You could see where Ferrari had gone for inspiration when the 550 Maranello was shown to the press at the Nürburgring in July 1996 without needing a deerstalker. There are merely two seats in a luxuriously equipped cockpit, a large, naturally aspirated V12 engine up front, a tall, thrusting bonnet, a short, clenched tail, four round taillights, and these characteristics. The Daytona was revived on a spiritual, mental, and material level by the Maranello.

The decision to switch to a front-engine design for Ferrari's next series-production flagship was made by president Luca di Montezemolo, ending a 23-year run of flat-12 mid-engined supercars that included the Berlinetta Boxer, Testarossa, and F512M. He believed a front-engined super-GT would be more practical and easier to drive than a mid-engined exotic, and he was completely correct. In reality, the 812 Superfast of today still abides by the model established by the 550 Maranello more than 20 years ago.

The name was a combination of Ferrari's hometown and the 5.5-liter V12 engine's size. In addition to taking aesthetic inspiration from the Daytona, Lorenzo Ramaciotti of Pininfarina gave the 275 GTB, which was that car's forerunner, a visual salute with the gills in the front wings. This was Ferrari proudly channeling the spirit of its storied berlinettas from the 1960s.