The 50 Greatest Ferraris of All Time, Ranked

Even Ferrari couldn’t resist the siren call of the S.U.V. forever, not when buyers were snapping up the Lamborghini Urus, Bentley Bentayga, and Rolls-Royce Cullinan like they were going out of style. But Maranello insisted on going about the idea in its own way. The resulting crossover, debuted in 2022, is closer in size to a Subaru Crosstrek than any conventional sport-ute, and its 715 hp V-12 makes power the old-fashioned way, through revs and magic rather than forced induction. Sure, it has all-wheel drive and four doors—but it’s a Ferrari first, and everything else second.

Created as a heavy refresh of the 348 model introduced in the late 1980s, the F355 appeared in 1994 and carried the folding-headlamp look all the way up to the edge of the 21st Century. Many of the tweaks were focused on making the car a little more civilized and comfortable, but the F355’s real claim to fame was that it was the first production car to use a sequential manual gearbox inspired by Formula 1, which allowed shifts to be executed via paddles behind the wheel, and the clutch pedal was ditched entirely.

The latest of Ferrari’s front-engined V-8 gran turismos is, technically speaking, Maranello’s entry-level car, although the brand would likely insist that the actual starter Ferrari is a used Ferrari. But the Amalfi, introduced this past July, is even more elegant and refined than the sleek Roma that preceded it, and its twin-turbo 3.9-liter V-8 makes a more than adequate 631 hp.

Inspired by the 375MM found further down this list, the 612 Scaglietti of 2004 has an exterior that’s almost too pure, going without any obvious or ostentatious aerodynamic effects in favor of a classically clean design. It’s a proper four-seater, which means it is sizable for a coupe, but its 533 hp 5.7-liter V-12 provides more than enough thrust to fulfill its mission of crossing continents in speed to rival a bullet train.

Following up a car like the 550 Maranello / 575M would be a challenge for any marque, so Ferrari doubled down on what it knew best: the V-12 engine. Displacement grew a tad, to an even 6.0 liters—but more notably, output leapt from the 575M’s 508 hp to 612 hp. The 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano also wound up being the final regular series V-12 car to offer a traditional manual gearbox, and while most buyers chose the paddle-shift transmission instead, those few six-speed sticks now command whopping multiples of their original price on the used market.

Ferrari’s 250 series helped define the carmaker, delivering hit after hit from the early 1950s all the way into the mid-1960s. The Europa GT version that debuted in 1954 boasts a feature none of its siblings can claim, however: it was the first car out of Maranello to be considered a gran turismo, an elegant high-speed coupe tailored more for long, fast blasts on highways than attacking a road course. That body style, and the ever-so-slight shift in focus away from pure competition machines and more towards road use, has been a signature of Ferrari’s lineup ever since.

Somewhat unremarkable in many ways, at least by Ferrari standards, this machine makes the list by virtue of being the first turbocharged road car out of Maranello. While most parts of the world could buy a Ferrari 308 with a 2.9-liter V-8, a few countries—Italy included—had begun heavily taxing cars with engines above 2.0 liters by the early 1980s, so Ferrari responded by making a 2.0-liter V-8 and calling the car the 208. That proved a dog, so the automaker quickly added turbos in 1982. It was the first time the power-enhancing technology would be used on a Ferrari, but far from the last.

Mid-engined cars with more than two seats are a rarity these days, but they were a staple of Maranello’s lineup for a couple of decades, eventually terminating with the Mondial. The model, debuted in 1980, went through several refreshes over its 13-year life, with the engine’s displacement rising from 2.9 liters to 3.4 liters, and output climbing from 210 hp to 300 hp. The final version, the Mondial t, also offered a transmission type now left to history: a clutch-less stick shift, where the driver operates the lever as in a regular manual, but the car handles the clutching behind the scenes.

