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Exotic. Hot. Red. You can’t help but think ”Ferrari” when you hear those words attached to an automobile. And none was more aerodynamically sexier in 1987 than the Ferrari F40. Sports Car International named the F40 number five on their list of “Top Sports Cars of the 1980’s” and Motor Trend Classics picked it as number 10 on their list of the “Greatest Ferraris of All Time”.
The F40 originated with the celebration of Ferrari’s 40th Anniversary based on its more refined ancestor the Ferrari 288 GTO. The fire-breathing F40 was unveiled at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show and has become a true icon of the marque. Designed from the ground up by Pininfarina, it’s obvious this Italian is a racer from the moment you set eyes on it. Using body panels made of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and aluminum, the designers decided to add a large rear wing and deep scoops, making the F40 look like a ground jet. But where attention was lavished on the exterior, the interior is spartan, lacking most luxuries you’d expect in an exotic Ferrari. There is no carpeting, no radio and no door handles. But who needs all that when the F40 can ram you back in your seat and go from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds reaching speeds of 201 mph. Another thing that sets the F40 apart from others of its kin is its 2936cc V8 engine with twin turbo coolers pounding out 478 bhp, as opposed to the traditional V12. If you were wealthy enough and hungry enough in your desire for pure road power, the Ferrari F40 was the car of your dreams.
Mattel Hot Wheels, the exclusive manufacturer of Ferrari diecast images, has been releasing Ferrari diecast to delighted collectors across the world. Many of those cars are now very collectible, but collectors have called for a higher end product with more detail. Hot Wheels listened and has announced their Elite Edition line. The F40 was selected as the first to be produced in the line and is well worth waiting for. Each car is serially numbered as a Limited Edition on the bottom of the base.
The first thing that struck me as I pulled this gleaming Italian from the newly designed box was the paint quality. It is thick and lustrous and gleams as if wet. I knew this was definitely a higher quality Ferrari than previous Hot Wheels incarnations. It took a bit to get it all untied and unwrapped (Hot Wheels has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the model safe, wrapping it in plastic and also inserting plastic tubing in strategic openings like trunk and engine edges. Bravo.). Once I lifted the rear end, the front and the doors, I fell in love with my first Ferrari. The engine has enough detail to satisfy most Ferrari collectors for this price range, a significant improvement. Same for the front end. All the clear plastic is thinner and more scale correct. The interior sports fuzzy/fabric seats and amazingly realistic seat belts. There are authentic door hinges, no dog legs. Nothing is painted on this image; everything is a separate plastic piece. The front and rear grille panels are real metal, as is the tiny Ferrari name in the rear. Excellent detail for the money. Take a good look at the tread on the realistic rubber tires. Gone are the plastic looking vinyl versions.
This is the first Ferrari in my collection and it’s a keeper. For the price, this F40 blows Kyosho or AutoArt out of the water, and at a lower price. That is how good it is. If you’ve hesitated in getting any of the regular issue Hot Wheels Ferrari because you weren’t pleased with the quality, I advise you to look this Elite Edition F40 over. You’ll buy it. Don’t pay Exoto prices or wait for something better or more expensive to come along. The Hot Wheels Elite Edition Ferrari Collection is going to steal your heart and your wallet away. Start now with either the Red or the Yellow F40. As the first in a new line, they will be gobbled up. Vroom Vroom.
(03/25/2006)
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