Ferrari F40

Ferrari
	Ferrari F40
F40
Production period:	1987-1992
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Coupe
Engines:	Otto engine : ; 2.9 liters (352 kW)
Length:	4358 mm
Width:	1970 mm
Height:	1124 mm
Wheelbase :	2450 mm
Empty weight :	1254 kg
Previous model	Ferrari 288 GTO

The Ferrari F40 is a supercar that the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari built from 1987 to 1992. Racing technology such as body parts made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic was used. Enzo Ferrari personally drove this project in 1986 for the company's 40th anniversary, hence the name. As the fastest and most powerful Ferrari for road use to date, the F40 was technically and visually a special model and the last Ferrari to be developed under the direction of Enzo Ferrari.

Even if the power output was officially always 352 kW / 478 PS at 7000 rpm, there are different versions, such as the European version with / without catalytic converters and the US version, which differ in the torque curve, and there are also differences in the gear ratio . The real power varies, for example 530 HP was measured on the test bench of a test car.

Racing versions were developed by Michelotto in Padua and built from 1989 onwards. These vehicles were used in various racing series. There are contradicting information about the number of these, according to the Ferrari homepage "a total of around ten copies were produced" by the F40 LM / Competizione, where the dry weight is 1040 kg and the maximum power is 515 kW (700 hp).

Development history

Ferrari F40

Ferrari F40 (1990)

The F40 was presented in the summer of 1987. The car was based on the chassis of the GTO Evoluzione, a variant of the 288 GTO that was further developed for racing . The engine output was officially increased to 351.5 kW (478 hp ), and the top speed was given as 324 km / h.

Pininfarina had designed the functional body, which looked almost like that of a racing car. Inlet and outlet channels were distributed throughout the car. The car was characterized by the large rear wing, and like several other Ferrari models of the time, it had pop-up headlights . It is noticeable here that there was another large glazed area for the headlight flasher and the indicators in the front of the body on the left and right.

According to the factory, the F40 accelerated from 0–100 km / h in 4.1 s, from 0–200 km / h in 12 s and took 21 s for 1 km with a standing start. This performance was also made possible by the relatively low curb weight of 1254 kg, whereby the power-to-weight ratio of 3.56 kg / kW (2.62 kg / PS) was very low for a road vehicle. On the in-house test track in Fiorano , Ferrari set a lap time of 1: 29.6 minutes, 6.4 seconds less than for the predecessor 288 GTO.

The turbo-charged V-engine with eight cylinders and 2936 cm³ displacement, made with an engine block and cylinder heads made of aluminum , has a maximum output of 352 kW at a nominal speed of 7000 rpm. With earlier models, the maximum torque of 576 Nm is available at 4000 rpm, with later models the maximum torque of 575 Nm is only available at 4500 rpm. Two camshafts per cylinder head were driven by toothed belts and controlled four valves per cylinder. The compression ratio was 7.8: 1, a value common for supercharged engines. The two Japanese IHI - turbocharger delivered a maximum of 1.1 bar pressure. The charge air coolers came from Behr.

The F40 was sold exclusively to selected interested parties for 444,000 DM (today approx. 400,000 euros). This primarily included long-term Ferrari customers and celebrities.

Originally, only 450 copies of this vehicle were to be built. These first models can be recognized by the sliding windows on the side, production was then switched to normal crank windows. Because of the unexpectedly high demand, a total of 1315 vehicles were produced, 900 of them in the first year of 1988 alone. Two were delivered in black, less than ten in yellow. A white chariot was delivered to the Sultan of Brunei . However, one of these vehicles never came on the market, but was given a place in the Ferrari Museum immediately after production.

The F40 profited greatly from the increase in value of all Ferrari vehicles after the death of Enzo Ferrari on August 14, 1988. While record sums were demanded and paid for even for older and smaller Ferrari models, the F40 achieved almost utopian prices. In 1989 an F40 was sold for 3.2 million marks. Based on today's purchasing power and adjusted for inflation, this corresponds to 2.80 million euros. In order to prevent such speculations in the future, Ferrari regulated the conditions for reselling the vehicles in the sales contract for the successor models.

After the F40, Ferrari didn't launch a supercar for several years. The next model, the F50, only appeared in 1996 .

Test values

Test in Auto, Motor und Sport 02/1989

0-80 km / h 3.8 s
0-100 km / h 4.6 s
0–120 km / h 5.6 s
0–160 km / h 8.1 s
0–180 km / h 9.3 s
0–200 km / h 11.0 s
Weight (with a full tank of 120 l): 1254 kg
1000 m with standing start 21.0 s
Top speed 321 km / h

The testers noted that despite its 335 mm wide rear tires, the F40 had to struggle with severe traction problems in the first two gears, which explains the comparatively weak acceleration value up to 100 km / h. In the upper speed range, however, the F40 was able to demonstrate its superior power-to-weight ratio: The F40 accelerated from 100 to 200 km / h in just 6.4 s.

Technical specifications

Engine of the Ferrari F40

Rear wing with embossed F40 logo

Power transmission
model	Ferrari F40
Motor type	V8 bi-turbo gasoline engine
Mounting position	Center lengthways
Valves / camshafts	4 per cylinder / 4
Displacement (cm³)	2936
Bore × stroke	82.0 x 69.5 mm
compression	7.7: 1
Max. Power (kW / PS)	352/478 at 7000 rpm
Max. Torque (Nm)	577 at 4000 rpm
drive	Rear wheel drive
transmission	5-speed manual transmission
Top speed (km / h)	324
Dimensions
Length × width × height	4358 × 1970 × 1124 mm
wheelbase	2450 mm
Empty weight	1254 kg
Performance
Acceleration (0-100 km / h)	4.1 s
Acceleration (0-200 km / h)	11 s
Consumption and emissions
Combined consumption (l / 100 km)	20.0 VP
Carbon dioxide emissions	- g / km
Tank capacity	120 l
price
Base price (Germany)	444,000 DM (1989)