Marking a new entry into the series-production lineup when it arrived in 2019, the SF90 carved out a space above the likes of the F8 but below the rare hypercars. Ferrari’s first series-production plug-in hybrid, it’s fit with a 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 and three electric motors to pump out 986 hp. That, as well as all-wheel drive and a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, make it quick enough to do the zero-to-60 mph dash in 2.0 seconds, according to independent testing.

Purists can quibble about whether a Dino counts as an actual Ferrari (it does), but there’s no arguing that the 1967 Dino 206 GT, named after Enzo’s dearly departed son, is a breathtakingly styled model. It also marked the arrival of Maranello-made offerings with six-cylinder engines, which would go on to see a resurrection at Ferrari in the 21st Century after Formula 1 switched over to V-6 hybrids.

When the time came to replace the long-running 458/488/F8 series, Maranello made an unorthodox decision to ditch the V-8 layout of those models and replace it with a plug-in-hybrid, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 setup. Sure, weight climbed a bit over its predecessor, but the maximum output of 819 hp for the 296 GTB, introduced in 2021, more than made up for the difference. The 296 GTB also features performance tech and tricks such as a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a Chassis Dynamic Sensor. The latter measures movement in three dimensions and predictively tweaks the myriad electronics for maximum performance.

While it may technically have been a racing machine, the 1953 Ferrari 375 Mille Miglia (MM) came into existence in those halcyon days when the line between competitive track cars and street-legal machines was blurry, to say the least. Ingrid Bergman drove one, ordered special with a unique body by her director husband. Its 4.5-liter V-12 pumps out a mighty (for the era) 335 hp, with performance aided by the fact that the car weighs less than a ton without fluids.

Throughout the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, Ferrari refrained from building traditional open-top variants of its front-engined V-12 sports cars, instead making unique variants in smaller quantities with massaged looks (and, of course, a higher price). The F60 America, unveiled in 2014, was the last of this series, using the F12berlinetta to create a 10-off run of roadsters with a handsome, unique design and a very neat, asymmetrically colored cabin . . . as well as a $2.5 million price.

The regular 488 was, in effect, just a midlife update of the 458 with a newly turbocharged engine. Then, in 2018, its sharpened Pista variant distinguished itself with gleefully extroverted styling designed to increase downforce. The Pista is also 200 pounds lighter and carries a version of Ferrari’s 3.9-liter turbo V-8 making 710 hp, 40 hp more than the “regular” 488 GTB and GTS. It would be the last of the sharpened mid-engined V-8 variants, as the subsequent generation never offered such a model, and the one after that ditched eight-cylinder power altogether.

Ferrari’s second generation of proper front-engined two-seat GT cars helped define the effortless cool that swept up so much of culture in the mid-1960s. The 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB and GTS boast Pininfarina-penned bodies that ooze sex appeal, particularly in “long nose” form. A 3.3-liter V-12 making 276 hp is under the hood, mated to a five-speed transmission that, for the first time, was located in the rear for better weight distribution. Ultimately, though, it’s those looks that land the 275 here.

While the 365 GT4 2+2 may have brought Maranello’s four-seat V-12 gran turismo properly into the 1970s, it was the changes that came with the change in name to 400 GT that refined the concept to perfection in 1976. The 400 GT was smoother and cleaner, and for the first time, there was no need to shift in a Ferrari; while a five-speed stick was on offer, the carmaker also offered a version with a three-speed automatic, courtesy of General Motors.

The successor to the Dino once again wore the Prancing Horse, and with it came eight-cylinder power, of course. But while it’s the bodies of its predecessors were characterized by swinging curves circa the 1960s, the 308 GTB of 1975 was all straight lines, from its roof to the NACA ducts in its flanks to the sloping front hood with foldaway headlamps. While other Ferraris would go on to outperform it, few would match its cultural cache, as the 308 jumped to fame as the hero’s ride on eight seasons of Magnum, P.I.

As the name might have made clear, Ferrari’s America series of models were made with the United States and Canada in mind. This run of front-engined, V-12 powered coupes and convertibles stretched for more than 15 years, but it was the inaugural one, the 1950 Ferrari 340 America, that led the charge, showing just how much opportunity there was in the American market for Enzo’s racing-bred machines.

