The 14 best Ferraris ever made

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona 

Introduced at the 1968 Paris Motor Show as a replacement for the 275 GTB/4, the 365 GTB/4 featured a 4,390cc bored out version of the 275's Colombo V12. Known as the Tipo 251, this engine produced 347 horsepower and 431Nm (318lb ft) of torque, giving the model a top speed of 174 mph and 0-60mph acceleration of just 5.4 seconds.

Featuring a revolutionary Pininfarina designed body, the 365 GTB/4 ditched the classic curves of its predecessors in favour of a sharp, edgier design. Originally, it featured headlights under an acrylic glass cover, which were later replaced with pop-up units. 

1,284 examples of this brutish grand tourer were produced from 1968 to 1973. Unofficially, it was dubbed the Daytona, in commemoration of Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with a 330 P3/4, a 330 P4 and a 412 P.

Ferrari 275 GTB rally car (1964)

Chassis 06003 is special in so many ways. Not only was it the first Ferrari 275 GTB ever built – the prototype and development car during the first years of 275 GTB production – but it was later fitted with auxiliary lights, reinforced glass, a 75 per cent locking differential, a modified hood, a third windshield wiper and second rear view mirror, and then entered into the 1966 Rallye Monte Carlo, raced by Giorgio Pianta and Roberto Lippi.

Powered by a 3,285cc Tipo 213 SOHC V12 Engine, the potent Ferrari made 265 horsepower and featured vacuum-assisted Dunlop disc brakes and independent suspension all round.

Following 25 years in a private collection, the 1964 Giallo Prototipo (Prototype Yellow) Ferrari 275 GTB went to auction earlier this year, with a guide price of $6,000,000 - $8,000,000. Sadly it failed to sell. Still, a 275 GTB rally car – who’d have thought it?

Ferrari Dino 246 GT 

Hailing from 1969, the Dino 246 GT was and still is one of the most iconic Ferraris ever. An improved version of the original Dino 206 GT, it featured a larger V6 engine and a lengthened wheelbase, refining what was already a hugely impressive machine. 

That 2.4-litre V6 produced 192 horsepower and 226Nm (167lb ft) of torque, giving the Dino a claimed 0-60mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 146mph. 

Sweeping lines and voluptuous curves made the Dino one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever, or so says Goodwood contributor Andrew Frankel, who once wrote: “Pininfarina has designed many beautiful cars for Ferrari but the Dino is rare among all cars in not having a single angle from which it is less than utterly gorgeous. Small, pretty yet also purposeful, it is a landmark in road car design.”

Ferrari Testarossa

Made famous by Miami Vice, the Testarossa is by far the most ‘80s Ferrari to make our list, with its angular design, pop-up headlights, and gill-like side air intakes. 7,177 units were built between 1984 and 1991, powered by a 4.9-litre longitudinally-mounted, flat-12, producing 390PS (289kW) and torque of 490Nm (361lb ft).

This potent powertrain allowed the Testarossa to accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, with an estimated 180mph top speed.  Some really hate the Testarossa’s looks, but, to our eyes, it oozes the very best ‘80s cool. 

On top of that though, hindsight has made us realise the Testarossa really is the good ‘80s supercar, that’s usable, comfortable, generally quite reliable and drivable on the road. Just look at Harry Metcalfe and has road trip to the Sahara! He wouldn’t have dared to do that in the Countach…

Ferrari F40 

No Ferrari favourites list would be complete without the F40, an iconic model that signalled the birth of the modern supercar and embodied Ferrari’s motorsport history and spirit in a road car. Built between 1987 and 1992, the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive car was designed to celebrate Ferrari's 40^th anniversary. 

At the time of launch it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive Ferrari ever, with an enlarged, 2.9-litre version of its 288 GTO predecessors twin-turbo V8 engine, producing 478PS (352kW) and 577Nm (426lb ft) of torque. It was widely believed those power figures were undersold, however, with many F40s being tested as having over 500PS (368kW).  

The Pininfarina-designed body featured panels made of Kevlar, carbon-fibre, and aluminium, with advantages to the car’s strength and a reduction in weight, while the windows were made of polycarbonate plastic. It’s thought by many to this day to be the ultimate analogue supercar, even above the McLaren F1 and Ferrari F50 that followed it.  

Ferrari F50

Personal preference for many however, is for the F50. Heavier though it may be, uglier to some (I think it’s prettier), you can’t deny the engine is just so much more exotic. It is of course a 500PS (368kW) 4.7-litre V12 distantly related to the one that powered the 1989 Ferrari 640 F1 car. That means it utterly screams.

It was also the first Ferrari to use a carbon tub and in the name of lightness and rigidity, had its V12 bolted directly to it. It is to this day the last mid-engined manual Ferrari V12 and that’s not expected to change any time soon. It’s a truly special thing that while critiqued when new, has come to garner a cult following, and multi-million-pound values to boot.

Ferrari 355

It was the 355 however, that brought the marque back onto the form many expected of it but hadn’t seen for many years. The first car to come out with the full oversight and demands of Luca di Montezemolo, the 355 blew everyone away as a competent, fast, well-made, beautiful supercar to once again lead its class.

