[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/why-the-ferrari-f40-is-overrated\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/why-the-ferrari-f40-is-overrated\/","headline":"Why The Ferrari F40 Is Overrated","name":"Why The Ferrari F40 Is Overrated","description":"Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t jump on the F40 bandwagon and why it\u2019s far from the best Ferrari Where to begin with what is hailed as the most beautiful supercar ever created? Passion for this particular classic Ferrari seems to have surpassed logic as it is widely regarded as the world\u2019s most beautiful, advanced, powerful, perfect supercar, which of course, is not always true. Judging this car with a level head has become a rather rare occurrence as those that like […]","datePublished":"2019-11-21","dateModified":"2019-11-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ferrari-F40-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Ferrari-F40-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/why-the-ferrari-f40-is-overrated\/","about":["CLASSIC CARS","Ferrari","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":1074,"keywords":["F40 Ferrari","ferrari","Ferrari F40"],"articleBody":"Here\u2019s why you shouldn\u2019t jump on the F40 bandwagon and why it\u2019s far from the best FerrariWhere to begin with what is hailed as the mostbeautiful supercar ever created? Passion for this particular classic Ferrariseems to have surpassed logic as it is widely regarded as the world\u2019s mostbeautiful, advanced, powerful, perfect supercar, which of course, is not alwaystrue.Judging this car with a level head has become a rather rare occurrence as those that like the car appear to want to defend it to their graves. Once you actually see the car for what it is, with its flaws laid out on paper, it\u2019s quite easy to see how this actually may not be \u2018the greatest supercar ever made\u2019 but rather, just another good supercar. Ugly air intakesMost of the infatuation of the Ferrari F40 iscentred around its gorgeous looks. There\u2019s no denying that the overallaesthetic of this car is fantastic. It\u2019s just a beautiful car. However, look alittle closer and the illusion begins to fall apart. One of the few aesthetic flawsof this otherwise stunning car are the weird air intakes. Something you won\u2019t find anymore in modern supercars are air intakes that are shaped in an odd, statement-making way such as the ones found on the F40. Literally shaped like a funnel, there are eight of these bizarre airflow intakes on the car, two of which are right on top of one another on the side of the car.It\u2019s the kind of thing that you can\u2019t unseeonce you focus on it. It\u2019s as though no effort was made to incorporate theminto the design and that these triangular holes have just been dotted aroundthe body for optimum performance, with design playing no part in the decisionprocess. They don\u2019t fit into the contours of the body and look out of place,leaving the car looking like it\u2019s part Italian supercar, part cheese grater.  Plastic fantasticA minor complaint but do you really want yoursupercar to have a clear plastic engine cover that looks like it was made in DTclass? If it was smaller, perhaps more discreet, then it wouldn\u2019t be such aproblem but the sheer size of this plastic panel is enough to put you off. It\u2019sa Ferrari, not a Nissan. Flimsy panelsTo access the frunk and the engine on this carnow worth around \u00a31.5 million, one must locate the black plastic locked clipsto release the latch and then proceed to lift the panels. Both the rear andfront sections of the car, once lifted up, are incredibly flimsy and feature nohydraulic arms to assist lifting. The rear can literally be swung open like a door on a hinge if the wind happens to take it, resulting in the entire rear panel swinging up and over onto the roof of the car. The front section is held in place by two thin wire cables. Cables not thick enough to place your trust in to hold the weight of a bumper now worth around \u00a320,000. Panels are thin, warbly and will flap aroundin the wind if you let them. To be fair, the F40 was designed to be as light aspossible for optimum performance, but we can\u2019t help but feel that a body panelthat can wobble is not a good sign of quality or \u2018fine Italian craftsmanship\u2019. The engineering in the hinges\/bonnet mechanism is incredibly basic and it\u2019s clear to see where Enzo\u2019s priorities were. To build the ultimate Ferrari, the panels apparently needed to have the same opening and closing mechanism as my shed door. Weird.Thin paintAgain, it saves weight, we understand that. However, when your paint is so thin that you can see the waves of the composite kevlar\/carbon fibre texture, it becomes a quality issue. One may even mistake this uneven reflection for orange peeling, something that is a result of poor paint application. Your supercar should have a nice, silky-smooth reflection to the paint, not this. The interiorMany mistake the Ferrari F40 for something itis not. Unlike today\u2019s Ferrari\u2019s (or basically any Ferrari built after the F40)this one lacked any kind of luxury. The interior is felt, the seats are rockhard, the dashboard is ugly, there\u2019s no radio, cup holders, glove compartmentand there\u2019s no door handle either. The door is opened by tugging on aplastic-covered cable within the door, just like the cable we imagine truckersto pull to honk their horn. It\u2019s like being inside a helicopter except there are only around seven gauges rather than a hundred. Nothing about the inside of the car suggests there was any thought for design. Dials and gauges are put in places that make sense, the wheel is in front of you and so are the pedals and that\u2019s it. This is a track car, not a luxury supercar.The exhaust note is lacklustre You would think, being a Ferrari F40, it wouldsound incredible. Wrong. With the stock exhaust, the car sounds muffled, boringand somewhat industrial. Being the greatest supercar ever made, one wouldexpect it to at least sound good without the help of an aftermarket system. Turbo LagThe F40 is notorious for turbo lag and because it\u2019s such a powerful car, it\u2019s even more severe than one may be used to. Sure, once the engine is able to deliver all of its power once the turbos finally work the car is incredibly fast and exhilarating, but you shouldn\u2019t have to experience such dire lag in a car that is said to be the benchmark for all supercars.So, after all of this, I\u2019m a bit confused. TheF40 certainly isn\u2019t the best supercar ever made with its poor productionquality and complete lack of luxury, among other things. The F40 is also notthe best track car ever made. So what is it?The Ferrari F40 is an iconic supercar, abeautiful supercar and a very powerful and fast supercar but it\u2019s just not thebest car to have ever existed, so stop calling it that! Read about how all of Maserati\u2019s future cars will be either hybrid orfull electric, here!"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why The Ferrari F40 Is Overrated","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/why-the-ferrari-f40-is-overrated\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]