox definitely adds to the driving experience in a very positive way. It is everything you get from a 550 Maranello, but a lot more. The car is just so civilised and easy to live with on one hand, yet it is an absolute beast on the other!
There’s not much more to say. This car is everything and more you would expect from a relatively modern Ferrari. There is more than enough power available under your right foot, in fact more than you’ll ever need. Make no mistake this is an exceptionally fast car, but it delivers its performance in a very refined way. A blast from Brisbane to Sydney (on the back roads of course!) would be no problem at all for this Ferrari and it would be a very enjoyable trip for both the driver and passenger. Everything works as it should, including the air conditioning which blows ice cold.
Today the odometer reads 16,652 km.
Highlights:
- Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example.
- Highly optioned car with 19″ modular wheels, carbon fibre competition seats, carbon fibre trim, yellow calipers and a unique grey/black/Alcantara interior.
- Converted to a traditional 6 speed manual gearbox.
- Books & tools.
- Low mileage car with less than 17,000 km from new.
- A beautifully presented car that is JUST FABULOUS to drive.
Specification
- -
- Ferrari 575M - Manual
- 2002
- Coupe
- Manual
- 16,599 km
- 5748cc
SOLD
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