F50 over the F40?

After being around here for a while I have seen that the general opinion of everyone hear is that they prefer the F40 to the F50 whether it be looks, performance, or both. I've seen both in person at the same time and I got to say I like the look of the F50 better. I didn't get to drive or ride in either one so I have no experience inside one but something pulls me toward the F50 more. Anyone here feel the same?

 

has been discussed many times before..... but for the record, id take an f50 over the f40 any day... but i wouldnt say no to an f40 thats for sure

 

I owned them both at the same time and they are simply too different to compare against each other.

The F50 is a far more limited edition car than the F40, and is based on real F1 technology, from the 1991 F1 car and the 333SP and is a true supercar in every sense of the word. A stunningly competent car on and off the track

The F40 was the last Ferrari commissioned by Enzo and was ground breaking in its format and use of exotic materials never before used in road cars. It is a brutal, visceral and raw car and is possibly the most thrilling car I will ever own.

 

They are both DIFFERENT animals........but I love them both.

Ill take one of each please.

But if it came to the crunch, I would take the F40. I havent driven either (yet), but I like the look of the F40 more!!

But I would rather an Enzo over either of those two, but thats another story for another time.

 

I'd take F50 over F40 any day. the F40 does nothing for me... F50 ftw.

 

I'd take an Enzo.....sell it and get a F50....sell that and get a F40. That way, I can drive all of them and experience the cars for whats its worth. Plus I'd still have a chunk of change of my pocket

 

I'd second this one. To me, the F50 is a finely crafted piece of art. The F40? A cobbled together ugly kit. Half surprised they didn't use nitrous instead of turbocharging - imagine what the dealers could have charged for Ferrari approved nitrous refills!

 

Tell me you're kidding





Please

 

I have owned an F-50 and never driven an F-40 (although I have had 2 rides in one). For me, there was no question . . . the F-50 was the car. I have driven open wheel cars, and several race cars and the F-50 is the closest thing I have driven to a true race car. At the same time, I enjoyed letting it idle around town, or taking it out on the highway for a little cruise.

Besides, Batman drives the F-50.

 

Asking whether a F40 or F50 is better, is like asking if a blonde or brunette is better than the other.

Both versions are hot and wild, and will give you an amazing ride every time.

I have been in an F40, and I can say that the car leaves me speechless. I haven't been in an F50, but I would love to experience a ride one day.

And to David_S........You surely must be kidding. The F40 is hardly cobbled together. It is a bit primitive, but it was advanced for its time.

 

Huh? I must be living under a rock...

Two different cars, and unfortunately people have approached them with the same standards for quite some time. This is changing because the F50's characteristics have begun to show through with more exposure--test time was very limited when the car debuted. As it's level of exposure approaches the F40's you will see more and more people favor this car. Also, its looks have aged gracefully even though most still say that it's just not as pretty as the F40.

The F50 was the beginning of F1 tech in a Ferrari road car, and in my opinion is still the best example of that concept because it was created when electronics weren't so dominant, producing the best possible driving experience. It requires you to work just as much as the F40 but rewards with a different kind of depth.

And each car is absolutely worth working for.

 

Ah, but have you seen one?? It may perhaps change your mind.

Knee-knocking, I think, best describes this car.

If the F50 is a finely crafted Leonardo, the F40 is Van Gogh. Both are absolutely brilliant.

 

I've run my eyeballs over 3 F40s in the past. I'll stick with my "cobbled together" description. Not saying it isn't an incredible ride, but not my cuppa from an assembly or appearance standpoint.

 

Fair enough. But kudos on the opinion of the F50.

 

Without getting into any details....F40 handsdown for me!

 

+1

 

As I said I have never driven either so my view is from a purely visual perspective. I bet either one will easily thrill some one behind the wheel and hopefully I will have a chance to feel it.

 

Having never owned either, or been given a ride in either, AND given the choice...i'd def. pick the F40 every time! I couldn't really tell you why; perhaps it comes down to the looks. I think the F40 is one of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL cars EVER produced. Match that with the performance figures, and you have a winner in my book.

 

What a coincidence..I just pulled out of my vintage stack (thank you David Seibert) AutoWeek August 14, 1995 F50 First Drive. Of course they had to compare the F50 to the F40, the previous SuperCar. Here are some excerpts:

Gerhard Berger's best time around Ferrari's Fiorano test track is 1:00.315. That's the record, and Berger set it last year in his Formula One car, the 412T1. Call that an eye-opening benchmark.

It took Ferrari's chief test driver Dario Benuzzi nearly half again as much time-1.29.700-to get around Fiorano in an F40, which had no catalytic converter.

Now comes the F50, Benuzzi's best so far has been 1:28.00.


....But Still, how can you not be intimidated, sitting behind the wheel of an F50? Especially when numbers other than lap times are considered, such as: 4.7 liters, 12 cylinders in a V, 520 horsepower, 348 lb ft of torque, $475,000, 250 cars to be built.

You remember what a wild animal the F40 was when you drove it here. its V8 twin turbo, good for 478 horsepower, was give to producing a sudden and huge over steer under hard acceleration, not only in the slow corners, but also in the S curve after the main straight.

The F50 is said to be an F1 car for the street. It is slightly more adjustable than a fitted race car. The steering wheel is fixed, the seat only moves fore and aft. The pedals are much father away than you expect, so you have to move the seat closer to the steering wheel. It's an uncomfortable position, but there is no way to find a better arrangement.

