The Ferrari F40: A Marvel of Speed and Innovation

Super cars, you know I love 'em, but you can't talk about them without mentioning one of the old and most famous sportscar manufacturers ever. They made one of the most iconic super cars in the world. The poster was almost certainly on display in many homes back then, showcasing the Ferrari F40.

The Ferrari F40 is a marvel of speed and innovation, with a 2.9 liter, twin-turbo V8 engine turning out 278 horse power at a screaming 7,000 RPM and 425 pound feet-o-torque at 4,000 RPM. Ferrari paid special attention to the weight of the engine, using ultra expensive, ultra light magnesium alloys instead of aluminum.

This attention to detail helped the F40 scoot to 60 miles an hour in four seconds and through the quarter mile in under 12. Though Ferrari claimed a somewhat controversial top speed of 201 miles an hour, none ever reached 200 in any test on any track outside of Italy.

The numbers were impressive, but the F40's handling was a major challenge to get right. Ferrari test driver, Dario Benuzzi, was handed a ridiculously powerful car with an all-new age composite body, no power steering, and no brakes, and told to work it out pronto. But Benuzzi ultimately turned the F40 into a well-balanced track weapon.

Calling it the Ferrari hewas most proud of working on. Ferrari announced they would build 400 F40s, but demand was unexpectedly high with more than 3,000 people trying to order one. In the end, they built 1,311. Some loved its UFO look, some really didn't, but everyone knew Enzo wasn't gonna be around for much longer and the F40 would be his last car.

It was showing up all over video games, magazine covers, and wall posters, with the public fired up. Speculators started snapping the cars up and driving prices higher. Ferrari's asking price was $200,000, but Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell sold his for one million British pounds in 1990; what a dick.

Enzo Ferrari passed away in August of 1988, thrilled that he was still around to sign off on his epic final project and see the F40 become the world's fastest production car. Throughout the F40's five-year production, reviews were actually mixed. Mansell loved his, but McLaren Formula 1 race car designer, Gordan Murray slammed it, calling it wobbly and saying it felt like a big go-kart with a plastic body on it.

The press gave it plenty of praise, but some car magazines that tested it against the Porsche preferred the more refined 959. The F40 really didn't compromise in terms of road performance so it was a brutal street car. Ferrari never intended for it to be a race car, which seemed like rather obvious other option.

Customers started to ask for a racing version, and Ferrari resisted until Daniel Marin, manager of a French Ferrari importer talked them into it. They commissioned a limited run of F40 LM race cars from a race tuning shop, Michelotto Automobile. The shop modified virtually every part of the F40, and the resulting LMcars were way lighter, way more aerodynamic, and way more powerful.

They weighed in at 2,300 pounds, made over 700 horse power, and could hustle up to 229 miles per hour. You thought the plain old F40 sounded good; the LM made eargasms. In 1989, the first LMrace that Laguna Secain the IMSA series here in the US. Even though the cars were originally named for the 24 hours of them all, they didn't race there and Ferrari switched thename to F40 Competitzione.

They nabbed some podium finishes in IMSA and several wins at other international GT racing series, but it never attained real racing notoriety. With all of today's safety regulations and red tape, a street legal super car like the F40 could never be made again. The F40 is the purest distillation of Ferrari racing prowess into a road car and it was an absolutely fitting solution to the life of an automotive hero.

