Latest news with #F44
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Has An Idea For An Analog Ferrari Supercar
Read the full story on Backfire News There's no doubting the greatness of Lewis Hamilton, a man who has won the Formula One championship seven times, but some will question his desire to design an analog Ferrari supercar. We think his idea, which would be based on the legendary Ferrari F40, sounds intriguing enough, but we wonder if Maranello was at the Australian GP that Hamilton gave voice to what's apparently a dream of his, designing a Ferrari supercar, reports Motorsport. He, like so many of us, absolutely loves the F40, so it makes sense he would want to use that as a basis for his own creation. And the name, F44, is a tribute to his racing number. Plus, it would give the new supercar a nomenclature connection to its predecessor. That's a nice touch. Like the F40, the Ferrari F44 would be an analog car, not some technological wonder like what we have today. As Hamilton told the adoring crowd, the modern supercar would have an 'actual stick shift.' See, Hamilton is just like us. He wants to do heel-toe shifting in a modern supercar, to feel one with the machine instead of just flipping some paddles or having the computer decide when to shift. Sure, an automatic might be faster, but the visceral experience of shifting makes driving infinitely more enjoyable. What's more, the F40 was created using Ferrari's F1 technology of the time. Enzo Ferrari himself oversaw the project, making it his last great work. Some think trying to one-up what the man who started the company did is a little much, but Hamilton isn't known for his humility. For now this is the idle talk of an F1 driver who's struggling with his start at Scuderia Ferrari. But if Maranello gets enough feedback that enthusiasts with plenty of cash like this idea, maybe it could see the light of day in a few years. Image via Scuderia Ferrari
Forbes
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Will Ferrari Really Build Lewis Hamilton's Stick-Shift F44 Supercar?
FIORANO MODENESE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 19: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari acknowledges the ... More fans at the end of the days running at Fiorano Circuit on February 19, 2025 in Fiorano Modenese, Italy. (Photo by) Ferrari hasn't offered a stick-shift manual transmission option for any of its supercars since the California back in 2012. Ever since, its cars have been built exclusively with paddle-operated, semi-automatic 'boxes. But what if the company's newest, most high-profile employee wanted to bring back the famous gated manual shifter? And what if that person also wanted this hypothetical supercar to be a successor to the legendary F40? That person is Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One World Champion and current Ferrari team driver. Speaking after the season-opening race in Australia earlier his month, Hamilton told the website that he wants to design a Ferrari supercar. 'One of the things I really want to do is, I want to design a Ferrari. I want to do an F44,' the British driver said, in reference to the 44 race number he has used his entire career, and which was inspired by the license plate of his father's old car. Giving more details of the car he'd like to create, Hamilton added, 'Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That's what I'm gonna work on for the next few years.' It's no surprise that Hamilton is a big fan of the F40. The first official photographs published by Ferrari after he joined the team saw Hamilton standing in front of a red F40 and Enzo Ferrari's former home, on the grounds of the company's Italian headquarters. WOODSTOCK, UNITED KINDOM - SEPTEMBER 5: The Ferrari F40 seen at Salon Prive, held at Blenheim ... More Palace. Each year some of the rarest cars are displayed on the lawns of the palace, in the UK's most exclusive Concours d'Elegance. (Photo by) Although Ferrari hasn't spoken publicly about plans to resurrect the F40, which was produced between 1987 and 1992, the company has its Icona series of supercars that draw inspiration from past models. This line began with the Monza SP1 and SP2, which arrived in 2019 as open-topped, roadster-style throwbacks to the Ferrari 750 Monza of the 1950s. These were followed by the Daytona SP3 (pictured below) in 2022. Still in production, it draws inspiration from the Ferrari 330 P4 endurance race car from the mid-1960s. All of Ferrari's SP cars belong to the Icona product line and all are built in small numbers, with fewer than 1,000 units of each leaving the Maranello factory. Prices start at around $2m, plus optional extras, and they are seen as the most treasured contemporary models among Ferrari collectors. Arguably more so, in the case of the Daytona SP3, than the company's next-generation hypercar, the F80 hybrid. Although borrowing design cues from cars of old – and shunning the batteries and electric motors of the hybrid drivetrain used by other Ferraris – the Icona family of SP cars all use dual-clutch, semi-automatic transmissions. LONDON, UNITED KINDOM - APRIL 21: The Ferrari Daytona SP3 at Salon Prive London, held at the Royal ... More Chelsea Hospital. This is Salon Prive's first event held in London, with many manufactures unveiling their newest cars. (Photo by) Ferrari sees itself as a supercar company positioned at the cutting edge of automotive technology, and one that fits its street cars with tech born on the race track. Indeed, its 355 supercar was the first to be fitted with a paddle-operated transmission, which Ferrari called F1, back in the mid-1990s, as a showcase of how Formula One