F40 LM
Breaking 200mph in a road-legal production car was still a mythical idea in the 1980s, many thought Porsche would be the first to hit the mark with their 959, but the car came up 3mph short. This opened the doors for Ferrari to take the honors. For their 40th anniversary, the Italian manufacturer built a supercar with a ferocious twin turbo V8 placed in an ultra lightweight and aerodynamic chassis that would go on to be the first production car to break 200mph. I'm of course referring to the Ferrari F40 that registered a top speed of 201.4mph.
Ferrari never meant for the F40 to go racing, however, it wasn't long before several individuals with the means to take them racing realized the car's enormous potential. Not long after the F40’s official début discussions began for a special competition-prepared version at a 1987 press conference in Maranello, it was agreed Ferrari would entrust Giuliano Michelotto and his team to make the necessary modifications and upgrades to make the car competitive on track. Its no surprise Ferrari went with Michelotto as his work on the Lancia Stratos rally cars and the Ferrari 308 IMSA cars had earned him due praise by the Italian manufacturer. Michelotto’s conversions of so-called F40 CSAI-GT specifications were then sold by the factory to privateer racers. The GT modifications, which employed an even lighter body by the renowned restorer Dino Cognolato, would go on to be the template of the more purpose-built racing versions, such as the F40 LM and the F40 LM Evolution.
In July 1989 Chassis #80742 (pictured) left Maranello to be delivered to its customer Vittorio Colombo in Milan as a very early "lightweight" spec, non-cat road car. By 1991 the car switched hands and was bought by Roberto Angiolino who would have Michelotto in Padua, Italy convert the #80742 to CSAI-GT specs as it would compete in the upcoming 1993 Italian GT Championship. With only 7 F40 CSAI-GTs built by Michelotto in Padua, Italy; #80742 was one of them. The cars featured a 590bhp engine, larger brakes from the F40 LM, a lighter body to bring the weight down to 1050kg, Perspex sliding windows, Rose-jointed suspension, and adjustable anti-roll bars. Ride-height was dropped by 5cm, the undertray was modified to make the car more aerodynamic, and there were extra cooling ducts to improve the cooling efficiency of the engine under racing conditions. Wider Speedline wheels were fitted along with an uprated gearbox, quick-fill fuel system, hydraulic quick-lift jacks, and LM wishbones.
#80742 made its debut to racing at Monza on March 28 with Marco Brand behind the wheel and sponsored by the highly coveted Jolly Club. Finishing 16 seconds ahead of Vincenzo Bianchi's Jaguar XJ220 it was clear the F40 was a force to be reconned with on track. Marco would follow that up with a win at the following race at Magione before failing to finish the 3rd round at Vallelunga. That would be the last time Brand would be beaten in 1993 as he went on to sweep the field in the remaining six rounds winning eight out of the nine races of the 1993 Italian GT Championship. #80742 finished the season with 94 points with second place scoring just 63 points meaning it is the only F40 to win an FIA Championship. The car would go onto to campaign again in the 1994 season where it again took the most wins throughout the season.
After dominating the 1994 season, the car was then taken back to Michelotto to be converted into LM specifications as it was to be raced by Team Taisan in the Japanese GT Championship. Upgrades for LM specification included a new special long life de-restricted engine built and supplied by Michelotto that was married to a Dog Ring gearbox, Brembo 380 brakes, HKS Piro suspension, and 18in OZ wheels. Only 19 examples of the extreme F40 LM were modified by Michelotto; the engine would retain the same displacement however it was now designated F120 B as his team completely reconfigured the engine to increase its power output from 478hp to 720hp at 7,500rpm. Without its air restrictors required for competition, the F120 B engine could produce upwards of 760hp. Weighing in at just 2,314 lbs that's nearly 720hp per tonne. Its IHI turbos were upped to 2.6 bar, and the compression ratio was increased as well. Michelotto also fitted bigger Behr intercoolers, new camshafts, and a Weber Marelli electronic fuel-injection system.
Over the years #80742 was raced with great success sporting four different liveries and has just recently been taken up by a new owner who plans to showcase the car at many events in the future. Most recently, the car made its first debut in nearly ten years at the Sonoma Speed Festival where I had the pleasure of not only hearing the car scream on track but also spit some of the most badass flames I have ever seen. If you haven't seen one of these extreme F40s, I highly suggest you throw it on your bucket list!
