Ferrari F40 Drive: Autoweek June 1988

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at hom t stoplights.Stoplights.Rpe stam. That's the dual lifethe F40 is meant to lead. l i e the GranTurismocarsofthe'60s. " m i s a r a c e c myou can also drive m the mad, mt a acdnnyou can also race," Anchisi c m p h a s i i .And rhosc climts wishing to race can hopcfor f g t a y help. (IMSA team ownu Gus An-d r e ~ ,mndiog to MI.ay be one ofmase in thc U.S. campaim the F40.)Exactly what the clients will competeagainst is unclear. llu F40 s derived fmmthe GTO Evoluzione, which was designedto Group B specs-until Group B wasRmKd off like a spotlight by HSA. the mo-tonpons sanctioning body. When Qes theF40 it? Or docs it. "The car is too fast forthe highway and too slow for racing," saida ddmctor. And we'll consider (hnt possi-bility anon.In it for the ride. the F40 feltd.luseat d l y a n d u&ve, and--on this c a r 4 ull shoulder hamcss. (Thecar we had in tk PAcmcm had a singleoblique shoulder belt.) The gearshift was asimple round knob with which to guide thelever through the slotted gear pattern ofwhat I call the "stuttering H." (Rmerse isnext to your lola toward th e tiunt. firsstraight back toward you, and theother fourgears in a single H to the right.) ShiftinBwas easy, but then I automatically double-clutch anything that has pedals with bolesdriued in them.The literature says that the choice isyo- gearbox with syncbmmcsh or rracing version without. A radiator cools theoil in both.T h e ~ t s ~ ~ i r o p * a d n d , ~deeply hmdedtach ad spdmelam c W yv is ibkbrmughmcuppaarcofmc~spohwhccl. (And lhc prancing hase in lhc @mveyeoflhcwheel'sanrer.Nolhingcver~youfm w'rc in a Furari.)The inshument sumund, the entire dash-b o d . is l i e a dark star, so completely isaberrant light swallowed up. No trouble-some reflections here. The covering issomething like a s ~ hersey fabric. Cwldthat be? The seat is c o v e d in much thesame thing, only in a singingd.If the interior is spsfian I could have livedhappily in Sparta. Nothing superfluous,nothing redundant-yet nothing missing, ei-

ther. Air conditioning available. but no vend?) du l drape across the cavity whichelectric window lifts. Th e windows are rcveals what is the inside of the ouuide ofplastic and all that opens in them are sliding Ux door.panels (that slide at a hip upward slant.) The Visible in the door sills and elsewhere isdoors are o p e d by cords (neoprene CC- the interesting cmss-chccking pa- of (he

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body 8tuff-a wmpmite of c d m ibcr, is tbe tint road-ping Fanri with body bradwamfhintbism. es, a m # L smmidplrwics.Mins.dglusfibers--.ll pmclscatirrlymawnfromth*kclmbgy. M o o d L i n o f m y c ~ l o a g - m B a -teat-tubedlaborstaysubsmmUmthm ~ ~ ~ f r a m c . ~ i s j u a a dvm mougb at ci&t c y k h i(l~ a h o n r o n I h F o r m u l . ~ c k c o i txedonof~ur,istr&halstcel. eDgiDcisfoursbyofmyfsvarite.mii(lnotb t a u a e o f t h t i r L i ~ d s c rm e t h . T b i s ~ i ( l ~ i t i o n I s a a c e h a n c - pkamt roa r rmterirllzeshomm~

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t h D U n , ~ F 4 0 l aW0m.u.P-d(Wl)tlncarnmlnnmnnuly;mnrrhmmaturboaconnonUmydorowlmaInthabdt

miliar place behind my right ear. Rwrwlndow (abova)Fiorano is a neat little circuit crested with 18plaltk touwdcfd te problem spots of famous c o m e s of W M nd lamndth e world in mind, the beaer IO practice, my to hmlp kwptlndear. It has a fast bend that opens, a climb- -Irnoool.ulh.uatplpring turn (to a b r idgbwi th a bump-which (hrr:Omcrosses k k ver the straight) and a cwple lw b.*tmaof tight turns and a kink or two. The May -, ma*ird (or (h.p m c s and wildflowers (dotted with Fer- hlrbow-WWrari-red poppies) gmw deep to the verge andI can't see where the s m g e road g a s . of me. (And I feel its gratitude that I don't quickly the brakes snugged me down fromCaution is my guide. shift at the bump.) I enjoy the burst of that sense of corner-rush. When later in th eThe car is polite to me through my unccr- power as the nubo surges in. It's not a swat factory I saw the bralies being assembled-tainty. Yet I am l&ry of all this amity. Is in the back with a bat at all, but a fully big. vented and drilled discs, a cast-ironthis a crocodile's smile luring me into non- manageable msb. Yes, r u s k i n that other surface on aluminum, which w en clur ly

chalance? sense of the word, too. The grin spreads. derived from the Formula cars--I under-More trusting on my second Nm at th e Never, even after several mom rums at stood them better. Competition-bred fo rwheel I increase my spccd. And still lhe car the wheel. did I go deep into the fdm. c o m p e t i t i o ~ road.is mannerly. Holding securely through the tight little loop at th e end of the longest After the experience of several laps yw'dt u r n as one might expect, but asking little straight. Every h e was surprised at bow Continued on page 2724 AUTOWEEK JUNE 13. I988


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~mb emagmmmd r c cme a t . R a ke l b * oup=up to it, m we drm't*[email protected] inLear . 0dyc l l so fou rmmrbad id .A~ a h o b l d d m e o d o ft w o d m y t p . Busht'r.UUm&silsyon'n get fmmms.Ihrdrddsrmndcbsdrcldththcm*ithDPioBeaWi.rttndd~~~,ltuIcrbsa.Ibhnathcm,thcciradtodhhr m a i n ~ p m p o l t L n s d g m D a m P dS Q s s ~ . ~ l a m p t o ~I l b a * t h c ~ ~ ~ I W & a o s b r f w* d m o f m t f w Q ~ .~ ~ u y t h c u g 8 p c a l d t h ci W k P 1 . 3 m p b a d ~ f r o m ~ m124.3 pplla love thc dsotrmh) atres 12~ .Ew ihac ' smac tomchgcbm

B u t p i l i s l m e mm e y ~ o n t h c k i t -camtsMsinprrprntionfwdclivery&yWt theob icdeorand~nbupaa-it 'stbsirpdlimcmTbsList.Arehyn a d y c l a o D m a * t h c ~ ~ ? B u y -i n g l u d ~ , ~ d p l y i a g . I l n8 i aW~b to " f ewd" l og rhymdradhwcu,walaclyreucmtorbcMnbac bidder. Ib b.1 mam thc idea ofl,ludSof&.A l r c d y t b a a a n s ~ l y f o u r t i m c s urmny"fhm"ordarnihacamp0jSacdP4Os. Pluua o pmdnce 950 for then a M r i d c ~ ( l b C Q t 2 M ) ~ f o Ithe U.S. s f d u g in September.) But inManslb.Ancb&irahintingbddymmthcavanllrmmbcr*belrdnadto850."lt's imdadr-b" bsnid.& b u t t h m m ~ ~ b e a l k i u g ~ b m (c r a s , u d t b b t . F e a m i - - m r ~ qFand,mh,hac debut wr atiexkdbyTbsOldM.n.Itismavcnt.P s o p h w i t h 5 c e ~ ~ N d -

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Ferrari F40 Drive: Autoweek June 1988

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