• September 26, 2026

Italian Tuner Has A Cure For F40 Crashes

Some high-profile Ferrari F40 crashes have shaken some but inspired others. Officine Fioravanti is one of the companies that has been inspired. Its F40 Alte Prestazioni is a handling package that is meant to take some of the risk out of taking your big-dollar Ferrari supercar out for a nice Sunday drive, bringing its safety up a few notches, albeit not to the tech-dominated levels of a modern F80, for example.

Ferrari

Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of sports cars, supercars, and luxury grand tourers founded by and named after Enzo Ferrari in 1939 – originally as Auto Avio Costruzioni due to legal complications with Alfa Romeo. Ferrari famously only produced roadgoing sports cars as a means of funding its racing exploits, which include multiple F1 World Championships and wins at Le Mans and various other prestigious races. Today, Ferrari is one of the most valuable brand names in the world, limiting production of its highly-sought-after models to maintain desirability, which is in no short supply when they’re powered by some of the world’s most advanced V6, V8, and V12 engines.

Founded

1939 (as Auto Avio Costruzioni)

Founder

Enzo Ferrari

Headquarters

Maranello, Italy

Owned By

Publically Traded

Current CEO

Benedetto Vigna

Officine Fioravanti looks at the Ferrari as a very expensive double-edged carbon fiber sword. Don’t drive it, the company says, and it’s a problem. Fuel leaks from all sorts of places increase the risk of a fire, and there are countless other irks that can pop up when a car sits for a long time. Drive it, though, and the risks can be even higher. “So sharp and genetically wild that even a slight extra press on the gas while flirting with its [426 lb-ft] of torque, if poorly managed, leads to an immediate crash.”

F40 Gets Desperately Needed Suspension, Brake, And Tire Upgrades

So what’s a 1990s supercar owner to do? Send Officine Fioravanti a check, of course. In exchange, the company will deliver “a series of targeted interventions driven by a pragmatic philosophy aimed not only at enhancing the pure pleasure of driving but also at protecting those in the car.”

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The upgrades start with a new suspension, specifically Öhlins TTX 36 suspension with remote reservoirs and adjustable compression and rebound damping, along with adjustable suspension arms to help get the car dialed in. Then the company fits a modern set of carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers in the front. The new brakes come with a modern ABS setup that should take some of the scariness out of braking in the wet.

Related

Heartbreaking Video Catches Ferrari F40 Rolling Into A Lamp Post

A blip of the throttle on a wet road, and it’s gone.

Last but certainly not least are some new wheels and tires. The center-lock wheels look like the factory parts, but instead of a 17-inch size like the originals, they’re 18 up front and 19 in the back. Modern Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires make sure that the car has the latest tire design and compound rubber, plus makes sure that the tires aren’t ancient and dried out. They’re also much easier to replace because Michelin makes them.

Small Market, But A Huge Need For This Kit

Since Ferrari built just 1,311 copies of the F40 from 1987 through 1992, there were never many on the road. Time and bad driving have cut into that number because even if a crashed car is repaired, every car smashed is likely to make other owners think a few extra times before heading out on the road. Even if you can afford the repair bills, not everyone wants to make the news for crumpling up their pride and joy.

Related

What makes the Ferrari F40 an icon among other 80s cars?

Alongside the unmistakable Lamborghini Countach, the Ferrari F40 is arguably one of the most recognizable cars from the 80s. What makes is so special?

It also means there aren’t many customers for Italian and Swiss-based Officine Fioravanti. However, with the 2.9-liter turbocharged V8 making 477 horsepower and not getting any younger or cheaper, it should be able to find a few.

If it can’t, its crafters will have to go back to their normal activities, which include modifying other supercars from Italy like the Ferrari Testarossa or 512BB.

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