Cavallino Randale: Ferrari F40 LM GTC

Some cars set benchmarks. Others shatter them. When Ferrari unveiled the F40 in 1987, it was already a street-going beast — 478 hp, twin-turbo V8, and a silhouette like an aerodynamic punch to the face. Then Daniel Marin, head of Ferrari importer Charles Pozzi SA, asked himself: What if you took this supercar and turned it into a purebred race car? Into what it was always meant to be?

The answer came quickly: Michelotto. Giuliano Michelotto, to be precise — and his eponymous firm. He had been instrumental in the success of numerous race cars, from the Group 4-spec Lancia Stratos to various Ferrari 308 versions. Ferrari soon gave its official blessing to this alternate F40 program, and eventually, 19 examples were prepared by Michelotto as so-called “F40 LMs,” the name clearly signalling the intention to one day take on Le Mans.

The legendary engineer and tuner transformed the ’80s icon: larger intercoolers, sharper camshafts, revised fuel management, more boost — and 720 hp in IMSA trim. For the FIA-GT version? A brutal 760 hp. From racehorse to warhorse. With almost an extra 300 horses came bigger Brembo brakes, a lowered suspension, wider wheels, and a massive adjustable rear wing.

Chassis number 95448 is one such beast — and a GTC-spec at that, the most uncompromising configuration of them all. Delivered new in Rosso Corsa in 1992, it went straight into the hands of Swiss collector Walter Hagmann. During a private test at Mugello, he quickly learned the car’s untamed potential. Later, Hagmann took the F40 LM to events at Ferrari Club Italia, in Zurich, Monza, Brno, and Valencia. In 2009, it received Ferrari Classiche certification, followed by further engine upgrades from Michelotto himself.

In 2025, the F40 LM entered ModaMiami, winning the special Ferrari: Passion and Performance Collection category. Freshly overhauled and sitting on new Michelin slicks, it now waits for its next custodian — someone who will keep this purebred racer doing what it was born to do: run.