Ferrari 575M Maranello Drivertrain

Optional F1 transaxle

The 575M Maranello is the first road-going Ferrari fitted with the electro-hydraulic "F1" control unit. Aside from the clutch, the entire system is mounted at the rear of the car to minimise response time and ensure a favourable operating temperature. The F1 gearchange on the 575M Maranello has been refined in order to produce maximum efficiency from the use of the manual levers mounted on the back of the steering wheel, giving the best response for sports driving. The driver has two main ways of changing gear manually via the console-mounted controls: a more sporting setting and one aimed at a more relaxed driving style. Both are linked to an analogue control of the suspension damping. The principal benefits of the F1 change on the 575M Maranello are a quicker gear change coupled with control of the damping when gears are selected. Along with the manual F1 change, which Ferrari has produced as the primary use of the electro-actuated transmission, there are two further driver-selectable settings: fully automatic and low grip. A third mode (super fast), is automatically activated at very high throttle angles and speeds, changing gears faster than is possible with a conventional gearbox.

The co-ordinated management of the F1 gearbox setting, combined with the dampers and traction control, allows the driver to select a directed strategy for the cars behaviour at the touch of a button. One may choose either maximum sportiness (Sport setting) or outstanding comfort (Regular setting). An electronic control unit identifies the demands of the driver and assesses the operating conditions of the vehicle via a series of sensors, and then manages gear changes, controlling the clutch (there is no clutch pedal), gearbox and engine torque directly. The adoption of the Fl gearbox on the 575M Maranello is particularly noteworthy because of its ability to manage the extremely high torque and power peculiar to Ferrari 12-cylinder engines, a goal that required the detailed, precise fine-tuning of the F1 gearbox to match the characteristics of the new car.

The F1 control system improves on the following aspects of a conventional gearbox:
- Speeds up gear changes both up and down, and even allows the driver to change gears while accelerating it allows gear selection without removing ones hands from the steering wheel
- Improves the efficiency of the entire action because of the elimination of the clutch pedal
- Promotes safety by preventing driver error
- Protects the transmission and engine from over-revving caused by incorrect gear changes.

Co-ordinating operation of the F1 gearchange system with the damper system control also makes it possible to limit pitching during gear changes, increasing traction and maintaining a correct aerodynamic ride set-up. The Fl device keeps the driver constantly informed about the state of the system and the gear engaged via a special multiple signal cluster located at the centre of the main instrument panel.