tech can be delivered to customers as well as world champions. But today's supercar buyer – or rather, today's hypercar buyer – wants more than bleeding-edge motorsport tech. Electric motors have democratized performance to such an extent that Hyundai and Volvo now produce cars as quick to 60 mph as the Ferraris of just a generation ago. Ultra-wealthy car collectors want experiences, and since blasting to 60 mph in under three seconds is now available everywhere, their attention has shifted to driving pleasure. Limited-run, highly-focused supercars like the GMA T.50 by Gordon Murray, the Aston Martin Valour, the Pagani Utopia and the Hennessey Venom all give their drivers extra involvement via a stick shifter and a clutch pedal instead of record-breaking acceleration. So too do restomod companies like Singer, Theon and Alfaholics, while even some startups that electrify classic cars have developed ways to incorporate a manual shifter. These cars prove there are customers ready to open their checkbooks for Lewis Hamilton's F44. There might only be a few hundred such people, but Ferrari will only build 699 examples of its Daytona SP3, and commissioned just 499 of each for the SP1 and SP2, so is no stranger to limited production runs. Given how the comparatively tiny Gordon Murray Automotive sold all 100 examples of its T50 supercar within 48 hours of being revealed, I don't see Ferrari having any trouble selling many more F44s – not least because it'll pack the trifecta of Lewis Hamilton, a stick shift and the F40's bloodline. That's the sort of pedigree only Ferrari can draw upon, and Hamilton knows it. Will Ferrari pay the vast sums required to develop such a car, especially when it is unlikely to share much with other models? This isn't an easy question to answer, especially since Ferrari is a public company with both investors and customers to keep happy. It's a tantalizing prospect though, and one I hope Ferrari gives some serious consideration.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Wants Ferrari To Build Him A Modern F40, Including The Manual Transmission And Turbo Lag
There hasn't been a new Ferrari road car built in at least a decade that's worth caring about, but the company's newest hire wants to change that. Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton joined Scuderia Ferrari for the 2025 season, and he's already looking to make the race team's parent company better. Saturday's sprint race winner and Sunday's Grand Prix disqualified suggested to Motorsport that he'd like to design his own Ferrari supercar, and based on his suggestions, it would be a real banger. The brand's iconic 1980s hypercar, the twin-turbocharged V8 carbon-fiber monster F40, is Hamilton's baseline from which to build. He hopes to call the car F44, in a nod to his long-serving F1 race number. It's stuff like this that makes Hamilton the G.O.A.T. beyond any shadow of a doubt. Hamilton entered his tenure at Ferrari with an iconic photo outside Enzo Ferrari's home standing next to the legendary F40, perhaps already setting his plan into motion. "Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That's what I'm gonna work on for the next few years," said Hamilton. Ferrari has not produced a car with a manual transmission since the California in 2012, and hasn't build a good car with a manual transmission since the F430 ended production in 2009. It wouldn't be impossible for Ferrari to produce a manual again, or simply crib one from Tremec, and the demand for a low-volume manual hypercar would certainly exceed supply. My prediction is that such a car, were it built, would be an instant classic collectible. Read more: Red Bull Was Ready To Fire Christian Horner, But He Threatened Legal Action To Keep His Job: Report Built between 1987 and 1992 the Ferrari F40 will probably always be the car Maranello is most and best known for. While just 1,315 cars were built originally, the car was built to satisfy the FIA Group B racing homologation and compete on even footing with Porsche's 959, but didn't make production by the time Group B was deleted. There was no point in throwing away the engineering behind the Group B race car, in spite of there being nowhere to race the thing, so the engineers did the bare minimum to turn the race car into a road car and sell them to the public. A high-revving 2.9-liter V8 with a pair of turbos and a pair of intercoolers, the 3,000-ish-pound car was more than quick enough with 471 horsepower on tap. If Lewis Hamilton could get Ferrari to produce a mostly analog car with a weight even close to 3,000 pounds in the next five years with three pedals and a shift-it-yourself gearbox, I'd be willing to declare him the greatest human being on the planet in perpetuity. Forget the F1 World Championship, this should be Ferrari's number one priority. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
ArabGT
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
Lewis Hamilton Dreams Up F44 as the Next Ferrari F40
