The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car engineered by Nicola Materazzi with styling by Pininfarina. Built from 1987 to 1993, it celebrated Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, and it was the last Ferrari personally approved by Enzo Ferrari.
Ferrari F40 at a glance
| Production | 1987–1993 (race cars to 1996) |
|---|---|
| Type | F120 |
| Engineer | Nicola Materazzi |
| Styling | Pininfarina |
| Engine | twin-turbocharged V8 |
| Power | 478 PS (352 kW; 471 hp) at 7,000 rpm |
| Torque | 577 N·m at 4,000 rpm |
| Planned production | 400 cars |
| Actual production | 1,311–1,315, of which 213 for the US |
| Price when new | about US$400,000 |
| Race versions | LM, Competizione, GTE |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); the video attached to the old record is no longer available, so the article has none.
History of the Ferrari F40
The F40 succeeded the 288 GTO, which had also been engineered by Nicola Materazzi, and was conceived to celebrate Ferrari’s fortieth anniversary. At the time it was Ferrari’s fastest, most powerful and most expensive car for sale, and it was the last Ferrari automobile personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. The car debuted with a planned production total of 400 units and a suggested retail price of about US$400,000 in 1987, five times the price of the 288 GTO it replaced.
How it began
As early as 1984 Materazzi had proposed to Enzo Ferrari the idea of using the Group B four-litre category, 2.8 litres if turbocharged, to prove the performance of new road cars which, with rising power, could no longer safely be used to the full on the road by ordinary buyers. Because Enzo Ferrari no longer controlled the production side of the business, Materazzi had to obtain permission from those who did before the project could go ahead.
Engine and numbers
The 478 PS and 577 N·m quoted by Ferrari for the F40 put it at the top of the range, and the turbocharged engine gave the car a character quite different from the naturally aspirated V8s and V12s around it. The styling by Pininfarina wrapped a light body around the engine, with a large fixed rear wing and a functional interior stripped of luxury.
Production and legend
Production far exceeded the original plan: between 1,311 and 1,315 cars were manufactured, 213 of them destined for the United States. The LM, Competizione and GTE race versions continued production from 1994 to 1996. The F40 quickly became a collectible: one belonging to the Formula One driver Nigel Mansell was sold in 1990 for a then record £1 million, a figure that stood into the 2010s.
Design and features
- Enzo’s last approval: the final Ferrari personally signed off by the company’s founder.
- Twin-turbo V8: 478 PS and 577 N·m, the most powerful Ferrari of its time.
- Anniversary car: built for Ferrari’s fortieth birthday in 1987.
- Collector status: a Mansell-owned example made £1 million in 1990.
- Race versions: LM, Competizione and GTE kept it in production to 1996.
Ferrari F40 versions
- F40 (1987–1993): the road car, 1,311–1,315 built.
- F40 LM: racing version, produced from 1994.
- F40 Competizione: competition version.
- F40 GTE: the final racing evolution, produced to 1996.
The F40 succeeded the 288 GTO and was followed by the Ferrari F50 and later the Enzo. More cars are in the Ferrari collection.
Sources
- Ferrari F40, English Wikipedia: origin, performance, production, price
