If you want to keep your money safe then you put it in a Swiss bank. Now, if you want to add some extra security to your Ferrari F40, you can hand it over to a Swiss restomod maker.
Officine Fioravanti, which has previously updated the Ferrari Testarossa and BB512, has turned its attention to the F40 in a bid to make it more manageable on the road.
“The F40 is a masterpiece created to be driven, not just to be shown off,” says Officine Firoavanti. “If you don’t use it, you ruin it; if you use it and you are not a real driver, you risk a lot.” That’s certainly been evidenced recently with two F40 accidents caught on camera and going viral online – including one owned by McLaren F1 ace Lando Norris.
To help owners avoid future embarrassment and inevitable insurance claims Officine Fioravanti has developed a range of modifications “to make one of the most iconic supercars in history safer, more usable and, if necessary, also more performing”.
The twin turbocharged (and notoriously laggy) 2.9-litre V8 engine is unchanged, but major improvements to the chassis should help drivers cope better. Öhlins TTX36 dampers are fitted all round. The four-way adjustable units were designed for Formula 3, and feature an internal oil reservoir that makes them both high-performing and very compact. The brakes get an update from Brembo with six-piston front calipers and four-pot units at the rear, alongside carbon ceramic discs. New one-piece 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels are supplied with Michelin Cup 2 or Pirelli P Zero tyres for added grip. Finally, there’s a modification to the steering box, including hydraulic servo assist.
Ferrari Formula 1 driver Michele Alboreto once described the F40 as “a bit like a German shepherd, you can pet it and it will be nice but if you are mean to it it will bite you.” Officine Fioravanti’s upgrades should mean that its bark is now worse than its bite.
