Introduced in 1996, this front-engined V12 Ferrari marked a notable return to the classic two-seat grand touring formula for the brand. It replaced the Testarossa-era 12-cylinder flagship and revived a layout Ferrari had not used for a mainstream road-going V12 berlinetta since the Daytona. The name combines the engine’s 5.5-litre displacement with Maranello, Ferrari’s home base in Italy.
Styled by Pininfarina, the car blended traditional proportions with a more restrained and elegant shape than the angular Ferrari supercars that preceded it. Under the skin, it used a front-mid engine, rear-wheel-drive arrangement and a six-speed manual transmission, reinforcing its role as a driver-focused grand tourer rather than an extreme track special. Ferrari positioned it as a fast, practical, long-distance machine with genuine everyday usability by supercar standards.
Production ran from the 1996 model year through 2001, after which it was replaced by the updated 575M Maranello. During its life, the nameplate also generated a limited open-top derivative, but the original closed coupe remained the defining version and is the car most enthusiasts mean when referring to this model. The design and mechanical layout proved influential for Ferrari’s later front-engine V12 grand tourers, and the car is widely regarded as one of the most important modern interpretations of Ferrari’s traditional 12-cylinder berlinetta formula.