The 200 mph front engine rear gearbox 550 Maranello road model was introduced in 1996 with a 485 hp 5474 cc / 334 cui 4 valve quad cam V12 motor that could take the GT car from zero to 62 mph in 4.5 secs.

Prodrive prepared a batch of 20 550 Maranello GTS’s for racing in Europe and the States where they were regular winners in the GT/GTS class in 2001.

In 2003 another Prodrive 550 Maranello GTS beat the Corvettes by 10 laps at the Le Mans 24 hour race coming home 10th overall.

This chassis has taken part in at least 42 Races in the GT/GTS class for at least four different teams from 2002 to 2006 it has never recorded an out right win but has scored several class wins.

In 2004 this chassis (Prodrive 03) driven by Darren Turner, Rickard Rydell and Colin McRae came in 9th overall at Le Mans but was beaten by two Corvettes which finished 16 and 5 laps ahead respectively.

Today’s featured Celebrity Car has been driven by a number of well known drivers including Colin McRae former World Rally Champion, Rickard Rydell former British Touring Car Champion, Alain Menu former British Touring Car Champion, Luc Alphand former World Cup Skiing Champion and Dakar winner, David Brabham, former Japanese GT Champion and Le Mans winner 2009, Jan Magnussen, former Danish Touring Car Champion, Danica Patrick queen of IRL and NASCAR, Darren Manning IRL driver, Christophe Bouchut 1993 Le Mans Winner, and one of my former racing instructors Tim Sugden former British and Asia Pacific GT Champion.

Thanks for joining me on today’s “Celebrity Car” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow, when I’ll be looking at a Formula One Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !