The seductive beauty. The raw power. The Ferrari F40. Originally released in 1987 to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, the F40 made its mark on the world as the first ever street-legal vehicle to push past the 200 mph mark. Its distinctive look and design made it a one-of-a-kind machine.
The tall rear wing and clear plastic engine cover, along with distinctive features like its pull cable interior door handle, distinguished the Ferrari F40 from anything else on the road at that time and still today. The front and rear clamshell open to reveal the race car body underneath.
The F40 was originally released as a race car for the road – with no power-assist brakes, no power assist rack and pinion steering, and no air conditioning. While vehicles were finding ways to add assist, the F40 understood the raw nature of removing them.
With no ABS, the F40 kept its weight at a minimum. Its tubular chassis and Kevlar body panels cut its weight down to about 2400 pounds, beating out its rival the Porsche 959 in weight capacity. Air-conditioning was later added though, to cool the cabin from the heat of the engine.
The power from the F40 comes from its 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged and intercooled v8 engine – the F40 will take you from 0-60 mph in just 4.2 seconds. Initially built without a catalytic converter allowing you to hear its ferocious and mighty roar, the catalytic converter was later included in the U.S. for emissions purposes. But even with its the inclusion, the powerful engine’s thunder is unmistakably Ferrari. Its manual transmission puts the power of the F40 in the driver’s seat – both literally and physically.
While the F40 was intended to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari, it was also built as a response to its competition, the Porsche 959. Ferrari enthusiast love the F40, not only for its pure power and beauty, but because it was also the final one Enzo Ferrari actually signed off on. Initially only 400 vehicles were planned for production, but as demand increased, 1,315 F40’s were made – 213 reaching the U.S. shore.
Today, this classic is the envy of all who cross its path. It remains one of the most sought after vehicles in the world, a must-have for not only Ferrari enthusiast but for all automotive collectors seeking to showcase the very pinnacle in automotive history. Its timeless sense and command of the road are as coveted today as they were with its initial release in 1987.
