Lot 213: 2005 Ferrari Superamerica

First introduced in 1996, the Ferrari 550 Maranello saw a return of the marquee's typical front engined super car design, last used in the unforgettable Daytona. With 485 bhp, the 550 Maranello was one of the most powerful road-going GT cars Ferrari had ever produced.The original design specifications called for a car able to meet the needs of Ferrari customers looking for driving emotions and exciting performance, who do not want to forego driveability or comfort. The formula that produced the 550 also contained several other factors: superb response to every dynamic requirement, quality of life on board and styling efficiency.The result is a car that covered Ferrari's private track at Fiorano in 1.34. This was 3.2 seconds faster than the best time ever achieved by a 512. When assessing performance of this kind we must remember that the ethos of the 512 was optimised to obtain extreme performance on a circuit.The 550 was a car designed to offer strong emotions to those capable of driving it and symbolizes Ferrari's design excellence in the automotive field. It was superseded in 2002 with the launch of the 575 Maranello, the biggest advance being its larger and even more powerful engine, producing a mind blowing 515 bhp, in case you missed the additional 30 bhp in your 550. The 575 could be ordered with the traditional 6 speed manual gearbox or, for those who wanted to shift like Michael Schumacher, with the F1-style paddle shift gearbox. This allows the driver a choice of two driving styles - either a relaxed urban-touring style or a gritty bite, according to the gearbox management selected. Reaching a top speed of 300 km/h, the possibility of anyone being capable of following Maranello's finest on the autostrada were and are few and fare between. In 2005 Ferrari launched another exciting and in many aspects groundbreaking new variation of its top of the range sport scar, suitably in Monaco. The Superamerica is a limited-edition, Pininfarina designed front-engine high-performance GT sports car, sporting a tint-adjustable, one-piece electro chromic glass roof that doesn't fold, but innovatively rotates to the rear and stores on the rear deck lid for open-air driving, a first in a production car.The Fioravanti-patented rotating roof concept allows the Superamerica driver to electrically drop the top in 10 seconds flat, making it the world's fastest convertible berlinetta with a top speed of 199-mph or 320 km/h. The use of electro chromic glass means that the driver can completely control the level of light entering the cockpit. There are five tint levels available and the glass can go from dark to light in under a minute, at the touch of a button. The 5.75 litre 12-cylinder provides a further boosted 540 bhp and is mated to the electro mechanical F1 gearbox. Finished in the traditional 'Rosso Corsa' with a light brown leather interior, this limited edition comes with the very desirable option of the 'Handling GTC' package, incorporating ceramic brake discs and an uprated suspension. A number of further options enhance this most desirable modern Ferrari, which is next to new, having been delivered of its first owner only in September 2005, since when only 5,000 km have been enjoyed. The perfect combination of a limited edition open sports Ferrari with the added bonus of the innovative and unique electro chromatic roof and what better place to buy it in than Monaco, the place of its presentation to the world.Un presque nouvel exemple de la 'Superamerica' avec nombreuses options qui incluent le boite vitesse 'F1' et le version 'Handling GTC' avec les freins céramiques. Ayant couru seulement 5.000 Km, c'est une sublime chance d'acheter une des Ferraris séminales, une harmonie parfaite entre une 575 ouverte et l'innovant toit electro-chromatique.