Head to Head – Ferrari 550 Maranello vs BMW 850CSi

We bang on about the ’80s quite a bit here at Car & Classic. Not only was it a truly outstanding time for cars, music and movies but a lot of us on staff are children of that most radical of decades too, to coin a phrase. It’s peak nostalgia for many but having gained a little more wisdom as well as a touch more sophistication over the ensuing years we also have quite the soft spot for ’90s culture as well, especially where modern classics are concerned, and rather notably, V12 GT cars like the Ferrari 550 and BMW 850CSi, to name but two.

With the Seattle grunge sound filling the airwaves a smaller but no less dazzling spotlight had also fallen on the not so humble grand tourer. Yes, we remember the 1990s for hot hatches and fast Fords too, but it seems that everyone wanted a piece of the action when it came to producing slick, powerful GT cars and there was quite the choice for the discerning petrolhead who wanted a little bit of comfort and luxury to go along with their thumping performance.

From the Aston Martin DB7 and post-facelift Jaguar XJS, to Porsche’s first production V8, the 928, it was an exciting time in the grand automotive landscape. Even the Japanese were muscling in with the likes of the Honda NSX and it marks a bygone era when manufacturers could still let their creative juices flow to produce some wonderfully individual and beautiful sports cars, laden with cutting edge tech and oodles of blistering performance, all capable of devouring huge distances in acclaimed comfort.

Well, for the latest entry in our Head to Head series we thought we’d pick two of these magnificent motors and pitch them against each other to see which one comes out on top, and lucky for you lot we have examples of both available at the time of writing via our auctions platform. Whilst most may immediately back the prancing horse, you may be surprised to learn that the Bavarian beast has more in common with the Italian stallion than you think so study our skirmish and then get bidding. Seconds out!

Unveiled in 1996 the 550 was technically Ferrari’s successor to the Daytona, or 365 GTB/4 to give it its official moniker. “But that car came out way back in ’68 you bumbling idiot”, we hear you cry. Yes, it did, but after the Daytona ceased production in ’73, Ferrari moved to a rear/mid-engined set up for its next bunch of sports cars, beginning with the Berlinetta Boxer before moving on to the Testarossa. It wasn’t until the 2-seater, V12 550 that Ferrari returned to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, a-la the Daytona.

Boasting 478bhp from that naturally aspirated F133 12-cylinder the 550 was Ferrari’s answer to the naysayers who (incorrectly as it would turn out) thought that a front-engined V12 was incapable of outperforming a mid-engined sports car. Well, with a 0-60 dash of 4.3seconds and a top speed of oh-so-close to 200mph the proof was in the rather tasty, Pininfarina designed pudding.

Debuting at the Nürburgring, rather fittingly for such a rapid beast we have to say, the 550 (named for its 5.5-litre capacity) possesses similar dimensions to the Daytona and the design inspiration is clear for all to see. With its long, sweeping bonnet and squat rear end it really is the spiritual successor to the 365 and thanks to that front engine layout presents as a far more usable alternative to its mid-engined predecessors.

Constructed using an aluminium body on a tubular steel spaceframe chassis the Ferrari 550, in a nod to the classic GT cars of old and an incredibly well-received feature, was fitted with a gated manual six-speed gearbox combined with a limited slip differential. It was and still is an incredibly well balanced car and the V12 remains one of Ferrari’s best with bags of smoothly delivered power and torque.

They really did get it right with this one and the car we have for sale is a stunning grey metallic 1997 model with less than 48K on the clock and full service history so head over to the listing for the full rundown. Tempting. Very tempting.

Pitting the Germans against the Italians in this particular bout we bring you the top of the line 8 Series BMW 850CSi. Developed at huge cost as BMW’s spiritual successor to the E24 6 Series, the E31 was the first and only 8 Series until the appearance of the G14 in 2018. Practically an M car without the badging the flagship E31 CSi, like the Ferrari 550 above, came equipped with a stonking great 5.6-litre V12 up front, sending 375bhp to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Perfection.

And much like its Italian counterpart the BMW is a masterclass in design. With its beautiful pillarless silhouette it still cuts quite the dash and you already know how we feel about pop up headlights! Hnnng. Swathed in sumptuous leather and with more buttons than Apollo 13 the 850CSi was laden with technological gadgetry; from four-wheel steering and electronic stability control to dual-zone climate control and electrically adjustable heated front seats, it’s all typical high-spec ’90s German.

Pretty heavy in the grand scheme of things the 850CSi handled better than it really had any right to though and the massive globs of power and torque meant it could still very much hustle when required. 60mph from parked comes up in a respectable 5.3 seconds (just one more than the Ferrari) and the car could comfortably cruise at an electronically governed 155 mph.

The example we have available is an unrestored (although with a recently serviced and tuned engine) Oxford Green Metallic ’95 model. Sleek and potent the BMW 850CSi still represents a hell of a lot of bang for buck and while perhaps arguably not as exclusive as the Ferrari it’s still an absolutely outstanding grand tourer while also being cheaper and easier to live with.