The latest member of Maranello’s exclusive front-engined, two-seat V-12 club, the 12Cilindri was announced in 2024. It stands out with a Daytona-inspired design that includes a mandatory black band between its retro-modern headlamps. But the heart and soul of any 12-cylinder F-car is under its hood, and the 6.5-liter motor here is one for the ages: not only does it make 819 hp without any electrical or forced induction help, but it revs all the way to a 9,250 rpm in the process.

When it launched in 2009, the 458 Italia proved once and for all that Ferrari had learned the hard lessons imparted to it by the Acura NSX over a decade before. Honda’s supercar had proven that world-class dynamics and performance could coexist with an easy-to-drive nature, and while Ferrari’s F355 and 360 before it made some progress towards that end, it was only with the 458 that the goal was fully achieved. One key to that was the new dual-clutch paddle-shift transmission, replacing the sequential manual gearbox known for harsh shifts in many circumstances. The new transmission responded more quickly and reduced involuntary head banging in the car’s cabin.

While Maranello is known first and foremost for proper two-seat sports cars, the Ferrari lineup usually has at least one model in the mix capable of carrying four people, albeit with varying degrees of comfort. That line was pioneered by the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT/E, also known as the 250 GT 2+2. Power comes from, of course, a front-mounted V-12, this one making 236 hp. Nearly 1,000 examples were made over the machine’s three-year lifespan—a massive number for the company at the time, and a fiscal lifeline to the small sports-car builder.

The successor to the 612 Scaglietti, the 2011 Ferrari FF was quite removed from the front-engined V-12 four-seaters the marque had made before. Yes, the engine remained a 12-cylinder mounted up front, but to improve space and practicality, Ferrari ditched the coupe body for a shooting brake—a three-door station wagon. Oh, and for the first time in a production car out of Maranello, the V-12’s power went to all four wheels. The unconventional name was an allusion to that, the initials standing for “Ferrari Four;” it’s best not to think about the fact that the car’s proper name, then, is Ferrari Ferrari Four.

Effectively a heavy-duty, front-to-back update of the F12berlinetta, the 812 premiered in 2017—built upon everything about its predecessor while adding more to the mix. The coupe version resurrected the unmistakably awesome name of “Superfast;” the droptop GTS marked a return to series-production, open-top front-engined V-12s from Maranello, offering a folding power hardtop to let the sun and engine noise in. Either way, drivers can bask in the glory of the car’s 6.5-liter mill making 789 hp at 8,500 rpm.

The only way to have an open-top 599, other than being connected enough for a one-off or handy enough to work a Sawzall, was to snap up one of the 80 examples of the SA Aperta, debuted in 2010 to celebrate father-and-son designers Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina. The engine came from the extreme 599 GTO and the exhaust from the even more extreme 599XX track car, but the removable soft top suggested a far less hardcore mission. (Though the V-12 no doubt sounded incredible with the top gone . . .)

The first in the line of Berlinetta Boxers (hence the “BB” in its name), the 1971 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB saw the arrival of the flat-12 engine found in the marque’s racers of the era. Between the new engine design and mid-mounted positioning, the car marked a drastic change from the 365 GTB/4 Daytona it replaced, and the design shifted enough to make it clear that this wasn’t your daddy’s Ferrari.

Not to be confused with the front-engined V-12 series of 250s (Ferrari nomenclature can get messy), the 1963 Ferrari 250 LM was a mid-engined Prancing Horse made to enable Maranello to homologate its new GT racing car in the early 1960s. Racing’s governing body wasn’t having it, forcing the car to compete in the more extreme prototype class instead. It never wound up selling well, even by 1960s Ferrari standards, but it did point the way toward the mid-engined future of the brand while looking absolutely gorgeous in the process.

