Fuel pump howls loudly I turn the ignition key and the fuel pump howls loudly in an attempt to prepare the engine for the next stage. I press the matte black rubber button that acts as a starter, the engine spins willingly and jumps into action after a few revolutions. A light tap on the accelerator immediately wakes up the V8 engine, which just as quickly settles down at idle. It could be muffled to the point of imperceptibility, but catalytic converter-free exhaust in a stainless exhaust system gives the sound a Ferrari should have. Even at idle, it is slightly rattling and menacing in a way that divides people into those who love cars and the rest (the 100 most fanatical members of the Danish Cyclist Association).
REMEMBER: 1ST GEAR – Down and to the left… The clutch is surprisingly smooth and responsive, whereas the gear change in the carved aluminum screen requires a steady hand. Remember: 1st gear is down to the left. The clutch makes it easy to take off in style, but the accelerator makes it difficult not to jump off anyway. Later you understand that it is because it has a lot to keep track of. First gear is shorter than I expected. The speedometer reveals that I have long passed 80 km/h, and in reality I am consistently speeding because the speed feels at least 40 km/h slower than it is. The shift from first to second gear requires precision and determination. After that, it's up to my own respect for the car. The power resources are inexhaustible.
With a displacement of just 2.9 liters and two turbos, I expected excessive roar from the two big IHI turbos, but it does not appear. The pulling power develops completely smoothly but progressively towards the peak at 7,000 rpm, but it is happy to pull on the other side if I ask it to. The 33.5 cm wide 17" rear tires bite into the spring-cool asphalt and ensure a launch so strong that it is the fear of speed that sets the limit to the car's ability in my hands. After four hours behind the wheel, I never get anywhere near the limit of power. I didn't dare, at first out of respect for the treasure, later out of respect for the effect. Wildest street car – ever! In second and third gear, the F40 is so wild that I've never tried anything like it in a street car. It's not because it's scary: the car's limit is just so far on the other side of my own that I don't need to challenge it. It could all go haywire, but it doesn't, because even if I never find the limit, I'm never for a split second in doubt as to where I am on the scale. I'm sure it would throw me into the rough in the very split second if I hit the accelerator a little too hard at the wrong moment. But I don't fear that, because the sensation of the car working over the asphalt is one of the most intense things I've ever felt behind a steering wheel.
Never before have I experienced so much controllable power in a Momo suede steering wheel at the same time as a natural respect for the pedals. The balance is perfect and yet the engine has more power than I can use. It's wild. Ferrari F40 of advanced and incomprehensible mathematics: Everything happens in the fourth power. Great in a 30+ year old car and build. Click 'NEXT PAGE' to read more