Ferrari F40
I am absolutely a Ferrari F40 guy. It is a fun car to drive on the track; more racy than the others. The car's stiffer springs and shocks give you a harsher ride, with such a fantastic engine note that you really feel like you're in a race car. The Ferrari has good throttle response, much better than the Porsche's. The gated 5-speed manual transmission feels a little clumsy; you have to pay too much attention to shift at speed. The brakes require a lot of pedal effort, like a race car. Even though the F40 looks dated, it's still a stunning car. It's timeless. — Steve Millen
Some may argue that the Ferrari F50 should be the car of choice for this thrill ride experience. However, after surveying a few Ferrari owners and our staff, the F40 stands out as the icon that most clearly represents Maranello's love for racing. In fact, it is the last super Ferrari that Enzo himself had asked for and helped develop.
The F40 is equipped with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 that pumps out 478 bhp at 7000 rpm and 425 lb.-ft. of torque at 4500 rpm. Mated to the engine is a 5-speed manual transmission with a traditional gated shifter. Based on our October 1991 road test, the F40 can reach 60 mph from a standing start in a scant 3.8 sec., and finish the quarter mile in 11.8 sec. with 124.5 mph showing on the speedometer.
Even though there is a set of standard swing-out doors on the F40, getting in and out of the car is no easy task. First, there is the high and wide doorsill to hurdle. Then a steep drop into the bucket seat and footwell follows. Once in, take a look around the cockpit. There is not much there besides the essentials like the steering wheel, speedometer, tachometer and a few other gauges for the engine's most vital signs; other unnecessary luxury items get the ax. The interior's minimalist approach makes the F40 feel like a race car.
And driving the racy Ferrari on the track is no different. On power, with both IHI turbos spooling up to 16.0 psi turning near 190,000 rpm, the F40 squirts forward with immense force. Finding the right gears through the shift gate takes a bit of getting used to. Once mastered, however, the crisp, metal-to-metal clicking sound with each upshift, combined with a thundering V-8 screaming from behind, is an absolute delight. As I hold the steering wheel steady and watch the speedometer sweep past the century mark, my heart is pumping hard and my body feels like it has been given a heavy dose of adrenaline.
Once I have calmed down a bit for the upcoming turn, the F40 continues to reward with go-kart-like agility, albeit with the steering showing some off-center vagueness. The suspension is firm, so the Ferrari feels well connected with the road.
Forewarned by the F40's owner of the car's old tires and brake pads, Millen takes great care during my rides with him to ensure there is plenty of stopping power. While the Porsche 959 feels more like a high-performance road car, the Ferrari definitely goes a step closer to the race-car end of the spectrum. Because of the F40's quickness in changing directions, I find myself needing to brace for the turns. Millen comments: "The Ferrari has an amazing throttle response for a twin-turbo car. You sit so far forward, close to the A-pillar, that it gives you a real race-car feel. That's why it's so exciting driving it."
My heart rate after the ride: 143 bpm.