Is a Ferrari F40-Inspired Supercar on the Way?
Rumors are swirling that Ferrari may build an F40 successor for the digital age. We may know for sure within the next week.
The Ferrari F40 is an icon. It is not the fastest Ferrari ever made. It is not be the most valuable Ferrari ever made either. However, it just may be the absolute zenith when it comes to analog supercars. The car had a powerful turbocharged V8 engine, a manual transmission, and not much else. No traction control, no anti-lock brakes, and hardly any interior. It was man and machine, a supercar for the brave. And wealthy.
Now the F40 is back. Well not really. Modern rules and regulations ensure that a car like the F40 will never exist again. However, as reported by Carbuzz, there may be some merit to the rumors that Ferrari is looking to build a limited-edition supercar that takes its inspiration from the legendary F40. Anything Ferrari produces lately is highly sought after. An F40-inspired car would be a real moonshot. Car enthusiasts the world over, can only hope this will turn into reality, and we may know sooner than later.
If the rumor mill is correct, and is it ever wrong? The folks from Maranello could be making an announcement within the week. For all we know, they could announce that they are releasing a new pickup truck. Or they may not announce anything at all. However, it is possible they announce the special project reportedly to be called “SP42.” We don’t know any specifications yet, but we are pretty sure this car will have airbags and anti-lock brakes at a minimum.
It could be powered by the same powerplant that currently resides in the F8 Tributo. We assume the SP42 would have the same mid-engine layout as the F8. The 3.9L twin-turbo mill in the F8 has a similar architecture as the 2.9L twin-turbo in the F40. Although the F8 engine is about a thousand years more advanced. We don’t know the engine, so we don’t know the power. However, if we were to guess, the new car would have about a 300-horsepower advantage over the F40. We can also be certain the new car will not have a manual transmission. It would undoubtedly be much faster than the F40, but it will not be as engaging. To be fair, few cars ever created can match the F40 on that front.
What will the new car look like? Obviously, it is a lot of guess work at this point. The rendered images featured here were created by graphic artist Samir Sadikhov. Sadikhov does a nice job interpreting what a modern-day F40 could look like. Sure, there is a bit of concept car look to it, but it is not over the top and could be close to the final design.
Can a car such as the SP42 capture the magic of the F40 in a modern package? We are going to have to wait and see. Obviously, the car is going to be much different, but one thing will remain the same. If Ferrari builds this car, and you are not a member of the 1% club, you will have to settle for a bedroom poster of it. When the F40 was released it cost roughly $900,000 in todays money. We doubt the modern-day equivalent would be much less.
For now, all we can do is sit back and wait. Hopefully, we get an announcement soon and we can begin to daydream about another amazing Ferrari. Do you think Ferrari will give us the SP42? If so, what do you think it will be like? Let us know your thoughts in the 6SpeedOnline forums.
Images: Carbuzz.com
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