Then come a surprise: The clutch pedal is not stiff, requiring no more effort than an F355-very different from the brute force demanded by the F40.

Surprise again. The Gearshift lever-short, with a smart carbon fiber known-moves smoothly across the double H aluminum gate. No F40-like clanging. As we pull away, we immediately discover that the shifts are quick and precise.

While the engine feels extremely responsive and progressive up through third gear, we must first attend to some very important business, something we learned from the F40. We must feel out the brakes.

The huge Brembo drilled discs are similar to those used on the F40s raced at Le Mans. They are unassisted, and lack ABS. The pedal travel is long, so long that you feel the car can't brake enough. But suddenly the deceleration becomes massive, impressive.

Back to the fun Stuff. The engine noise grows as you floor the throttle, and its tone changes drastically at around 4500 rpm when a secondary throttle plate opens, doubling the air volume on the intake side. On the exhaust side, a similar plate opens to bypass the first of two mufflers on each side of the dual tailpipes.

The result? Engine noise like the Formula One car, high-pitched and truly exciting. But what about certification? "You never surpass 4500 rpm during homologation test", explains Ferrari chief engineer Amedeco Felisa.

Alain Prost would fine noise familiar. The 4.7-liter 65 degree V12 is basically the same engine as the 3.5-litter unit used in his 1990 race car.

The first warm-up lap is gone already. We ente4r the main straight in third gear, shifting into Fourth at 8000 rpm. As we back out of the throttle, before a hairpin at the end of the straight, we discover that the engine brakes progressively, not suddenly, as in the F40.

Benuzzi brakes at the 150-meter board, having reached 133 mph. We start at 250 meters after hitting 124. We downshift to third during braking, then into second before entering the turn at about 35 mph-it seems so easy-before accelerating again. This is one of the two place where power over steer reared its ugly head with the F40. Gently, we floor the throttle, prepare to counter steer, and then...nothing. Nothing at all, except the roar of the mighty F50 engine as we jump away from the hairpin into the downhill S curve. The F50 goes exactly in the direction it's pointed-no corrections necessary.

The first bend of the downhill S is taken at 62 mph, with progressive acceleration that builds the speak to 93 mph through the second sweep. Under acceleration, and downhill, the weight and lateral forces twice transfer side-to-side. It is here that bad images recur-a 348's tail sliding away, an F40 twitching with sudden power over steer.

Only if you have driven an F40 on the same track can you appreciate the substantial improvements to the F50.

The F40, with all its brute force, is intimidating. The F50 is faster, but it's still fun.

HIGH-ROLLING ASSEMBLY LINE

The Ferrari F50 is heir to the F40, 1310 of which have been built since 1987. Just 349 F50s will be built, promises Ferrari president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. "We started production in June, and we will end it in June 1997, with a huge celebration," he says.

To prevent speculation, Ferrari has already told its dealers how many units they will receive. "Each dealer will have to select his best clients," explains Ferrari sales and marketing director Michele Scannavini.

To place an order, a customer has to pay a 10 percent deposit, and then another 20 percent just before production starts. At that point, the client receives a certificate from Montezemolo, which names the client as owner of a specific chassis number. The entire assembly of each car will be recorded by a photographer, and a photo album presented to each owner will show how the car was built.

It takes 10 workers some 600 hours over 12 days to make an F50. The V12 engine takes three days to assemble. The F50 line has six stations. In the first, the carbon fiber chassis receives some bolts and mountings. In the second, the complete engine-gearbox assembly is added via six blots, the front and rear sub frames are mounted, and the air conditioner and electrical equipment are put in place. ....

For $475,000, you can choose from five colors: Ferrari red, barchetta red (darker, more purple), yellow, black, or Nurburgring gray, the only metallic paint.

The first unit will be delivered in September to Jean Blanton, a Belgian who owns 16 Ferraris. The united States will get 50, the same as Ferrari's tow other main markets, Germany and Italy.

 

Looks like you should join CivicChat.

 

Gotta agree man, the F40 is THE icon of the automotive world if you ask me.

It's got it all, looks, performance, racing heritige, and it sure is timeless.

 

Ouch. That smarts.

 

I prefer the F50 by a slight, very slight, margin to the F40. I like that it has a naturally aspirated V12, 6 gears, and removable top. However, the car appears to be a pain to maintain compared to the F40. Since the F40 has a large race history, there appears to be quite a few parts out there in the market to maintain it with (not all OEM, especially if you go LM part route). With that said, I would take the F40 LM over an F50 any day. The F40 and F50 are my two favorite modern Fcars and you have to go back to the 60s to get to the Fcars I like just as much (i.e. Lussos). I have my order like this:

F50 GT >> F40 LM >>>>> F50 > F40

 

I got first an F40, nice and tremendous feeling with this car, I made 15 000 km with it before selling it to a UK citizen.
Then I tested an F50, and in fact I was disapointed by the dash board (strange) and some others details.
So I bought an F40 GTE, best car ever driven, compare to any supercars for the inboard feeling, a real race car but no way (even after several tentatives) to put it on the road!
So my personnal feeling and solution is an F40 with 18 " wheels (to get large choice of tyres plus 380 mm LM brakes), 600 hp (easy to get it), reinforced gear box, large rear wing (GTE style), real harness.... the best combination on the road!
I will get it soon

 

ROFL!!! That was good.