Modifying an F40 is against car
culture law right? Not from where we are standing.
Kato-san of Liberty Walk is a car
enthusiast like no other. On one side of the spectrum, his vast collection
includes the most in-your-face shakotan rides from the seventies, cars that
back in passion in automotive.
These join some of the most sought after
exotics money can buy, but it's one specific car we were primarily there to
see. No matter what you may be into, or what particular type of car tickles
your senses, it's pretty much impossible not to bow down to the awesomeness
that is the Ferrari F40. It's the last car that the great Enzo Ferrari was able
to give input on before he passed away, and regarded by many as not only the
best creation to come from Maranello, but the ultimate driver's car, ever.
Is
the F40 the greatest road-going Ferrari of them all?
We don't know what's more impressive; that
he has actually customized one to spice it up a little! The white example we
were there to see wears a one-off exterior inspired by the ultra-rare LM
homologation versions of the F40. At the front the massive, one-piece Kevlar
cowl has been stripped of the pop-up headlights that help give the F40 that low
pointy nose and replaced with fixed HID projectors behind the clear cover
section that houses the indicators and small lights. As Kato-san explains this has
actually helped drop a significant amount of weight as the mechanism that
operated the stock headlights was quite heavy.
The
two NACA ducts on the bonnet, the F40's unmistakable nostrils if you will, were
sealed create on the lower part of the nose
The two NACA ducts on the bonnet, the F40's
unmistakable nostrils if you will, were sealed create on the lower part of the
nose. This helps bring cooling air to the front-mounted radiator, but is mainly
there to mimic the LM. Kato then added a custom made front lip spoiler,
protruding about 10cm to help create some useable front down force at speed.
The alterations continue at the rear, where the wing part of the one-piece
spoiler was cut away and replaced with an adjustable GT-wing type piece. This,
again, was to emulate the LM, which had more complex rear spoiler to generate
more complex rear down force, not wanting to risk damaging the stock 5-spoke
Enkei Sport rims at each corner.
The single lug nut, 18in lightweight wheels
are finished in matt black and measure a whopping 12J at the rear and 10J up
front. Tires of choice are Michelin Pilot Sport, 265/35 for the front and
steamroller-wide 335/30 at the rear. With no form of traction control, and a
whopping surge of torque available in the mid-range, it's no wonder this beefy
size was required to attempt to channel all that fury to the Japanese tarmac!
The
single lug nut, 18in lightweight wheels are finished in matt black and measure
a whopping 12J at the rear and 10J up front
Kato-san knows very well that for a car to
look its best, it needs to sit just right. While this is no problem for his
chasses-scraping zokusha (Google it! - Jules), the last thing he wanted
to do was risk damaging the F40's precious body on poorly surfaced roads or
when tackling ramps and other obstacles. So even if the car does sit statically
low on its custom Aragosta 2-way adjustable suspension kit, each of the
4-dampers are fitted with Roberuta air-cups that, at a push of a button, raise
the front or rear of the car by up to 5cm. While there is no arguing with the
F40's performance and handling capabilities for is something that concerned
Kato-san. No problem now however, as rather large 8-pot Brembo calipers were
used on the Ferrari Enzo. Custom 2-piece Rdd slotted discs followed, to
guarantee that the F40 can stop just as efficiently as it packs on the speed.
Opening up the Kevlar rear section of the
F40 reveals the small capacity, twin turbocharged V8. You have to take a few
minutes to take it all in, to appreciate the racecar-like layout of everything.
From the way the win intercoolers and air-boxes are laid out, to those massive
rear tyres and the exposed chassis.
It
takes a mighty set of pods to monkey around with an F40
While the engine, complete with twin IHI
turbo has been left stock, Kato-san spiced things up a little with a very
naughty looking exhaust system. It's literally three straight pipes - two for
each of the turbos' outlets - one for the massive external waste gate. This
helps liberate a few horses and sharpen up the throttle response, but it's the
sheer noise it creates that firmly cements itself in your brain. This thing is
seriously LOUD!
It's when we open the paper-light carbon
fiber doors that we kind of gather that Kato-san must have quite a sense of
humor. In the minimalistic interior, aside from a steering wheel, three pedals
and the old school Ferrari gated shifter, it's the Pioneer head unit that
stands out. There is no way in hell that you could listen to music in this car,
not with the racket the straight-through exhaust makes! Kato even added a
Pioneer amp and a pair of high-end Pioneer speakers, but as he tells us, he
can't remember the last time he turned it on!
Aside from the comical addition of a stereo
system it's the simplicity of the ambience that stands out the most. You sit
there surrounded only by the things that matter, the controls of the car. There
is no electronic trickery to fiddle with, no flashy carbon fiber trim to dress
up areas of the cabin; everything is focused around driving. Fast.
A
tunnel and an F40 = aural heaven
Our day with this legendary machine ends in
a short drive back to the Liberty Walk shop, where we were treated to the fury
of that mid-mounted turbocharged-V8 and its bewitching overrun, which supplies
machine-gun like pops at the slightest easing off of the throttle.
The in-gear acceleration was probably what
impressed the most, able to pack on speed at such as alarming rate. It's
incredible to think that the F40 is over two-decades old! This is a car every
manufacturer should look to for inspiration. It embodies the essence of a
sports car in so many ways, from its simplicity to its explosive performance
and that all-important low weight. The fact that someone's had the balls to
modify one, just makes it all the sweeter.
