There are many different types of superlatives that could be equally applied to Ferraris and to custom choppers by their respective enthusiasts, and we’re not going to try to name all of them. But that’s probably why there have been so many efforts to blend the two, with varied results.

Ferrari had a hard act to follow when they set out to design a replacement for the universally acclaimed F355 model. Derived from the 348 model, the F355 was ready for replacement in 1999, but Ferrari did not discard everything from the ‘old’ model; the 40 valve V8 engine was pretty much carried over into the all new chassis. Dubbed the 360 Modena, the new vehicle was quite a departure from the styling that had evolved from the 308 all the way through to the F355.

The 550 Maranello was Ferrari’s version of the 12-cylinder Berlinetta, with an engine in front and a 21st century style and performance. The Ferrari 550 Maranello was a two-seat Gran Turismo sports car. The 550 Maranello was first introduced in 1996 and touted as a top of the market front-engine vehicle V12 coupe that had not been seen since the Daytona. The car shared its platform and 5.5-liter engine with the 2+2 456 model but was placed at Ferrari’s highest end model. In 2002 the 550 Maranello was replaced by the Modificata (modified) Ferrari 575M Maranello in 2002.