Ferrari F40

Ferrari F40 at a glance

The F40 sits between the 288 GTO and the F50 in the line of Ferrari's limited "halo" cars (all models are in the Ferrari catalogue), and the story continues with the Ferrari Enzo and the LaFerrari. The wider history of the company is told in our history of Ferrari.

How the F40 was born

The idea came from engineering rather than marketing. Ferrari's chief engineer Nicola Materazzi had proposed a lighter, more powerful car on the 288 GTO base as early as 1984, when the GTO Evoluzione was being developed for the Group B racing class. When Group B was cancelled, the hardware and the know-how were still there.

The F40 project itself started on 10 June 1986. Enzo Ferrari wanted the car ready in eleven months; it took thirteen from the first meeting to the launch. Instead of a show debut at the Frankfurt motor show, the car was presented more than two months earlier, in Maranello. The original plan was to build around 400 cars, but demand was so strong that production finally reached more than three times that number.

The body was designed at Pininfarina by Pietro Camardella under the supervision of Aldo Brovarone. The shape follows function: a low nose, a large rear wing that is part of the body, NACA ducts for cooling and a clear engine cover through which the V8 can be seen. The drag coefficient is a modest 0.34 - the F40 was tuned for stability and cooling at speed, not for the lowest possible drag.

Engine and performance

The engine is a 2,936 cc V8 with a 90° angle between the cylinder banks, mounted lengthwise behind the cabin. Two turbochargers with intercoolers push it to 352 kW (478 PS) at 7,000 rpm in the European version; the US cars, homologated later, were rated at 356 kW (484 PS). Peak torque is 577 Nm at 4,000 rpm. Power goes to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox, with no electronic driver aids. Until 1990 the cars had no catalytic converter; it arrived when US rules required it.

The first independent measurement, published by the German magazine Sport Auto in September 1988, recorded 0–100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 321 km/h. Other magazines measured slightly less: Road & Track recorded 315 km/h for both European and US cars, Car and Driver 317 km/h. In tests at the Nardò ring the cars did not exceed 321 km/h. The F40 was not the fastest sports car in the world, but among cars built in series of more than 500 it held the top-speed crown until the Lamborghini Diablo arrived.

The twin-turbo V8 also closed an era: it was Ferrari's last turbocharged road engine until the California T of 2014.

Lightweight construction

Weight was the main enemy. The body uses Kevlar, carbon fibre and aluminium, and the windscreen and windows are polycarbonate. The first 50 cars had sliding Lexan side windows. Pirelli developed the P Zero tyre specifically for the car.

Dimensions are compact for a car of this performance: 4,430 mm long, 1,970 mm wide, only 1,124 mm high, on a 2,450 mm wheelbase. With 352 kW for 1,254 kg, the European F40 has about 281 kW per tonne of kerb weight.

Inside the cabin

The cockpit is a working space rather than a lounge. Ferrari removed everything that did not help the car go faster: there are no door handles inside (a pull cable opens the door), no door trim panels, no carpets, no glove box and no sound system. The seats are thin racing-style shells, the composite structure stays visible and the driver faces a simple instrument binnacle. There are no electronic driver aids, so the F40 asks for effort and attention at every speed, which is a large part of its reputation.

Every F40 left the factory painted Rosso Corsa. The cars were built with left-hand drive, with the exception of at least seven right-hand-drive cars made to special order for the Sultan of Brunei.

Racing versions: LM, Competizione and GTE

Although the road car was never meant for racing, private teams soon took it to the track. The F40 LM was prepared by Michelotto, Ferrari's long-time competition partner, and a small run of cars followed under the Competizione name, rated at about 515 kW (700 PS) at 8,100 rpm. In the mid-1990s seven F40 GTE cars were converted for GT racing, with the engine enlarged to 3.5 litres in 1995 and 3.6 litres in 1996 and power of about 456 kW (620 PS). These racing cars are separate from the 1,311 road cars and are not road-legal versions.

Legacy

The F40 set the pattern for the anniversary and "halo" Ferraris that followed: a technical showcase built in limited numbers, close to a racing car in spirit. Its successor, the F50 of 1995, moved to a naturally aspirated V12 derived from Formula 1. Today the F40 is one of the most collected Ferraris, and it appears in almost every list of the greatest supercars. For comparison with more recent Ferraris, see the Ferrari F430 and the Ferrari 599, or browse all supercars on 1CARS.

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