There aren’t many ways in which a Ferrari replica can become a treasure (outside of its builder’s mind, of course). In fact, many people would argue that no fake Prancing Horse is worthy of mentioning, but I disagree. Enter the WTF40, a faux Ferrari F40 that gets my vote for two simple reasons: its parody-level nature and its grassroots racing destination.
For starters, this contraption is so bad that it’s good. I mean, look at those front “lights”. Earlier this week, Mihnea showed you the Scraptona, a Franken-Mopar tribute to the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona that’s on sale for $150,000 and has BMW E30 headlight buckets. Well, how about some beer cars for headlights? This is why the WTF40 is so awesome!
More importantly, this is no cheap attempt at tricking bystanders into believing the owner is a collector of all things Maranello. Instead, the contraption was created to compete in the 24 Hours of Lemons.
You know, the endurance racing series where participants must build cars for no more than $500. That budget only includes the base vehicle and the mods applied to it. However, you’re free to deduct some of the money by selling out parts not needed on the track (like headlights), so the actual investment can be greater.
Plus, serious safety equipment, as well as brakes, wheels, and tires are extra. And, as anybody who knows a thing about cars can tell you, the rubber can make a hell of a difference when you’re out to impress the stopwatch.
However, the Lemons community, which has been racing across America since 2006, is all about having a giggle. That and sharpening up one’s skills while engaging in BS negotiation with the judges—no really, there’s such a thing as a Bullshit Factor, which means that an extra lap is removed from a racer’s overall run for each $10 exceeding the financial cap.
The WTF40 was built by a crew named Ratsun Racing and has enjoyed its fair share of track time in the second half of the last decade. However, after the machine was seriously damaged back in 2019, it seems to have remained in the garage until recently.
As with most, if not all, Lemons contraptions, the hooptie status means these machines break down quite often and when this happens while the driver is enthusiastically tackling a corner, things can get… interesting (just check out the steering knuckle failure at the 2:23 point of the YouTube video below, which dates back to 2018).
The original packs a 2.9L twin-turbo V8, but this one has a 2.8L supercharged V6
If you’ve guessed that the WTF40 is based on a Pontiac Fiero, GM’s ill-fated attempt at building a mid-engined sportscar between 1984 and 1988, you were right. However, the lazy Iron Duke engine is long gone, with the team having installed a more race-worthy Buick 3.8L V6 with a supercharger in its place. The engine came out of a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, which also kindly donated its 4T65E-HD four-speed automatic transmission.
A few months ago, Ratsun Racing started posting on Facebook to let the world know they’ve replaced the broken windshield of the car and fixed some other issues. As such, the Ferrari F40 replica made its racing return at the Hours of Lemons Houston last weekend.
And while it didn’t take the class victory, it might’ve just grabbed the (more or less) imaginary popularity trophy. And remember, this is a competition where not all participating vehicles look like cars, with boat and airplane impersonations being only natural.
Now, if you’re looking for a real Prancing Horse gone wild, perhaps the Pink F40 showcased at SEMA 2022 is the thing for you.
