Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina

What is it?
Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina

What's special about it?
Ferrari. The very name is a summons to the blood. So, when the veil was pulled from the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, you could hear the racing hearts of hundreds of journalists and onlookers who were pressed against the Ferrari display. Then the hall was filled with camera flashes and excited chatter in every European language as the crowd digested the gorgeous lines of this all-new, limited-edition, front-engined V12 roadster. Finally, they erupted into spontaneous and spirited applause.

Without a doubt, Ferrari has produced yet another crowd-pleaser to add to its line of the world's most coveted cars.

"Barchetta" means "Open Car" in Italian. Like its historic predecessors, the 1948 166 MM and the 375 Mille Miglia of 1954 (the last Ferrari Barchetta), there is no roof for this car. It's not a car for everyday use. (If you want an "everyday" drop top Ferrari, the current 360 Spider is your ride.) The 550 Barchetta was designed for Ferrari enthusiasts and collectors for driving on the road and the track - mixing the rush of the open air with the thrill of a 485 horsepower (@ 7000 rpm) engine that can go zero-to-60 mph in about 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 188 mph. Now, maybe your blood's rushing too.

Why should you care?
If you're a Ferrari enthusiast, the fact that this is the first Barchetta model since the 375 Mille in 1954 is exciting. Also noteworthy, the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is the first Ferrari to carry the name of the legendary coachbuilder. To commemorate 70 years of collaboration between Ferrari and the Pininfarinas, the current head of the family, Sergio Pininfarina, was asked to design the car. Thrilled with the result, Ferrari named it for him and his family. And the final reason you should care: Beginning January 2001, production of the 550 Barchetta will begin at Ferrari's Maranello factory. Only 448 will be produced and nearly all are already sold. So, if you want one (pricing is not yet available, but count on many hundreds of thousands) you'd better get moving.
-- Neil Dunlop