Ferrari has cooked up something guaranteed to split opinions. The SC40 is a one-off Special Projects car.
It’s a tribute to the F40 without being a literal remake. That distinction matters more than you’d think.
The SC40 starts life as a 296 GTB underneath. It has the same turbo 3.0-liter V6, the same hybrid system, the same 819 horsepower, and the same 2.9-second 0–62 time.
The body, however, is completely reimagined. Flavio Manzoni’s team at Ferrari’s Styling Centre gave it sharp, angular lines inspired by Leonardo Fioravanti’s F40 design language from the 1980s.
The F40 was the last car Enzo personally approved. It’s automotive royalty. Ferrari didn’t want to just copy it though.
They wanted their own distinct thing. The SC40 proves it. The side intakes echo the F40’s NACA ducts.
The fixed rear wing extends from the engine cover like the original. The low, long nose tells you exactly what inspired this. But it’s not a time machine. It’s a conversation between eras.
The headlights are modern. They extend down into the lower air intake instead of sitting proudly on top.
The front bumper intake spans the entire width. Pop-ups got left out. Some will say that’s a missed opportunity. Maybe they’re right.
What really connects it to the F40 is what you see through smoked Lexan louvres. The V6 sits on display just like the legendary V8 did back then.
Muscular. Industrial. Raw. The design brief was clear. Give it squared volumes and that industrial aesthetic that made the F40 so brutally beautiful.
Kevlar dominates the cabin, redeveloped specifically for this project and used in the footwells, behind the seats, on the floor mats, the steering wheel, and the dash inserts.
Engine bay trim. Alcantara fills the rest. Everything wears SC40 White. There’s an “SC40” debossed on the rear wing. An “Charge” script on the aluminum fuel door. These details matter. They tell the story.
Only one SC40 exists. Ever. Ferrari won’t build another unless a client specifically commissions it. The one they showed took about two years.
The owner was involved every step. There’s a full-size styling buck at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello if you want to see it in person.
Ferrari didn’t release pricing. But Special Projects cars don’t come cheap.
The base 296 GTB starts around $347,000. Add bespoke bodywork, exclusive paint, custom interior work, and two years of development time. You’re looking at serious money.
Lewis Hamilton’s already interested. The seven-time F1 champion wants to collaborate on an F44. Manual gearbox. F40 styling-inspired design.
That’s his dream. If it happens, that’ll be the next chapter in this tribute story.
