Few Ferrari supercars enjoy so much fame and recognition worldwide as the F40. RM Sotheby’s is about to sell one of these rare beasts, and not just a regular model at that. Despite its considerable mileage of nearly 23,000 kilometers (14,100 miles), it’s still poised to bring the seller up to 3.2 million GBP.
Legendary engineer Giovanni Michelotto built only 18 Ferrari F40 LM units back in the early 1980s. This car wasn’t originally one of them, but its owner – French racing driver and Ferrari partner Jean Sage – persuaded Michelotto to upgrade his personal ride to the same spec.
Working with this F40, Michelotto turbocharged its standard 2.9-liter V8 from the original 478 PS (471 hp / 352 kW) to 527 PS (520 hp / 388 kW). He also managed to squeeze an impressive 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of peak torque out of the mill, not something that many Ferraris from the ‘80s could boast. By replacing a number of components with lightweight counterparts, he reduced the curb weight by 136 kilograms (300 lbs).
Despite its respectable track credentials, this F40 was, and still is, street-legal in France. The listing mentions a non-stock exhaust system, but that’s about the only thing that sets it apart from the genuine LM spec. As such, we see no problem with it hitting the price estimate.