The cutting-edge five-valve 3.5-litre V8 produced a sturdy 380PS (279kW) but it was also better and more stable to drive at middling speeds. This was a usable Ferrari owners could get out and enjoy in a wider variety of situations. It effectively kicked off an era of excellence, profitability and success in Maranello that continues to this day.

Ferrari 550 Maranello

Of course, the other side of the Ferrari coin is always a 12-cylinder GT car. With the 512M very much past its sell by date, the 550 Marnello, with its GTO-inspired stunning Pininfarina styling, long grand touring legs and big-chested V12 was a revelation.

It was considered a bit soft in its day, gradually being hardened up in subsequent 575 and 575M models, but looking back, many love the 550 for what it was. And it was something special, as not only the last manual-only V12-engined Ferrari, but the last manual-only Ferrari full stop. Again, it set the tone for a whole succession of steadily more mind-blowing V12-engined super GTs to follow.

Ferrari F430

There wasn’t much internet to break in 2004 when the Ferrari F430 debuted, but it broke the media, with its sheer all-round excellence. With 480PS (353kW) from its 4.3-litre V8, it was a bonafide 200mph car in the real world. With its new-fangled multi-facetted Manetino-controlled dynamics system, it had a personality for every situation.

And with its electronically-controlled limited-slip differential, it could flatter and challenge drivers in equal measure. Even its weakest link, the single-clutch F1 paddle-shift transmission, was actually pretty good. Lunges of progress like this continued with the 458 but the 430 was the car to pick the ball up again after the 360 slightly dropped it.

LaFerrari

Truthfully, most Ferraris were really quite excellent from the F430 onwards, save perhaps for that original California, but the LaFerrari arguably finished the job the 355 began. That job was a range of Ferraris that were excellent in almost all situations and in 2011, only the hypercar halo model was left to revolutionise. An F40 is reportedly a nasty thing to drive around slowly. The F50 supposedly rattles you to death. The Enzo is just harsh, with an irritable transmission. The LaFerrari? It’s every bit the dual-clutch, road-ready cruiser the FF is, minus perhaps some luggage space and of course, with a little more NVH.

It was the Ferrari hypercar without compromise – astonishing on track with truly biblical power, and with the majesty of those looks married to a howling V12 in the middle, that you could then drive home, drive to the shops, drive on a continent-crossing tour, in shocking comfort and refinement. We expect it was also (given what we know about its replacement, the F250,) the last V12-engined Ferrari halo model. 

Ferrari 458 Speciale 

Unveiled in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 458 Speciale was designed as a high-performance variant of the already potent 458 Italia, with forged wheels, a vented bonnet, finned side sills, a taller rear spoiler, and front and rear movable flaps and other aerodynamic elements. Together, these aspects gave the Speciale a distinctly muscular yet sleek appearance.

In terms of performance, a revised engine produced 613PS (451kW) at 9,000rpm and 540Nm (400lb ft) of torque at 6,000rpm, allowing the car to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds. At the time of its launch, the 458 Speciale’s power output of 133hp-per-litre set a world record for a road-going naturally aspirated engine.

Understandably, improved electronic systems were called for to deal with this level of power, while side slip angle control (SSC) was introduced in order to improve car control on the limit. It is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest Ferraris of all time.

Ferrari 812 GTS

Some may decry the omission of the F12, but truthfully, that car was only the beginning. What it would become was the 812 Superfast, a stunning long-legged super GT with the power of a hypercar. Its 6.5-litre V12 has all of 800PS (588kW) at its disposal and while that sounds like too much, the 812 deploys those numbers with decorum (and hooliganism, if you so wish).

200mph is academic for a grand tourer with such potency. Then, Ferrari went and finished the job by popping the top, making it arguably the ultimate all-round Ferrari of the last 25 years. The noise, the quality, the luxury, the performance, the looks. It does it all, as the SWB and 250 GT California did over 60 years ago.

Ferrari Roma

The entry-level Ferrari has been a tough one to crack, but Ferrari managed it with the Roma, ten years on from the California’s debut. Arguably the prettiest Ferrari of the post-Pininfarina era, it combined a 600PS (441kW) twin-turbo V8 with a svelte, sexy body and trick high-tech cabin, for a jack-of-all-trades two-seat sports GT. It doesn’t have the drama of the 812, but it’s also half the price. It’s far from half the Ferrari, though. Finally, a starter Ferrari we don’t have to make excuses for.

Ferrari 296 GTB

Downsizing, turbocharging, electrification. They’re trends seemingly antithetical to the cause of a truly emotive prancing horse-wearing Ferrari. And yet the 296 GTB -  an electrified, turbocharged Ferrari with a downsized V6 engine, is one of the very best of the last decade. This stunning machine, with looks inspired by the immortal 250LM, has what Ferrari calls the ‘Piccolo V12’, which translated means this V6 has the character of a tiny V12. And it really sounds the part, both inside and out.

The performance is spectacular, too, with the instant punch of electric (not to mention the potential for silent running) and the muscle of that turbocharged V6, adding up to 830PS (610kW). Too much? Not even a bit of it, with a chassis, suspension and electronics suite that handles its prodigious hypercar-baiting performance with aplomb.