Ferrari F40 Makes A Return In Tantalising Mock-Up
Ferrari, like every other manufacturer in the world, is looking towards a future of electric power. With the company’s fastest cars now consisting of hybrid powertrains, sometimes it’s okay to look back to the past of turbocharged V8s and wonder where it all started going wrong.
Yes, I know these new cars are faster, turn sharper, drink less, and all while stroking a baby polar bear, but I’m starting to miss the smell of burning fuel. So when I saw this redesigned Ferrari F40, I had to talk about it.
The Magic Behind the Ferrari F40
The F40 is one of Ferrari’s most popular cars, firmly sat in the legend that is the Maranello-based manufacturer. It hit the roads in 1987 with a rear-wheel drive, mid-engine setup, replacing the outgoing Ferrari 288GTO. It was also the last car to be approved by the iconic Enzo Ferrari himself before he died on August 14, 1988.
The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 1987 to 1992. It was the successor to the Ferrari 288 GTO and was the last Ferrari model to be approved by company founder Enzo Ferrari before his death.
The car was designed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ferrari, and was the pinnacle of what the marque could do at the time as it fully embraced turbochargers and more modern technologies. Its 2.9-litre V8 engine created 478 horsepower and 426 lb-ft of torque, but it also boasted a carbon fibre body to lower its weight. It’s now widely regarded as one of the greatest cars in history, with journalists often talking passionately about it and its younger brother, the F50.
Rediscovery of a Timeless Design
View this post on Instagram
This design was created by rostislav_prokop, an Instagram artist who has created a large following from his pixel manipulation. Within a day this design has already accumulated over 1,000 likes, and it’s no surprise.
The body is now much more curved and holds a similar design language to the Ferraris of today such as the SF90. But fortunately, the large rear wing remains, placed on top of an adequately boxy rear end. On the other hand, the car no longer has pop-up headlights. I know these are now illegal for modern road cars due to the danger they pose to pedestrians, but it would have been nice to see their return in this mockup.
Overall a brilliant return for the F40, although arguably, it’s closer to the F50 thanks to the lack of popups.