We make a video every single day. To make sure you don't miss any of them, click this guy right here. You wanna see a video about Ferrari's enemy, Ferruccio Lamborghini check out this episode of Up To Speed. Want to know how aerodynamics work? Check out this episode of Science Garage. Follow me on Instagram @JamesPumphrey follow Donut @DonutMedia. I love you.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(car engine revving)- Super cars, you know Ilove 'em, but you can'ttalk about 'em withoutmentioning one of the oldestand most famous sportscar manufacturers ever.They made one of the mosticonic super cars in the world.The poster was almost certainlyon your bedroom wall when you were a kid.With that weird wedgie shape,in that blazing Rosso Corsa paint,and that incredible sound it made.(F40 engine revving)It was the ultimate Ferrari.This is everything that you need to knowto get up to speed on the Ferrari F40.(upbeat music)It's 1982 and the FederationInternationale De L'Automobile,or FiA, decided to make up somenew rules for rally racing,but what they actually did was pretty muchjust throw the rules right out.They called this set of rules Group Band with nearly free reignand an almost entirelyblank slate, manufacturers went wild.The Group B cars were becomingfire-breathing monstersand the public was going nuts for 'em.(screaming)But, rather than throwtechnological prowess at a carlike Porsche did with the 959,Ferrari wanted to go another direction.They used the classic formulaof less weight plus more powerequals fastest car to developthe incredible 288 GTO,but by the time they builtthe 200 production carsrequired by the FiA,the other Group B carshad become even moreridiculously quick so theyadded a ton of aero and powerand in 1986, the 288GTO Evoluzione was born.Unfortunately, that'sright when Group B died.The FiA decided it was timeto burn the no-rules-rule-bookand all Group B cars werebanned from competition.That left Ferrari with abadass race car locked upin its garage and no where to race it.At this point 88 year oldEnzo Ferrari said to himself,self you're getting pretty old,but this car company youstarted is really neatand it's coming up on 40 years old now.Maybe you should build oneof the last really cool carsbefore you make that trip tothe big race track in the sky.So old Enzo decided he could still makesomething out of all that effortthat went into the nowpointless 288 GTO Evoluzioneand commissioned his engineersto build the best car in the world.He wanted a street carwith no compromises;the F40 and he wanted it fast.Both fast on the road and, you know, soon.It had to debut in time forFerrari's 40th anniversaryand make it to 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show.So the F40 would be designed, tested,and launched in only 13months; that is insanity.Ermanno Bonfiglioli, head ofspecial projects for Ferrariin the 1980s, said it went by in a flash.The chassis and bodywork developmentran right along side thedrive train developmentwhich is not how it usually works.Luckily, Nicola Materazziat famous design house:Pininfarina had justdrawn up the Evoluzione.So, fellow Pininfarinadesigners, Leonardo Fioravantiand Pietro Camardella started with thatand transformed it intoan automotive masterpiece.They did comprehensive wind tunnel testingto optimize the aerodynamics for what was to bethe fastest Ferrari ever.The F40's nose swooped down andpractically kissed the road.NACA ducts, that means airinlets, were everywhereand the huge squared off wingplaced right at the angleby designer Aldo Brovarone.Development had all beendone in super secretand only a handful of people close to Enzohad even seen the car.It was way more of a surprise thanDrake's secret love child.No one knew what toexpect and the unveilingleft the entire roomcompletely speechless.The F40 might as well havebeen a road going spaceship.(screaming)- Oh my god Morty what did you do,you killed the Simpsons Morty.(stuttering)- The interior meant business.Driving business.No stitch leather dash covers here, nope.The dash was just coveredin felt to reduce glare.There were no door panels oreven interior door handles.You pulled a cord to open the door.The side windows and even the windshieldwere plastic to save weight,but Ferrari did add air conditioning.- That, I love.- That's just the air conditioner.- I want it.- Who cared about door panelsanyway when you could lookright at the carbon fiberthe doors were made out of.The front and rear clamshells were also carbon fiberwhile the rest of the cars11 panels were bonded Kevlarall built around a tubular steel frame.The F40 was the firstproduction car made withall composite body panelsand it weighed 3,000 pounds.That's very light for a super car.Pushing all this awesomelight weight racey stuffwas a 2.9 liter, twin-turbo V8turning out 278 horse powerat a screaming 7,000 RPMand 425 pound feet-o-torque at 4,000 RPM.Ferrari paid special attentionto the weight of the engineand they used a lot of ultra expensive,ultra light magnesiumalloys instead of aluminum.It helped the F40 scoot to 60miles an hour in four secondsand through the quarter mile in under 12.And though Ferrari claimeda somewhat controversialtop speed of 201 miles anhour, none ever reached 200in any test on any track outside of Italy.Still, 199 was enough to topPorsche's more extravagant 959and its piddly 195 miles an hour.The numbers were impressivebut the F40's handlingwas a major challenge to get right.Ferrari test driver, DarioBenuzzi was handed a ridiculouslypowerful car with anew age composite body,no power steering, no brakes,and told to work it out pronto,but Benuzzi ultimately turned the F40into a well balanced track weapon.Calling it the Ferrari hewas most proud of working on.Ferrari announced theywould build 400 F40's,but demand was unexpectedly highwith more than 3,000people trying to order one.In the end they built 1,311.Some loved its UFO look,some really didn't,but everyone knew Enzowasn't gonna be aroundfor much longer and theF40 would be his last car.It was showing up all overvideo games, magazine coversand wall posters, the public was fired up.Speculators started snapping the cars upand driving prices higher.Ferrari's asking price was$200,000, but Formula 1 driver,Nigel Mansell, sold his forone million British poundsin 1990; what a dick.Enzo Ferrari passedaway in August of 1988,thrilled that he was stillaround to sign off onhis epic final project and see the F40become the world's fastest production car.But throughout the F40'sfive year production,reviews were actually mixed.Mansell loved his, but McLarenFormula 1 race car designer,Gorodon Murray slammedit, calling it wobblyand saying it felt like a big go kartwith a plastic body on it.The press gave it plenty of praise,but some car magazines thattested it against the Porschepreferred the more refined 959.The F40 really didn't compromise in termsof road performance so itwas a brutal street car.Ferrari never intendedfor it to be a race carwhich seemed like ratherobvious other option.Customers started to askfor a racing version,Ferrari resisted until Daniel Marin,manager of a French Ferrariimporter talked them into it.They commissioned a limitedrun of F40 LM race carsfrom a race tuning shop,Michelotto Automobile.The shop modified virtuallyevery part of the F40and the resulting LMcars were way lighter,way more aerodynamic,and way more powerful.They weighed in at 2,300 pounds,made over 700 horse powerand could hustle up to 229 miles per hour.You thought the plainold F40 sounded good,the LM made eargasms.(F40 LM engine revving)In 1989, the first LMrace that Laguna Secain the IMSA series here in the US.Even though the cars wereoriginally named for the 24 hoursof them all, they didn't race thereand Ferrari switched thename to F40 Competitzione.They nabbed some podium finishes in IMSAand several wins at otherinternational GT racing series.But it never attainedreal racing notoriety.With all of today's safetyregulations and red tape,a street legal super car like the F40could never be made again.The F40 is the purest distillationof Ferrari racing prowessinto a road car and it wasan absolutely fitting soluteto the life of an automotive hero.(F40 revving)We make a video every single day.To make sure you don't miss any of them,click this guy right here.You wanna see a videoabout Ferrari's enemy,Ferruccio Lamborghini check outthis episode of Up To Speed.Want to know how aero dynamics work?Check out this episode of Science Garage.Follow me on Instagram @JamesPumphreyfollow Donut @DonutMedia.I love you.