After more than 20 years of Ferrari placing the V-12 in the middle of its flagship cars, the debut of the front-engine 550 Maranello in 1996 marked a return to form for the brand.

In 2002, the 550 Maranello was replaced by the 575M, which was a heavily revised version of the outgoing model.
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Although the new model looked largely the same on the outside, it featured new headlights, a larger hood scoop, and numerous small aerodynamic tweaks to increase efficiency.
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Under the hood sat a 5.7-liter V-12, producing 508 hp and 434 lbs./ft.

of torque, which, when paired with improved aerodynamics, was enough to push the 575M’s top speed past 200 mph.

But the most widely discussed difference was the choice of gearbox.
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With the 550 Maranello, the only option was a six-speed manual, while the 575M was the first V-12 Ferrari offered with either the conventional six-speed gated manual or a paddle-shift F1 automated manual gearbox.

This $10,000 option became the default for the vast majority...