Is it true that 'All F-40's Show More Than 500BHP on Dynamometer?'

At the wheels or crank?

There was a thread recently discussing Euro vs USA spec F40 and how one of them had supposedly over 500hp, but I don't remember whether it was definitely concluded..

 

I can't speak for the Euro cars, but I was told by the FNA West Coast Rep back in the day that all USA F40s produced over 500HP and most at the 515HP level. It was because of better software. I'm assuming that the Euro cars after 1990 must have received the same improvements, but that's an assumption. The FNA rep is still in the Ferrari business in Southern California.

Steve

 

When Ferrari built and released the F-40 - like the 959 - it was not intended to be sold in the US at all. Both cars were built to compete in the Group B races and were thus designed as such. Group B died before it really got off the ground. Ferrari then - with Group B done, unlike Porsche, decided to sell the car in the US. Group B guidelines now didnt matter. When they added the cats, along with other US road car must haves, the engineers remapped the ECU to make up for the power that was robbed by the cats.

 

The US cars "might" have had a few more ponies to compensate for the US emissions and added weight.

As to why so many F40's dyno over 500, well rememeber that many owners upgrade the turbochargers and intercoolers etc....

They were all rated at 478 HP from the factory, but on an F40 even an exhaust upgrade can take that over the 500 HP mark with ease.

 

One of the F40's I looked at when searching for mine had been to a Swiss Turbo doctor. With a sports exhaust and a few other tweaks, it was rated at 595 bhp.

 

If I remember correctly, the 288 GTO was Ferrari's intended Group B car. The F40's displacement is over the Group B limit. The F40 was built to top the 959 (a legit Group B car) on the road.

 

You can do whatever you want in the good 'ol USA....

 

Not with my F40 insurer! They specifically prohibited any modifications - except the exhaust. :-|

Of course, you're right in that you can do anything you want, providing you're willing to pay the resultant price!

Tim

 

When you guys say they prohibit modifications - can you clarify that? There is something in the policy stating that it does not cover the vehicle if it has been modified? Or are you talking that the will not cover modifications? I.e. if you are insured for a stock car but put a $10,000 stereo in it, they will not cover the stereo.

I've never heard of the former case - would that even be legal? I can see them not covering the cost of any mods, but I'd think they would be obligated to cover the base car.

 

Most insurers won't cover the loss of money for any modifications done.

Often times one can dispute it through a lawyer and come to a mutual agreement on compensation of said parts . . . full coverage is full coverage after-all

The exact situation happened to a friend of mine 6 years ago. He was involved in an accident that totalled his car. He had +$25K in modifications, both performance and cosmetic, and settled with his insurer for 30% of said modifications; on TOP of the price of the car.

 

Correct!

 

Back in Group B, the multiplier was 1.4 for Turbo cars. So, 2.85 x 1.4 just made the 4 liter normally aspirated limit. The F40 would have just been over it. Both Porsche and Ferrari figured they could build a more powerful 2.85 L turbo motor than a 4 liter normally aspirated one.

Steve

 

couple of points guys.

i. rolling roads are not, cannot, and will never give accurate flywheel figures.
all they can do is measure the torque at the wheels and then extrapolate that firstly into horsepower and then again extrapolate that into a flywheel figure.

ii. 500bhp is only a gain of a little over 4% over standard, this could simply be down to a few things. eg a looser engine, lower intake temps or simply because not all engines will give exactly standard power.

iii. not positive on this one but dont you guys over in the USofA measure horsepower slightly differently from Europe ?

 

I got 490-something at the wheels in my F40 last time I dyno'd it. It's getting serviced now, and an LM exhaust is waiting to go on, so I should be able to break the 500@the wheels mark easily on my next run.

 

Nice! Keep us posted.

 

whats been done to it for those sort of gains ?

 

Probably not to much....

 

Not too much is right:

• Tubi Exhaust with Tubi sport cats (new X-Ost exhaust with straight pipes will hopefully be even lounder/more powerful)
• Larger (but still OEM) turbos. Some refer to them as the LM turbos, tho technically they are just the later model ones by IHI, and not the same as the ones on the true F40 LM
• Razzo Rosso ECU software
• Razzo Rosso 9% drop gear

Non-speed mods are also 18" OZ Magnesios, and Brembo GT brake upgrade.

There are others who have done a lot more (hotter cams, major engine mods) but the car is exactly how I want it right now!

 

thats a hefty gain over standard - 500bhp @ the wheels is equivalent to over 600 @ the fly.
F40 is rated at 478 at the fly, so youve gained an amazing 26% odd !!!!!

has the boost been upped along with those mods ?

 

The bigger turbochargers alone can make a big difference....

 

With the car on a dyno (and I would only EVER recommend doing this when the car is on a dyno), I turned the allen key on the wastegate spring ever so slightly (1/4 turn at a time), to smooth out the boost pressure as shown by the boost pressure sensor on the dyno. It didn't "increase" the boost per se, it just smoothed out the opening and closing of the wastegate.

My experience has shown me that there is still PLENTY inside a stock F40 that is waiting to be unlocked. But I suggest to F40 owners that they do the upgrades one at a time, and that they wait until the car doesn't feel as blindingly fast as before, then add something - with big results.

On a semi-related note, I find it amusing that to launch the 599, Ferrari marketing is comparing it to the F40. It took them 20 years to come up with a car that they dare compare to the F40. What's funny, however, is that it isn't really a fair comparison. 20 years of tire technology alone can account for much (and maybe more) than the lap time differences between the cars (Ferrari lap times are recorded with the stock tires). And the launch control software on the 599 is a big part of the 0-60 comparison. I'd love to see what a slightly modded F40 (I consider mine only slightly modded) could do against a 599 in the hands of the same driver. I don't think the 599 would win.

No disrepsect to the 599. Do I want one? Yes. Would I trade my F40 for it? Hellz no!

 

Quite honestly all a F40 would need would be newer tires....