F40 or Enzo Ferrari and why

Tough call, but the Enzo gets my vote. The cars design, the doors, the insane bark at ignition, the ferocious roar,..... I could go on. Certainly I could say similar things about the F40 as well, but the Enzo is just a bit more incredible to me.

 

Quite the opposite to what I have been told by expert drivers. Also, the F40 as ferocious as it is, didn't impress me on the track. Explosive, yes, but rough around the edges. So-so brakes, understeer on entry, oversteer on exit, too much lag.

 

12 cylinders will always be more special to me - even though for a modern car I made the move from V12 to turbocharged...

 

Not if it is driven properly

 

Well, you can remedy understeer by following the old adage of "slow in, fast out". There is little you can do regarding oversteer when the turbos kick in, other than to accelerate only in a straight line, leaving a lot of time on the table.

 

Really?

I wonder how all those turbocharged cars have won all those races against normally-aspirated cars then

 

Were all of them road legal F40s with erratic on-boost behaviour?

 

No but the F40's on-boost characteristics are similar to those of a 90s Le Mans-winning race car, fierce but controllable power-delivery, which can be used to good effect, including in the corners.

My experience with 3 different road-legal F40s I have owned and driven extensively over the last few decades is, the on-boost behaviour is quite predictable and not erratic at all.

 

You are getting confused between the chassis' underlying understeer/oversteer characteristics and what happens if you don't drive it correctly by managing gears/revs/throttle (and therefore boost) through curves.

The chassis is set up with mild initial understeer just like many other Ferrari supercars, and for good reason. If you induce oversteer mid-bend through boost, your own fault.

So, the old adage slow in, fast out could be replaced by "a bad workman blames his tools"

 

i love the F40.
but if i have a liquidity event, i would be very tempted to get an enzo.
BUT, they are now about the same price as a zonda, and i would have a zonda over every and any other car out there, other than a hyuara

 

I am not confusing the two things. I am pointing out that by modern Ferrari standards, the F40 is a bit wayward.

 

Irrelevant because the F40 was launched 31 years ago, so the comparison by modern Ferrari standards is redundant.

That said, based on my personal extensive F40 ownership experience and the consideration of that of many other owners, the F40 cannot be accurately or intelligently described as a bit wayward when compared with 80s or 90s sports cars, and even when compared with contemporary sports cars. Potent & explosive, yes, wayward, no. It's a road-rocket that simply takes a skilled driver to master, therein lies it's appeal.

 

My preference would be the F40. Having driven both cars it’s the one that struck me as truly special. It was an event to drive and it’s one of the only cars I’ve ever really lusted after.

The point you bring up about price is also a major issue for the Enzo. At that range doors open to some incredible options such as a Zonda or Koenigsegg. For me, that pushes the Enzo even further down the list. In fact, I’d opt for an LM before an Enzo.

 

You had me at, Zonda


Sent from my 16M

 

I drove my F40. I sold my F40. My Enzo is an entirely different beast. Two completely different cars. Both beautiful in their own respect. I prefer the Enzo for driving, looks, and collectibility. I am a fan of paddle shift, having raced paddle shift cars for the last 3 years. From an economic collectibility standpoint, Enzo should rise fast in value versus the F40. Enzo also has slighter better clearance, from my own experience, including the lift function. This is a good problem to have, to choose one or the other. Cheers!

 

F40, it is a better Ferrari.

 

Objectively speaking, it 's the opposite way. The Enzo is better in every measurable criterion.

 

With a Ferrari, you go with your heart, not the brain

 

For sure the heart wants what the heart wants, I am 100% with you on this one. I was just replying to the "better Ferrari" comment.

 

F40 by a mile.
Enzo is neat and more modern but so is a 458.
F40 is iconic and insane.
LOL at Enzo values but is what it is.

 

I am wondering if all people who revere the F40 have actually driven it...

 

The better looking one on the left, please.
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Someone had once asked for a picture of the Chiron and I sent them this.

 

F40, as it was introduced by Enzo Ferrari himself and the production started when he was still alive. I don't want any Ferrari introduced after 1988.

ciao

 

Enzo Ferrari would disagree with you, as his motto was that the best Ferrari is the next one!!!