98CoupeV6

Polar opposites of the spectrum, from Hyundai to Ferrari. Just trying out something new, since the last really expensive car we did was the SL500, which was months ago...probably last spring. Enjoy
----------------------------------------
Honda-Acura.Net Car of the Week: Ferrari 575M Maranello



----------------------------------------
Reviews

Edmunds.Com's Long Term Test
Edmunds.Com's First Drive
Car and Driver

----------------------------------------
Specifications

General Information
- Base Price: $216,000
- Miles Per Gallon: 22/32
- Curb Weight: 3815
- Fuel Tank: 27.7 Gallons
- Layout: RWD
- Transmissions: 6 speed manual or 6 speed semi-automatic
- Suspension layout: double wishbone (front)/double wishbone (rear)
- Tires F-R: 225/40 ZR18 - 295/35 ZR18

Engine
- Type: Front Mounted Normally Aspirated 5748cc V-12
- Displacement: 5.8L
- Power: 515HP @ 7250 RPM
- Torque: 434 LB-FT @ 5250 RPM
- Valve Gear: DOHC

Performance (estimated)
- Zero to 60 mph: 4.1 seconds
- Zero to 100 mph: 9.4 seconds
- Standing 1/4-mile: 12.3 seconds
- Top speed: 202 MPH

----------------------------------------

Competition

Aston Martin Vanquish

460hp 6.0L V12 - $228,000
Gorgeous styling with exclusivity, but heavy and some cheap Ford interior bits

Lamborghini Muecielago

575hp 6.2L V12 - $273,000
Fast and striking, yet the cockpit is nasty (no class)


Mercedes-Benz SL55AMG

493hp 5.5L V6- $113,915
Beautiful styling and supreme luxury, but not as exciting

Porsche GT2

3.6L F6 456hp - $181,254
Timeless styling and exhillirating performance, but way smaller and less exclusive than any other vehicle

----------------------------------------
HAN Take

Pros: Beautiful styling, classic front engine Ferrari V12, Turns heads everywhere you go (I should know ), an ideal GT tourer, available with a sequential 6 speed auto that shifts faster than the manual, luxurious and classy interior

Cons: Weight weight weight weight, an aging model, horrible reliability that us H/A owners could never understand, price, outrageous options (13 grand for a Borla exhaust system?)

98CoupeV6

98CoupeV6

Whelp, my vote goes to the Ferrari. Why? Plain and simple...the sound of its engine. That damn V12 sounds so sweet. I'd listen to it every night while trying to go to sleep if I could. Its interior is the best of the group IMO, especially those gauges. I love those things :thumbup: That chronograph style is really cool and functional. I'd take the 6 spd over the auto any day, even if the auto is faster...the paddles seem like no fun to me.

The Vanquish is a really cool car, and its design is my favorite (very cool in person as well), but it doesn't come with a 6 speed and the interior has touches of Ford parts bin. The Benz is just not sporty enough and no 6 speed. The Porsche doesn't have a nice enough interior not the style/exclusivity of the others. The Lambo is very, very, very cool but the interior is sorta garish and it's really never appealed to me very much, I dunno why. No Lambo has.

It'd be very interesting to see Honda try to make a vehicle in this class. A large V6 with IMA would put out 400-450 HP, but obviously "Acura" nor "Honda" have the panache to sell $150,000 cars. Oh well. I guess that's why Toyota made Scion

98CoupeV6

And BTW, would you guys rather see more cars like this in the future (sports cars from the Carerra to the Enzo), or should we stay with cars in our price ranges?

Edit: Notice the butterfly valves in the exhaust? Very cool :thumbup:

Honda/NissanFan

Why wasn't the NSX included. If I had to choose I would get the cheaper car and i think that would be the NSX. And doesnt it do 0-60 in the 4 sec range.

MrFatbooty

If I had to get just one: Porsche GT2. Light weight, great power, no gimmickry. I mean it's not really worth comparing it to the Maranello though, two completely different cars. Now if I could get my hands on something a bit closer to the Prodrive ALMS GTS-class car then maybe I'd be swayed towards the Ferrari.

98CoupeV6

Since when are you concerned about value? So you would take an NSX over a 550 Maranello if you had a million bucks? Oh kay, H/N.

The NSX is lacking the style, price, exclusivity, and performance. I considered it, but it does not fit in this category.

MFB, the GT2 is awesome. I had the privledge to ride in a stock one at Watkins Glen last year during Porsche Class, and lemme tell you the thing flat out flew. What an amazing bare bones racer.

yianni64

What a sweet sweet car of the week. great job.

I chose the Lambo. It's just so fast.

Not that I care but youd get more looks in the Murcielago compared to any of those other cars. I'd take it in black.

fastball

I chose the Lambo as well. I was 10 feet away from two Murcielagos at the Detroit auto show in January. Let me tell you: there is not a more sexy, stunning, exotic, and beautiful car on the planet. My opinion, but the Murcielago is just an improvment on the Diablo, and the glorious Countach. Now, I can remember drooling and dreaming about the Countach before I found women, and the Murcielago ranks right up there. Oh, yeah - the two cars were black and yellow, and they had an engine on display between the two of them. God that was good!

yianni64

Yup, I think I saw the same two ones. They were serioulsy stunning. I thought Diablo's were ok, but it blows them away. Oh, and I've seen and heard one on the road, it sounded so powerful, but not as amazing as a Ferrari V12.