---
title: "Enjoy the Sights and V12 Sounds of a ProDrive Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS at Spa"
description: "There are track days, and then there's the Spa Classic."
date: "2017-06-02"
modified: "2017-06-02"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/11054/enjoy-the-sights-and-v-12-sounds-of-a-prodrive-ferrari-550-maranello-gts-at-spa"
categories:
  - "Ferrari News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "550"
  - "Ferrari"
  - "maranello"
  - "Prodrive"
  - "Spa Francorchamps"
---

# Enjoy the Sights and V12 Sounds of a ProDrive Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS at Spa

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/06/ferrari-1.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

There are simply not enough [naturally-aspirated V12](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8298/ferraris-v-12s-will-never-be-turbocharged-sergio-marchionne-says>) engines left in the world these days. Once upon a time it was de rigueur for supercar manufacturers to have double-digit cylinder counts in all their greatest creations, but in the age of hybrid-this and turbocharged-that, they're sadly beginning to fade away. And that's a damn shame, considering how drop-dead brilliant this ProDrive-built 2003 Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS sounded as it hit the track at last month's annual Spa-Francorchamps Classic.

This race-ready Ferrari was one of several [modified by the mad scientists at ProDrive](<https://www.fchgt.com/2002-prodrive-ferrari-550-gtc-for-sale/>) for a private Swiss racing team in the early 2000s, with the intent of competing in a variety of endurance racing series in Europe and the United States. To beat the factory Ferrari teams at their own game, ProDrive enlarged the V12 engine from 5.5 to 6.0 liters, added a sequential Xtrac gearbox, tightened the suspension, and crafted a more aerodynamic front splitter and rear wing.

The result was a series of championship victories across multiple series, including the former FIA GT in 2003 and 2004 and a GT1-class win at the [24 Hours of LeMans](<https://www.thedrive.com/vintage/4010/the-8-most-beautiful-le-mans-cars-of-all-time>) in 2003. The cars raced until around 2006, when they were retired and spread around to various lucky individuals. We're glad the current owners of this particular example see fit to wring it out on the track, and there are few places better than [Spa-Francorchamps](<https://www.thedrive.com/watch-this/10508/watch-this-sauber-mercedes-c11-shake-up-spa-francorchamps>) to do so.

https://youtube.com/embed/MGdCJLl_QP0

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)