THE F40 WAS A HOWLING, ROWDY AND EXTREMELY VISCERAL SHOCK TO THE SENSES WITH RAZOR-SHARP REFLEXES THAT CONTINUES TO CAPTIVATE AND CHALLENGE ALL DRIVERS LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE IT FIRST-HAND TODAY The F40 certainly met and exceeded that heartfelt goal of “Il Commendatore,” as it was based on a race-worthy steel spaceframe chassis with a carbon-fiber and Kevlar-reinforced central tub structure and composite body panels by Scaglietti. Awesome power was delivered by a twin-turbocharged, 4-cam, port-injected 3.0L (2963cc) V-8 engine utilizing IHI turbochargers and Behr intercoolers, controlled by a race-proven Weber-Marelli fuel-injection and engine-management system, resulting in a factory-rated 478 HP at 7,000 RPM. A 5-speed rear transaxle and a decided kick from the IHI turbochargers at 3,000 engine revolutions distinguished the driving experience of the F40, which weighed just 1,100 kilograms (2,425 pounds). The F40’s 4-wheel, independent, double-wishbone suspension featured competition-type coilover shock absorbers, and stopping power was via ventilated disc brakes with Brembo calipers at all four corners. Dario Benuzzi, Ferrari’s chief test driver, led F40 development, including his relentless work with Pirelli to obtain the perfect rubber compound and tread design for the special P Zero tires created specifically for the F40. The choice of IHI turbochargers and the programming for the F40’s Weber-Marelli engine management system were also highlights of Benuzzi’s test program, which included high-speed blasts in the mountains south of Maranello, acceleration and braking runs at the Rimini air force base runways, and formal test sessions at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit. Predictably, hordes of magazine road testers clamored for an opportunity behind the wheel, and the wait was worth it, with the F40 routinely achieving 0-60 MPH times of just 3.9 seconds, 0-100 MPH in just 7.8 seconds, and 0-140 MPH in 14 seconds. For the truly brave, 201 MPH was on tap flat out—an impressive mark even by today’s jaded standards. In fact, the F40 rewrote automotive history as the first series- production supercar capable of cracking the magical 200 MPH barrier. Regardless of the source consulted, the F40 was simply the quickest and fastest road car ever produced up to that time, and its performance remains staggering today, heightened by a totally analog driving experience without power-assisted steering and brakes isolating the driver from the road. The F40 production run was initially targeted to about 400 examples, yet demand in the heady supercar market of the late 1980s was overwhelming, despite the car’s stratospheric price tag. When production ended in 1992, 1,315 were built in all. The 19th of only 22 examples built in the final production year, this awesome F40 will be crossing the Kissimmee auction block in amazing condition, with the metric odometer reading just 14,053 kilometers (8,732 miles).
