Ferrari F40

Ferrari F40
Manufacturer:	Ferrari
Class:	mid-engined coupe
Production:	1987 – 1988
Predecessor:	Ferrari 288 GTO
Successor:	Ferrari F50
Body styles:	Berlinetta
Engines:	2.9 L turbo V8
This article is part of the automobile series.

The Ferrari F40 is an exotic supercar produced to celebrate the marque's 40th anniversary. Revealed at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, the F40 was developed quickly using elements of its predecessor, the "288" GTO.

The F40 used a 2936 cc version of that car's V8 engine, with bore and stroke changed from 80 x 71 mm to 82 x 69.5 mm. The twin IHI turbochargers were retained, for 478 bhp (356 kW) with 16 lbf/in² (110 kPa) of boost. The car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.8 seconds, 0-100 in 7.7 seconds (a time which took over a dozen years to beat), and had a claimed top speed of 201 mph (Road & Track got it to 196mph), which made it the fastest serial-produced sports car of 1987 and also the first road legal 201 mph (324 km/h) car; the first proper supercar, after Porsche 959 Ferrari F40 was the fastest production car in the world.

The suspension remained a double wishbone setup, though the unusually small ground clearance meant that later F40s included selectable ride height.

The body was an entirely new design by Pininfarina. Panels were made of Kevlar, carbon fibre, and aluminium for strength and low weight, and intense aerodynamic testing was employed. A large rear wing and numerous deep scoops also characterized the design.

Weight was kept at a minimum with a plastic windshield and windows. There were no carpets, no radio, and no door handles; a short cord could be reached to unlatch the door. Even roll-down windows were deleted at first, though later cars had them.

Although production was initially limited to 400, strong demand kept the F40 in production until 1,315 cars were built. They were listed in the late 80's for almost $500,000 and would still draw that amount easily today. The F40 is one of the quickest, fastest, and most exotic cars ever produced.

In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number five on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s. Similarly, Motor Trend Classic named the F40 as number ten in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".

Movies

• Joshua Tree (1993) featured a Ferrari F40.
• RPM (1998) showed a Ferrari F40 racing on the track.
• Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) briefly featured a Ferrari F40 in the background of a Ferrari garage.

References

• Template:Book reference
• Template:Web reference
• Template:Web reference

An F40 in the parking lot of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the 2005 United States Grand Prix

The same car from the rear