Ferrari SC40: One-off tribute to F40 unveiled

The F40 turns 38 this year, and one Ferrari buyer has commissioned a modern interpretation based on today’s 296 GTB.

Dubbed SC40 due to its F40 inspiration, as well as being the guiding hand of Ferrari’s Design Centre, the car revealed here is likely already with its owner, but a styling buck will displayed at the company’s museum in Maranello.

There are some clues about the SC40’s provenance, most notably the glasshouse, wing mirrors and tail-lights, which are very closely related or directly taken from the 296 GTB.

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The rest of the car’s exterior is completely bespoke, though. At the front there are square-ish headlights that wrap around and blend into the thin lower air intake. Sadly, modern safety regulations make pop-up headlights an impossibility.

From the grille and fenders to the side air intake and rear vents, the 296’s curves have been flatted out and squared off to make the modern car’s features fit the late-1980s aesthetic of the F40.

At the rear there’s a unique clamshell cover for the engine bay that includes a fixed rear wing and smoked Lexan louvres covering the V6 engine. The SC40’s wing, though prominent, doesn’t rise as high as the F40’s.

The car rides on bespoke five-spoke 20-inch wheels clad with 245/35 Michelin tyres up front, and 305/35 rubber at the rear.

As with many other one-off commissions, the SC40’s interior is much more closely related to the donor vehicle than the exterior. The SC40’s upholstery is mix of grey faux suede and red Jacquard fabric, and there SC40 logos on the dashboard and seats.

In a nod to the F40’s extensive use of Kevlar, a carbon-Kevlar material has been applied to the SC40’s footwells, floor mats, dashboard highlights, engine bay, and luggage area.

Under the skin, the SC40 is pure 296 GTB, plug-in hybrid drivetrain and all. Behind the passenger cell is a 488kW/740Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that’s mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automated transmission and a 122kW/315Nm electric motor.

Drive goes to the rear wheels, and total system output is rated at 610kW. Ferrari claims the SC40, like the 296 GTB, is capable of completing the 0-100km/h dash in 2.9 seconds, hitting 200km/h within 7.3 seconds, and reaching a top speed over 330km/h.

For reference, the F40 had a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V8 making 352kW and 577Nm, which spun the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The 0-100km/h dash required 4.1 seconds, and the top speed was 324km/h.

MORE: Explore the Ferrari 296 GTB showroom