Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina

Origins

Ferrari unveiled the roadster at the 2000 Paris Motor Show to celebrate 70 years of Pininfarina. Originally, 444 cars were planned, but because the number 4 is considered unlucky in Japan, 448 were built. Prior to that, 12 prototypes were produced, with interior plaques numbered P01 to P12. Production cars and prototypes look identical from the outside.

Bodywork

The fabric soft top was intended only for temporary rain protection for the cabin; using it above 70 mph was deemed unsafe. The windshield is raked more steeply than on the coupé, aiding aerodynamics, and fixed roll hoops stand behind the seats. The rear deck is longer, offering more luggage room, even though the car is less practical for everyday use. A new feature was the 19-inch alloy wheels, designed specifically for the Barchetta.

Technical details

Mechanically, the car remained identical to the coupé; the engine was simply given the code F133C, primarily for differentiation. Because of the missing roof, performance figures differed slightly: acceleration from 0 to 62 mph remained unchanged from the coupé at 4.4 seconds, while top speed dropped to 300 km/h.

Summarized from the cited sources; every figure was automatically verified against the sources.