Ferrari F40: Twin-Turbo V8 Specs and 40th Anniversary History

Introduced in 1987, the Ferrari F40 marked the company’s 40th anniversary with an unusually focused road-car brief. It followed the 288 GTO in the modern flagship family, carrying turbocharging into a new decade while stripping away comfort and electronic aids in pursuit of a more immediate connection between driver and machine. The result became one of Ferrari’s defining road cars.

F40 at a glance

Launch date	21 July 1987, Maranello
Production period	1987–1992
Body style	Two-door, two-seat berlinetta coupé
Engine & drivetrain	2,936.25 cc, 90° twin-turbo V8; longitudinal rear-mid layout
Power	478 cv at 7,000 rpm
Torque	577 Nm at 4,000 rpm
Transmission	Five-speed manual
Dry weight	1,100 kg (Ferrari figure)
Performance	0–100 km/h in 4.1 s; maximum 324 km/h
Production status	Completed historic model
Production total	About 1,311–1,315 road cars; published totals differ by source
Variants	F40 road car; LM and Competizione were separate competition derivatives
Predecessor / successor	288 GTO · Successor: F50

An anniversary expressed through engineering

The F40 developed ideas explored by the 288 GTO and its Evoluzione prototypes into a road-going flagship. Ferrari used a tubular steel structure with composite body panels, including Kevlar and carbon-fibre elements, to pursue low mass. The twin-turbo V8 delivered 577 Nm, while the deliberately pared-back cabin and the absence of electronic driver aids gave the car a demanding, mechanical character.

Those construction and equipment choices help explain the F40 better than its anniversary name alone. Ferrari’s quoted 1,100 kg figure is a dry-weight claim, so it should not be compared directly with a ready-to-drive weight from another source. The same care applies to performance: the 324 km/h maximum belongs to the road car, not the LM or Competizione race programmes.

From turbo V8 to naturally aspirated V12

The F40 is the middle chapter of a three-car progression: the GTO established the limited-run turbo flagship, while the F50 took the series in a different direction with a naturally aspirated V12 and a carbon-fibre monocoque. The later Enzo continued the technology-transfer theme. Compare the 288 GTO, F50 and Enzo to follow the changes across the family.