Few cars have entered the collective imagination as the legendary Ferrari F40, a true heroine of the 80s and 90s, able to run both on the track and on the street. It would undoubtedly be an excellent second car. Or not? Let’s find out the strengths and weaknesses of a car that has marked with its design, its performance and its engine the supercars’ history.
It was the fastest car of his time
And still it is quite quick. Enzo Ferrari passed away while his F40 held the production car speed record, with a top speed of over 324 km/h, the first car to overcome the 200 mph barrier, but remaining at the top for only a few years, being surpassed in 1991 by the Bugatti EB110.
The engine
The engine of the F40 is perhaps its critical element, what makes its character. It is not the classic aspirated V12 that made the history of the brand – and still does – but a 3-liter V8 biturbo, similar in displacement and slightly smaller than the modern heart of 488. Of course, compared to the modern 720 hp, it develops only only 478 hp, but enough for a top speed of 324 km/h and a 0-100 in just 4.1 seconds, still impressing numbers.
Those retractable headlights
One of the – rare – beautiful details of the cars of the 80s are without any doubts the concealed front lights, and the F40 is no exception. Indeed this car, a sort of sum of the stereotypes of the supercars of the period, could not do without them, they are a feature so fundamental to be considering this car as the best of the 80s than we can not mention it
You enter a rare club
This supercar enters fully into the inner circle of cars with which Ferrari has defined its technology and style in recent years, in company with giants of the Prancing Horse: 288 GTO, F50, Enzo and LaFerrari. The F40 in particular is an exception because it is the model of which more examples have been built, 1,337, of which some are true racing cars: the famous F40 LM. Other versions are present, but we pospone the list to a future article.
And now let’s find out the -few-defects of this legend
It costs more and more
Despite being subject to large fluctuations in price, the legendary F40 is a car that has grown enormously in the last ten years, knowing a significant fall only in the last two. With an average price above the million dollar can not be said to be economic and easy to mantain, speaking directly: is extremely expensive for a youngtimer.
It is a hard and pure Supercar
The simples world to describe such a car is: wild. From the sound to the handling this an automotive beast, and is quite difficult to use on long journeys, being far reduced soundproofing and driving comfort. But who cares, is a car to be accepted as it is: to drive and have fun.
la Berlinetta 