When I started searching for a Ferrari that could fit both my vision and my budget, I decided that the 550-575 family checked all the boxes: front, twelve cylinder engines just like the – for me – unreachable earlier glorious models, with a short tail and a long nose. Four different vehicles were made between 1996 and 2006: the six speed 550 Maranello coupe, the soft top only 550 “Barchetta”, the 575 M coupe with the newly introduced “F 1” paddle shift system and the “targa” style 575 Superamerica. I couldn’t help wanting the more powerful and technically evolved 575 M, but just couldn’t get over the idea to drive an automatic Ferrari: I had to stay with a manual transmission. Also, my idea was to shoot for the rarest configuration of all: when I learned that only 246 575 M were made with a sticks hit manual transmission – and only 48 of those with US specifications – I knew I had found my grail, first Ferrari dream car.