Having found quite a bit of success building one-offs for its most exclusive clientele, Ferrari found itself asking if it could thread the needle between those bespoke builds and the series-production models with unique limited-run machines. The resulting line was dubbed “Icona,” and the 2018 Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 were the first fruits of that labor. Effectively 812 Superfast barchettas beneath the skin, the looks are unlike any other modern F-car, thanks to a lack of a windshield—and, in the case of the SP1, a single seat.

Only two examples of the 125 S, Ferrari’s first car with its own in-house engine, were ever built, and while they were technically made for racing, their limited number and the free-form nature of the postwar Italy they emerged from back in 1947 allow for enough wiggle room that it sneaks onto the list. It, of course, used a V-12, but the engine displaced just 1.5 liters; then again, considering it weighed under a ton, even with two people aboard, its 118 hp was enough to help it win six races its debut year, including the Grand Prix of Rome.

Perhaps no Ferrari has ever looked as elegant as its final 2+2 gran turismo of the 20th century. Penned by fabled Italian design house Pininfarina, the 1992 Ferrari 456 and its midlife update, the 1998 Ferrari 456M, would look equally at home in the 1960s or today, with swept-back lines and the refined proportions only a front-mounted V-12 could bring. For only the second time to that point, one of Maranello’s ponies offered a conventional automatic transmission, but that four-speed gearbox, while convenient, made it more difficult to fully appreciate the joys of the 436 hp, 5.5-liter 12-cylinder engine.

With the arrival of the 21st century in sight, Ferrari realized it was time to finally put away the old bones of the 348/F355 and create an all-new mid-engined car. A new aluminum chassis was developed, the V-8 saw revisions that pushed it to the brink of 400 hp, and the whole suite of wonders was wrapped in a sultry new body that ditched the flip-up headlight trend for good. The 1999 Ferrari 360 Modena and the 2000 Ferrari 360 Spider also saw the six-speed automated manual gearbox begin to take precedent over the gated stick, with most buyers opting for the faster, F1-inspired shifts of the paddles.

The 2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta replaced the 599 GTB, making up for its predecessor’s visual oddities by being clad in some of the most elegant bodywork to come out of Pininfarina’s studio in ages. Its 6.3-liter V-12 delivers 730 hp, vastly overpowering the likes of its closest competitor, the Aston Martin Vanquish, and its dual-clutch gearbox was, at the time, far superior to the sequential manuals found in past flappy paddle Ferraris. But of course, it could still fulfill the grand touring part of its super-GT brief, coming with an elegant, comfortable interior ideal for crossing continents, even at 200 mph.

“The Scud,” as the 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia became known, was in many ways a refinement of the recipe set by the previous 360 Challenge Stradale: take the brand’s mid-engined V-8 car, cut mass, add power. The former involved a 220-pound weight-loss program, while the latter brought the 4.3-liter V-8 to 503 hp. But the 430 Scuderia saw the arrival of the electronic limited-slip differential out back, which helped actively push power where needed to give the car an impressive boost in agility.

One glance at the 2015 Ferrari F12tdf made it clear this was a car that came to dominate, from its sharklike maw up front to the 250 GTO–inspired gills on its bulging fenders. Its 6.3-liter V-12 makes 769 hp, but more crucial to its character, Ferrari designed it to be a little sketchier in turns than most of its creations, only to use its new rear-wheel steering system to steady the TdF’s hand. To this day, it’s known as a mean machine that’s more likely to bite the hand that feeds it than most newer Ferrari models, which only adds to its reputation and appeal.

To set apart the more aggressive version of the 458 Italia, Ferrari chose to use something of a cheeky name. Of course, the moniker of the 2013 Ferrari 458 Speciale was hardly the only thing special about this sports car. Its 4.5-liter V-8 was dialed up to punch out 597 hp at a 9,000 rpm, while the aerodynamics were revised to both increase downforce when wanted and reduce drag when that was preferred, as well as make the car look even nastier. And a new feature called side-slip control enabled even novice drivers to slide through corners like Ken Block.

The final member of Ferrari’s original run of front-engine-V-12 two-seaters, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” still looks unique to this day. Though it appeared in 1968, its headlights and shrink-wrapped sheetmetal now look purely 1970s, hinting at how big an influence it had on the world of automotive design. Its 4.4-liter V-12 pumps out 347 hp, enough to push the car to a top speed of 174 mph, if the driver was brave enough. In convertible GTS/4 form, it also had a role in early seasons of Miami Vice—although a rebooted Corvette was used for most of the shots, leading Maranello to ask show creator Michael Mann to destroy it. The choice of a rocket launcher, presumably, was not Ferrari’s.

The 2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale marked the start of a new tradition for Maranello—creating standalone, razor-sharpened variants of its mid-engined mainstream (or at least as mainstream as a Ferrari can be) machines. To create it, Ferrari took the regular 360 Modena and shaved off all the weight it could, tossing out sound deadening material, replacing glass with plexiglass, and trading body panels, wheels, seats, and even power-train parts for lighter versions. The 3.6-liter V-8 delivers 419 hp at 8,500 rpm, but putting its punch in perspective also requires remembering the car weighs just a ton and a half.

It may simply look like the regular 599 GTB, though wearing gently revised bodywork, but the 2010 Ferrari 599 GTO—the third Prancing Horse to wear the GTO badge—is in fact a raging beast of a road car that ranks among the most aggressive front-engined sports cars ever sold in showrooms. Closely related to the 599XX track machine, it weighs in around 220 pounds less than its more conventional GT counterpart, yet its 6.0-liter V-12 puts out an extra 50 hp for a menacing 660 hp. (It’s also, in this author’s opinion, the best-looking front-engined Ferrari ever.)

The latest Ferrari hypercar, just unveiled in 2024, represents a sea change versus its range-topping predecessors. Those cars made do with V-8s or V-12s, but the F80’s internal-combustion power plant counts just six cylinders within its 3.0-liter displacement. It’s also the first of its elite breed to boast all-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel-only propulsion, thanks to a pair of electric motors up front—one for each wheel. The total output of 1,184 hp, however, remains unquestionably impressive—as does the cutting-edge aerodynamics that can deliver more than 2,300 pounds of downforce.

When it came time to build the next car in the line established by the venerable F40 and F50, Maranello chose a name that set the standard incredibly high by giving it the moniker of the automaker’s founder, Enzo Ferrari. The 2003 Enzo model was the first Ferrari supercar to use active aerodynamics, which were wrapped up in rolling origami bodywork unlike any car from the brand before. And, naturally, nothing less than Il Commendatore’s beloved V-12 would do, in this case a new 6.0-liter version with an output of 651 hp and the ability to rev to 8,200 rpm.

When the LaFerrari launched, many fans complained that the hybrid hypercar would have been better if unencumbered by the electrical half of its power train. Well, Maranello gave them something close to that with the 2021 Ferrari Daytona SP3, the second car in the exclusive Icona series. Built on a modified LaFerrari chassis, its 829 hp, 6.5-liter V-12 engine sits amidships of a body designed as a retro-modern take on the brand’s 1960s-era Le Mans racers. It currently holds the record for most expensive new Ferrari sold at auction, with one selling for charity at the 2025 Monterey Car Week for $26 million. 

Ferrari’s history has plenty of convertibles, but few true barchettas, a term which sounds like a crunchy Italian appetizer but actually refers to an open car without any sort of folding top. The 2000 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina—the first open-top 12-cylinder of any type from the marque in decades until then—came with a manually affixed emergency cloth lid meant for limping home in the rain. Yet the Barchetta Pininfarina was meant to be driven topless, with nothing but air and the engine note of its 478 hp, 5.5-liter V-12 tickling the driver’s ears. As for top speed, that’s 186 mph.

Yes, in this case, the mainline production car is ahead of its limited-run convertible version on the list. The reason is that the 1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello’s arrival was one of the heralds of the Ferrari of today, the one building cars with both world-beating performance and everyday usability. It marked a return to the front-engined V-12 cars that originally defined the brand, melding the classic layout with a design that paid homage to the past without ever being retro. The 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello facelift that followed merely tweaked around the edges; improving on a car so close to perfect was nearly impossible.  

In spite of Ferrari’s many legendary machines, there’s simply no car more closely associated with the marque than the Testarossa. One of a handful of Maranello’s cars to go without a number in its name, it boasts an aesthetic that became an instant classic, and remains an icon of design to this day—helped in no small part by the car’s appearances in the TV show Miami Vice and the Out Run video game. And the 4.9-liter flat-12 engine’s 380 hp gave it enough punch to back up its streamlined looks; the car that appears to be doing 100 mph standing still can actually top out at around 180 mph.

Following in the tire marks of the F40 was no easy task, so the 1995 Ferrari F50 took a slightly different tact. The ridiculous proportions were similar, but the new car looked more organic and slippery than the brutalist F40. While the 1980s supercar used forced induction and eight cylinders, its 1990s successor opted for a naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V-12 that makes 513 hp at 8,500 rpm. And while Maranello made more than 1,200 examples of the F40 (over thrice the planned output), the company held fast on the numbers for its F50, building just 349 examples to ensure it stayed rare in perpetuity.

This droptop’s place in the top 10, admittedly, is in part due to its supporting role in the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—a part so iconic, Lewis Hamilton edited himself into the movie to celebrate his signing with the Scuderia. But even without the help of John Hughes and Matthew Broderick, the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider would belong on any list of great Ferraris; the gorgeous Scaglietti bodywork is enough to see to that.

Remarkably, Ferrari’s lineup seemed too tame in the early 1980s, what with the likes of nearby Lamborghini blowing everyone’s minds with the Countach. But in a twist, rather than compete by using a V-12 like Lambo (and like Ferrari had long put in its most powerful cars), Maranello decided to turn to turbocharging, which had proven extremely effective in Formula 1. The end result, the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO, was the 308 GTB turned up to at least 11, with far more aggressive styling and a 2.9-liter V-8 that, thanks to forced induction, cracked out 395 hp.

Only one Ferrari could ever be worthy of simply being named “The Ferrari,” and it was the company’s 2010s-era hypercar. Maranello’s first hybrid, the Ferrari LaFerrari combines a 6.3-liter V-12 with an electric motor to put it within spitting distance of 1000 hp, all wrapped in exotic bodywork that looks straight out of a Marvel movie. One of the clear stars of the second era of hypercars, the LaFerrari would still be legendary if it were revealed today; the fact that it came out in 2013 makes it even more remarkable.

Enzo cut his teeth making race cars, and that’s where his heart always lay, but the Ferrari of today wouldn’t exist without the company’s very first proper gran turismo, the 1948 Ferrari 166 Inter, designed first and foremost for use on the road. Its frame, engine, and suspension were shared with the racers of the day, but buyers could choose from a variety of coach builders to sculpt the body they wanted, putting plenty of visual distance between it and the cars competing at Le Mans.

The 250 series produced plenty of greats, but the GOAT of its line is unquestionably the Ferrari 250 GTO introduced in 1962—the first Ferrari to ever wear those three letters huddled together. The road car was made so the endurance racer could meet homologation standards, and its 296 hp V-12 made it a beast on track and street alike. But it was the flowing, sensual bodywork that made it a true legend. Combine all that with its rarity (only 36 were made), and the fact that they sell for mid-to-high eight figures doesn’t seem as shocking as it might.

The last car that Enzo ever personally approved and created to celebrate four decades of Maranello road cars, the 1987 Ferrari F40 also created the entire category of the modern supercar. Even 40-plus years after its arrival, the fact that its twin-turbo V-8 squeezes 477 hp out of just 2.9 liters seems remarkable. Its claimed top speed of 201 mph made it the first production car to break the double-century mark. It looked like nothing that had come before, and nearly every automaker on Earth has been trying to equal its cool ever since.