4.7L V12 (naturally aspirated) supplies 513 hp through RWD. The F50 weighs 2,712 lb, starts around $475K, and is listed at 1995 model-year specification. The catalog lists 0–60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a 202 mph top speed.
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Performance, build, and ownership-cost composite.
The Ferrari F50 is one of those cars best understood by what its maker chose to prioritise. 4.7L V12 (naturally aspirated) supplies 513 hp through RWD. The F50 weighs 2,712 lb, starts around $475K, and is listed at 1995 model-year specification. The catalog lists 0–60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a 202 mph top speed.
Under the bonnet sits a 4.7L V12 (naturally aspirated), sending 513 hp to a RWD driveline. That's enough for 3.7 seconds to 60 mph and a 202 mph maximum — figures that say as much about the gearing and aerodynamics as they do about the engine. At roughly 2,712 lb it carries about 5.3 lb per horsepower, which is the number that actually predicts how it feels on a road rather than on a spec sheet.
A few things worth knowing mechanically. Dry weight — 2,712 lb.
The supercar segment is the most competitive part of the performance market — mid-engined or front-engined, priced in six figures, and judged on how it feels rather than only on how quickly it laps. At around $475,000, the F50 is priced as a considered, low-volume purchase, and our value score of 7.3/10 reflects what you get for that against its direct rivals rather than against the market as a whole.
It isn't the obvious choice in its class, and that's usually the most interesting position to occupy.
Practical guide for everything a new owner asks on day one — starting the car, finding the gear selector, drive modes, infotainment, driver aids, and easy-to-miss features.
Step on the brake, then press the red Engine Start button on the steering-wheel — left spoke. The car beeps, the cluster flashes, and the V8/V12 fires. On PHEV models (296/SF90), the start button engages eDrive silently; you must press 'eManettino → Performance' to wake the ICE.
Ferrari uses steering-wheel-mounted carbon paddles plus center-console buttons labeled R, Auto, M, and Launch — there is no traditional stick. Press the brake, then tap 'Auto' to engage drive or pull the right paddle to manually grab 1st. If you ordered the manual, the gate is dog-leg first-down on most performance variants — read the shift-knob diagram before you pull away cold.
There are no selectable drive modes. Throttle response, steering effort, brake feel, and damping are mechanical rather than software-configurable.
Analog gauge cluster centered on tachometer and speedometer; warning lights handle the rest. No reconfigurable digital layouts, no head-up display, no thumb-wheel menus.
Factory audio is AM/FM/cassette (CD changer on late-90s flagships). No touchscreen, no nav, no Bluetooth — connectivity features did not exist on the original car.
Electronic driver assistance is either absent or extremely limited by modern standards. Do not expect adaptive cruise, lane keeping, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, surround cameras, or stability-control intervention; leave extra space and warm the tires before driving quickly.
Premium unleaded (91 or 93 octane) is required on Ferrari performance models — the engine timing is set for it and lower octane causes audible knock and reduced power. Fuel-cap release is a button on the driver door panel; the cap is capless (just push the nozzle in).
Cut metal key with immobilizer chip on most post-1993 cars. No remote-app access, no shareable digital keys, no wallet credentials.
A few things every new owner tells us they wish they'd known on day one: