10248 Ferrari F40 press release
Posted by Huw,
The dream of owning your very own Ferrari F40 super sports car turns real with the highly detailed LEGO set.
One of the most desirable sports cars of all time, the Ferrari F40, is now appearing for the first time as a LEGO product.
The LEGO set of the cult Ferrari F40 sports car, which was manufactured from 1987 to 1992, guarantees building fun across many generations. Just like the legendary original, the LEGO model fascinates with sleek, aerodynamic lines and a distinctive rear spoiler, as well as the bright red racing body. The super sports car replica is being released in the LEGO Creator Expert product line, and was developed by the LEGO Group in collaboration with Ferrari. The LEGO Ferrari F40 features numerous details, recreated with LEGO bricks. Looking through the car's hinged doors, you can quickly see that even the interior of the sports car is originally equipped. From door loops and a steering wheel with a Ferrari logo, to two red racing seats. Below the lift-up bonnet lid, there is the luggage compartment with a tool-kit. A special windscreen element with printed A-pillars and tailor-made, cast wheel inserts with road-going tyres give this meticulously emulated model the final touches.
More LEGO Ferrari F40 product highlights for master builders aged 14 and above include:
- 1,158 LEGO elements
- Lift-up tailgate with vents
- V8 engine with two turbochargers and quick release function
- Flip-up headlamps
- Air louvers at sides
The LEGO Ferrari F40 is 8 cm tall, 27 cm long and 14 cm wide and will be available mid July to VIPs, 1st August to everyone else at a cost of US $89.99, €89.99, £69.99, DKK 799.
You will find a full set of images on the set details page.
Data, facts and stories about the Ferrari F40
A classic bright red racing chassis – the similarity of the LEGO model with its role model is immediately apparent thanks to the typical colour. Of the original Ferrari F40, there were just two models in black and less than ten in yellow besides the classic red hue. One of the extremely rare white F40 productions went directly to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello.
The Ferrari F40 is the last work produced under the direction of Enzo Ferrari. It is one of the most sought after models by the Italian manufacturer. With its 4.36 meters length, 1.97 width and 1.13 height, the Ferrari has a highly streamlined shape. The LEGO replica of the Ferrari F40 impresses with its 27cm length, 14cm width and 8cm height on a sporting scale.
The supercar owes its cult status to a number of prominent landmarks, such as the large rear spoiler and the pop-up headlamps in the contemporary style of the 1980s. With its distinctive rear-end and characteristic headlights, the LEGO Ferrari F40 faithfully copies these landmarks in great detail.
The LEGO Ferrari F40 costs just 89.99 Euros, making it a great way to fulfil your dream of owning a supercar. The selling price of the original was about 440,000 DM (about 380,000 Euros today).
The rear engine compartment on the LEGO Ferrari F40 opens to reveal the detailed V8 engine. It was due to this engine among other things that the F40 impressed as the fastest Ferrari for road use in its day. The fact that car accelerates from 0 to 200 km/h in 10.4 seconds, is still impressive performance today. This is also made possible by the low curb weight of the F40. 1,100 kg without operating fluids, it reaches a power/weight ratio of only 3.13 kg/kW, a very low value for a vehicle. The acceleration time of the LEGO Ferrari F40 is very much in the owner's own hands.
The Ferrari F40 was a product to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ferrari. It met with unexpectedly high demand, so that a total of 1,315 vehicles were built, instead of the planned 450. It was manufactured from 1987 to 1992. Productions at that time went exclusively to selected prospects such as long-standing Ferrari customers and celebrities.
Michael Psiaki is the designer of the LEGO Ferrari F40. In this interview he talks about details and challenges while creating this super sports car.
Did the sharp lines of the F40 make it an easy car to recreate with LEGO bricks?
Actually, the more I worked on this model the more I noticed how many subtle curves there are in the car. The car gets slightly wider and taller as you move towards the back. We managed to pull this off with a clever angled section just behind the doors. It also allowed us to get a really small gap in the frame when the doors close.
Where is the spare wheel?
On the real F40 there’s a compartment under the hood that looks like it should fit an extra wheel in it, but it’s actually too small. Instead there is a can of spray that can be used to patch any flat tires. Just like the real car, the compartment on the LEGO model is too small for a wheel, so we also included the can of spray.
What is one of the more interesting parts used in the model that we can’t see in the images?
There is a tooth element used twice inside the hood of the car to provide a stop for the headlights. It fits perfectly around the wheel and provides just the right stop so the pop-up headlights rest at the correct angle when they are closed.
Where are the door handles?
The F40 was designed as a very light-weight car, door handles were too heavy. Inside each door on the LEGO model you can see some bars that represent a cable on the car that would be pulled to open the door from the inside.
What is your favorite part of the model?
The front hood of the car. It has two built air intakes and is attached at an angle to the rest of the model. It was very tricky to figure out how to get that section built correctly and I was very proud that we found a way to build the air intakes from standard LEGO elements.
What was the most challenging part of the model to design?
The F40 has two opening panels, the engine cover and the front hood, they’re very large moving sections of the car and they were definitely the hardest sections to figure out how to make strong and look good at the same time. There’s a lot of advanced building techniques to make it all come together seamlessly.
Lastly, here is the designer video for the set:
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74 comments on this article
Superb model and the price is spot on.
This looks like a great model! It also looks fairly accurate to me. Only problem: the F40 is one of the least attractive Ferraris in my books...
I think it looks amazing! So three long weeks until VIP-release.
I dont know, I dont like some things on Mini cooper but if I compare Mini cooper to F40, that mini cooper is superb model, this looks like regular second wave creator set nothing really exclusive.Im pretty mad that F40 got such a dull lego reendition.
Immediate buy. I wonder why LEGO doesn't always make models this good. :)
Did anyone notice the new Expert logo on the box? That is pretty clever using the headlight bricks like that and a nod to how expert Lego builders think.
I totally agree with @kfr, the model looks fantastic in terms of accuracy but I'm not a fan of the actual F40. Still, £69.99 is a good price and I will certainly purchase the set.
YES! (I have nothing constructive to add.)
The designer video is also up on their youtube page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl-TKIp-A8k
Overall it's a great model.
The stickered pop up headlights are unavoidable so they are forgiven.
But I don't understand why the tail lights are done the way they are, 2x2 round tiles would probably have looked a lot better and would have been a closer match to the real car.
Haven't looked on bricklink if those pieces exist in trans red and orange... If not I'll probably invert the 2x2 dishes because that stud spoils the look for me.
Amazing model which is fairly accurate. I am just going to bring the usual rant: The Ferrari emblems are all stickers...
Could they not have done printed logos just for this model?
Accurate - yes,
Ugly - very,
Purchase - not a chance.
i think it is a dull model. It looks like racers models no external detail or something. It is not a good model like Mini Cooper or VW Van..
The price is amazing!!!
Why didn't they release this as a Model Team set back in the day! ;-)
people complaining about this are nuts. watch the video, it looks awesome!
I think they should have used the chords with studs at each end for the internal door 'handles' instead of bars. Other than that, it looks like the F40 I had a big poster of on my bedroom wall in the late '80s. A definite purchase and will look cool with my Cooper and T1
I really, really wish this was a larger scale, but that's just the AFOL in me. When I heard about this set earlier in the year, I was giddy. This was my favorite car as a child in the '80s, and I cant wait to add it to my collection. When he pulled that engine out of the bay I said "Whooaaa cool!" outloud.
...just watched the video and whilst they say LEGO have worked closely with Ferrari on details, there's no Pininfarina badge on the sides?
Still very nice. Keeping my fingers crossed that they produce a 959 to 'compliment' the F40 :-)
@yuffie and @Ondr4H: it looks like a normal Creator set because the car doesn't actually offer much more external details than those already captured. As I said above the car in a sense is a typical 80s car: it's rather boring in design...
Here are some photos of the real car. I don't think there's much they could have done better.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/F40ferarri20090509.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Ferrari_F40_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Ferrari_F40_-_rear_and_police_%28Crown_Casino%2C_Melbourne%2C_Australia%2C_3_March_2007%29.jpg
Very impressive! I just finished building a miniland scale sports car a couple days ago, and my first thought after seeing this was "I can gut this for parts to make an even better sports car!"
@mr_skinny I'd rather they did a sand green 928 to match my own car.
Isn't this the second F40, not the first? 30192 came out 3 years ago.
He lost me at 'the F40 was the first supercar'. Nope. Anyhow, I'm not a big fan of the F40 but I'll probably get this.
If it was technic lego I would have got but creator just don't know
I'm not a Ferrari fan, but the F40 was the 'poster' car for me when I was young - the car that you have as a poster on your wall - so I'll definitely be getting this.
Those two green pieces... Could be engine supports for when you take the engine out to display it on it's own. But I'm not sure because it has two 1x2 plates on the bottom to stand on which should be stable enough.
Had another look at the tail lights in the designer video, Inverting the dishes is not easily done because they are attached to 2x2 tiles with centre stud. So I'll probably leave them as the are.
They could be attached to 2x2 round tiles with holes, but I think the way they are looks better.
What an interesting set! Visually, it's not that mind-blowing, but I like the opening front and back, and I especially like the removable engine. I might get this.
Welp, looks like there will be no Canadian release, just like the Ultra Agents 2015 sets
YES, my most wanted Ferrari probably! And looks to be the set I will be applying stickers first time since getting out of dark age. I'd love to have it in larger scale, but it still looks fab.
I like it. As others have said, this was the "poster" car that I was taken with as a kid. Even though it isn't a crazy Technic model, I think that they did a great job producing an attractive, accurate set here. Very well may get it.
The scale and cost make this model a little rough around the edges compared to the Mini. I was expecting a larger and a little higher end model so am disappointed. For the price though, I think this is a good effort. I'm not sure if it is a must have for me though.
Looks like a great set, lots of interesting parts (that windshield looks like a new piece), and the price is as good as all Creator sets used to be. Nice.
Looks great! Will definitely be picking this one up. Although it's a bit smaller than I had hoped, and they really should use more printed elements like the other recent Creator Expert sets (not a single sticker in the Parisian Restaurant or Detective's Office).
Wow, I'm not into cars much at all, and had no idea what the F40 was until now, but I might actually pick this up. Great features, PRINTED BRICKS, a new windshield, and a fantastic price. Surprised how good this is.
I'm certain this and the Agents sets will come to Canada. Though the price not being noted is annoying.
Volkswagen Camper Van, Mini Cooper and then there's this ... no thanks.
Very good-looking and functional model.
I like this model, not sure how 17 people 'own' this set already ;-)
In the "everything included" pic... Anyone care to inform me what the 1x4 green plates are for? Anywho cool set but not something I need.
Wow, $90 is a steal with 1,158 parts and the Ferrari license! That amount of parts would typically be at least $120 with the Ferrari license.
But, how can 17 people already own it, and two already available on Ebay with no mention of being a preorder?
from Ebay listing:-
LEGO Creator line, the Ferrari F40 (10248).
This fantastic set will ship after July 15th.
Brand New Sealed.
This is a Pre-Sale and will be shipped after July 15th.
Buy with Confidence.
FREE Shipping within Continental USA.
I don't know what to say.
I agree with a few others that it is just a larger scale Creator 3n1 set by the looks of it. I do think they got the right shaping down, but it ultimately isn't as impressive as the VW Van. Scale seems off too. I just built the Tumbler and that thing blew me away by size. I was not expecting to see how big that is. This thing looks tiny.
I do like the price. I may end up picking it up eventually, but I'm not blown away by it like I was with a few other car sets. I do agree this car is iconic, and with a pre-existing relationship with Ferrari, it makes sense, but I just don't know right now.
I love the F40, and LEGO have done a nice job on this set - sold!
Cool model! I don't know about the size though, it's a bit smaller than I hoped, but for 1158 pieces, $90 is a big bargain. Unfortunately I have not had much luck with licensed LEGO cars as most of them don't even show up around where I live, and the only set I got (Ferrari F430) was missing 1 wheel and 2 tyres. So I'll definitely buy this for some satisfaction.
Over-the-top incredible model of an incredible dream car. The removable engine/transaxle assembly is the bee's knees. I've stared at the F40 lustfully (including up close in person) since it Evoluzione'd out of the 288 GTO and this LEGO model does it more justice from more angles than could ever be expected out of a "legal" build of this size. Decades from now this should be remembered as one of the greatest LEGO car models of all time. Top, top marks to the designer.
Nice build, but I would have rathered a Testarossa or a Lambo Countach from a beauty in design standpoint... those were the poster cars I had. Especially with all the Miami Vice exposure the beautiful white Ferrari got from the show.
Don't know if anyone else has noticed this, But she got brake discs. Both front and back (2x2 round tile with hole on a 2x2 round plate)
No my knowledge of Lego sets might not be sufficient so I might be wrong but could this be the first Lego car model ever to have such a detail?
A bit surprised that Lego would release official pics with the steering wheel upside down...
The F40 is one of my favourite ferraris, the set looks really cool and is a must buy for me especially at that price. I don't know why but I was expecting something more like 8653 or 8145. Glad it isn't though, my only gripe is I wish it was a bit bigger. I really hope they do a Lamborghini countach, my pin up car of the 80s.
You know something I hate - how the Hell 17 people ''own'' this set... why???
Well now, if LEGO can make a Ferrari F40, then they must make a Porsche 959, which the F40 was largely based on.
@sarky.de.ignatius, the F40 was nothing like the 959, the 959 had four wheel drive and was used in the Paris Dakar rally. The F40 was a pure race car for the road, everything was stripped back, even the door windows were plastic to save weight.
But, I agree, a 959 would make a nice model.
I like it, but I can see why some are saying it looks like a normal creator set. I think the decider will be putting it between a creator car and the Mini Cooper and seeing which it fits with better. I've a feeling it'll look obviously better than the creator set, but I wonder if it'll look a bit small next to the Mini, which would be a bit silly!
There was a 'race' between Porsche and Ferrari to make the first 200mph supercars. Ferrari won. The 959 had luxury interior and the F40 had nothing. You can't even adjust the seats! This is why I'd like to see a 959 - arch enemies!
I'm not bothered about sizing. My Cooper looks fine next to my T1 and they're not to the same scale. The F40 will be different scale again.
I thought you folks would be more knowledgeable about the Lego collections. The poor comparisons made of this to the Mini Cooper and VW Camper Van reflect this. Why aren't you all comparing the F40 against it's true companions such as the Ferrari F430's (8143 & 8671), Ferrari FXX (8156), Ferrari Enzo (8652), Lamborghini Gallardo (8169 & 8214)? If you did, then you would realize that this is an excellent set in comparison and true to that scale.
This set looks great! Cant' wait to get my hands on it.
Typical Mike Psiaki set, with perfect shaping. For those who didn't bother to watch the video, the rear is wider than the front, the headlights pop up, doors bonnet and engine cover all open. Plenty of snot, inverted and other cool techniques. I think the simplicity of it's appearance is fooling some people. Another awesome job from the master.
This will go down as one of the top 50 LEGO sets of all time. It is without compromise. Awesome.
@Lego Aidan Of COURSE Canada will get the set...
Why is everyone saying the Agents Summer 2015 wave will not come to Canada? IT WILL. On August 1. Just have paitence. The Airjitzu Flyers were released in Canada yesterday and I got Airjitzu Morro.
It seems kind of small for $90, but it has 1,158 pieces, so it has an outstandingly low price-per-piece. Kind of too expensive for me, but it would be super worth it... I'm not even a Ferrari fan. Why do I suddenly want this so badly?
I guess I AM a Ferrari fan now.
I am not a Ferrari fan. But I am a car and a Lego fan, so this is going into my collection.
I am not so sure about a Porsche 959. I have anyways disliked Porsches. How a car company can produce vehicles that look so similar to each other is beyond me.
Although not a supercar, I'd like to see a BMW M3. Just so I can have a mini version of my own car. Maybe that could be my first MOC?
On the subject of cars ... do any of you have the awesome reg of L60 FAN? It resembled 'Lego fan' which I thought was cool. I saw it on a white car on the M4 last Friday. I wonder if there is a LE60 FAN?
I think it is a neat collectible. but I just got into lego speed champions so I might wait till ive got the rest of the set to get it.
It must have been quite tough job to have this done. I definitely do appreciate the details put into. Still, as many said above, the overall impression is somehow not that good. I suspect these are few small details that ruins the look for me - thick tires (should be about half of it's thickness) and consequenting small rims, height of the car (should be mire flat - i know it's probably impossible goal in this scale) and the most ugly element for me - the rear wing. That one stares at me from all the pictures and look to square, to high absolutely odd. In all cases probably the scale is in guilt, I don't think this size was the best choice.
Appeared on the UK LEGO.com. :)
http://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Ferrari-F40-10248?icmp=SHLPBackground_EU_FerrariUnveiling_B1
All this is getting me excited. And I'm already thinking about what next year's retro car could be. :)
I'm just going to buy a cheaper Hot Wheels.
Dat windscreen…
I know of quite a few MOCers who's work will definitely benefit from that element. Awesome!
I'll try and see if this set will be a good base in which to build a 288 GTO.
This looks so good, and I'm not into cars lego or otherwise. I can just tell it is made using so many great, mind blowing techniques that will vastly improve my own building. definately purchase day 1.
I agree that it doesn't look as interesting as the mini or the volkswagen, but that's because of the design of the car itself rather than anything wrong with the model.
Personally would have preferred a Ferrari Testarossa, but we might see this one day. Another one of my favourite childhood cars is the Lamborghini Countach, which we might also conceivably see.
So cool. I am a big fan of both cars and legos, so this is perfect.
At Lego Shop @Home it says the price is $99.99
Love the set
Love the price
I'm gonne buy it!!!
Did Lego just jack the price up by $10.00? They have a press release indicating $89.99 and now it's listed at $99.99? Lame!