Return of the King: is Ferrari planning on resurrecting the F40?

If you happen to be reading this anywhere near Enzo Ferrari’s grave, may we suggest you clear the area, because he’s about to spin up like one of Elon Musk’s boring machines.

According to highly reliable sources, who were in no way paid in pints of lager and pork scratchings, the final Ferrari to be signed off by Enzo himself could be immortalised/spoiled forever in a limited run modernised tribute... and our digital artists have been beavering away imagining how a modern F40 could look.

Rumours suggest it’ll follow the Monza SP1/SP2 (812 Superfast-based windscreenless missile inspired by the 750 Monza and 166MM from the 1950s) and Daytona SP3 (very slatty tribute to sports prototypes from the 1960s, based on a LaFerrari with the electric bits yanked out) as the third member of Ferrari’s short run, mega bucks 'Icona' line.

Renders: Andrei Avarvarii for Top Gear

That's the “programme designed to celebrate Ferrari history by reinterpreting the timeless styling of the marque’s most iconic cars to radically modern effect, using the most innovative materials and technologies available today", remember. Just don’t call them retro, the ‘R’ word is banned in Maranello. Bit like ‘SUV’.

Built in strictly limited numbers, snapped up before the public ever clapped eyes on them and sold for molto profitto to the platinum members of Ferrari’s black book, the Monza and Daytona (499 units at £1.4m each, and 599 units at £1.7m each respectively) were veritable money printers. No need to question why an F40 resurrection is attractive, then, if a little risky for the purist backlash that will inevitably follow.

Perhaps the Ferrari board was waiting to observe how the anger towards Lamborghini’s reborn Countach – and the reputational pasting it took from Gandini distancing himself from the project – settled before pushing the big green button.

The very switched on among you will remember that Ferrari has already dabbled in something F40 inspired. The one-off SP38 Deborah (no really) in 2018 featured a low level hooped spoiler and slotted engine cover as requested by one F40 mad customer. It was based on a 488 GTB, so had a twin-turbo V8 and was a fine looking thing, but always felt like a pulled punch, as if Ferrari wasn’t quite ready to cash in fully on the crown jewels.

This time around we’re expecting stronger connections to the past like a proper bookcase rear wing, NACA ducts in the bonnet and that trademark squared off nose.

Under the skin? Who knows, but here’s our best guess: any F40 wannabe is going to need a twin-turbo V8, so the SF90 platform would be the obvious choice. Take the more potent SF90 XX as a starting point, strip away the batteries and e-motors as per the Daytona SP3 template, and you’re left with a 786bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 powering only the rear wheels. More than enough for period correct hairy handling.

All that’s left is to remap the turbos to deliver maximum boost in one big dump at 3,500rpm and you have warm and fuzzy analogue vibes on tap... until you get trigger happy with the throttle on a wet roundabout.