During his reign at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton had expressed a desire to co-develop a special edition of the AMG One hypercar. That was back in 2019, and the idea quietly faded away, with no updates ever materializing about a tailored version of the F1-inspired machine. Fast forward to 2025, and with Hamilton now driving for Ferrari, the seven-time Formula 1 champion is once again setting his sights on shaping a road car — only this time, it bears the iconic Prancing Horse emblem. He's even christened the project: F44. Reports indicate Hamilton is keen on helping bring to life a road-going Ferrari inspired by the legendary F40. Taking on such a task is far from simple, not only due to the immense technical challenge but also because of the F40's historic place in Ferrari's legacy. The car famously marked the final model personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988, just a year after the F40 made its debut. Hamilton, in sharing his vision, revealed that designing a Ferrari has become one of his personal goals. He wants the F44 to build upon the foundation of the F40, complete with a proper manual gearbox. It's a concept he intends to pursue over the next several years. His admiration for the F40 is hardly surprising. On his very first official visit to Ferrari's Maranello HQ, Hamilton was seen posing alongside the iconic twin-turbo V8 machine. Even prior to his move to Ferrari, he had already amassed an enviable collection of Ferraris using his personal fortune — including the 599 GTO and LaFerrari, both in coupe and Aperta forms. The F40 may be missing from his garage for now, but fellow F1 driver and McLaren competitor Lando Norris reportedly owns one of the 1,311 units produced between 1987 and 1992. While Hamilton's aspirations might seem like a personal dream, speculation suggests Ferrari is seriously evaluating the concept of an F40 revival. According to Top Gear magazine, which published a report in November, the envisioned model could become part of Ferrari's ultra-rare 'Icona' lineup — a collection that currently includes the Monza SP1/SP2 and Daytona SP3. Allegedly, the revived F40 wouldn't be built on the new F80 but rather on the older LaFerrari platform, and it would ditch the hybrid assistance normally paired with its V12 powertrain. Interestingly, this wouldn't be Ferrari's first attempt at reimagining the F40. Back in 2018, the Italian marque revealed the one-off SP38, a bespoke project built on the 488 GTB's chassis. Designed for a particularly loyal Ferrari client, the SP38 subtly echoed elements of the original F40, one of the most iconic supercars of the 1980s. However, what Hamilton envisions — and what recent rumors seem to support — is a more comprehensive homage: a full-production tribute to the F40 legacy. For now, though, Hamilton's focus remains on more pressing matters. His first year with Ferrari hasn't started as planned. He managed a tenth-place finish in Australia, followed by sixth in China last weekend. Things took a turn for the worse when he was disqualified from the most recent race due to excessive wear found on the rear floor of his SF-25. At 40 years old, Hamilton's path at Ferrari is still unfolding — and before he can fully dedicate himself to shaping the F44, he'll need to elevate his performance on the track.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton Wants To Help Design a New Ferrari Supercar Inspired by the F40
Lewis Hamilton's ambitions for his time at Ferrari extend past the boundaries of the racetrack. The British driver, who's in his first season with Formula 1's winningest team, says he'd like to try his hand at designing a road car, according to Specifically, he wants to help create a modern-day tribute to the legendary F40. More from Robb Report Loro Piana's First Exhibition Just Opened at Shanghai's Pudong Museum A Restored L.A. Home by Acclaimed Architects Buff & Hensman Hits the Market for $2.6 Million 'The Teams Are Terrified:' How Restaurants Are Coping With Trump's Immigration Policies This isn't the first time Hamilton has expressed an interest in automotive design. In 2019, while he was still with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, the seven-time F1 champion said he'd like to participate in developing a special edition of the automaker's racing-inspired One hypercar. That vehicle never came to fruition, but it would seem that Hamilton still wants to make such a project happen. 'One of the things I really want to do is I want to design a Ferrari. I want to do an F44,' he told the website while down under for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. 'Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That's what I'm gonna work on for the next few years.' It's no surprise to see Hamilton mention the F40 as an inspiration for the project, which would take its name from his racing number. The marque's second halo model, which enthusiasts may have spied in the background of the driver's first official Ferrari photo, isn't just one of the great Prancing Horses, it's one of the greatest sports cars of all time period (we recently ranked it second in our countdown of the top 50). The F40 was the last car that Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari signed off on before his death in 1988. The successor to the 288 GTO made its debut one year prior, just in time for the brand's 40th anniversary. Its bold Pininfarina-designed, Scaglietti-crafted body made it one of the defining poster cars of its era, but what really separated the vehicle from its peers is the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 under its rear clamshell. The racing-inspired mill—the car was originally intended to compete in the Group B rally category—pumped out 478 hp, enough to push the vehicle to 199 mph. Ferrari originally intended to build just 400 examples of the car, but it was so popular that 1,315 examples would roll off the line before production ended in 1991. This isn't the first we've heard about a possible F40 revival. Last fall, months before Hamilton's quotes were published, Top Gear reported that Ferrari was considering resurrecting the nameplate as an ultra-exclusive Icona Series model. Only time will tell, but maybe that car and the F44 end up being one and the same. Best of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
