What if, one day, you get to meet your dream modern classic supercar, something along the lines of the Ferrari F40, the Ruf CTR Yellowbird, the original Dodge Viper, the first-gen Acura NSX or the Porsche 930 (the first 911 Turbo)? Well, you’d better be prepared for that time, as you know what they say about meeting your heroes.
Yes, all the machines mentioned above look as impressive in real life as they do on your phone’s lock screen, or, you know, your bedroom wall back in the day—kudos to those who still use printed posters!
And, if you get behind the wheel, you’ll immediately notice these senior monsters provide the kind of driving experience that most modern vehicles can only dream about, even up there in the seven-figure range. That’s because no amount of technology and horsepower can truly make up for the analog feel of the beasts mentioned in the intro.
Nevertheless, if you’re not willing to accept that even the mighty F40 can’t stand a chance against the kind of power-to-weight ratio modern performance machines offer, you may be disappointed.
A drag race of poster cars with real-world conditions
That probably sounds like a bitter piece of homework—who wants to sit in a chair and simulate a mid-life crisis on behalf of an F40 or an NSX? Well, how about turning it into a treat with a drag racing video that just happens to pit the Ferrari F40 against the NSX, Viper, 930, and Ruf CTR?
All these poster cars were recently brought together on the somewhat dusty runway in Santa Margarita, California. The vehicles come from the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and the @caretakerscollection, while the narration is provided by Doug DeMuro.
With a current average value of $2.3 million, the 477 hp F40 is by far the most expensive car here, which is why it’s featured in every battle against the said competitors.
However, the price and servicing costs of the 1987-introduced model, which are also the heftiest of the lot, also end up working against the former Prancing Horse halo car. That’s because, as Doug points out, nobody wants to abuse the clutch of such a machine, with this resulting in less-than-optimal launches for the RWD Fezza.
Sure, the Ruf CTR Yellowbird, an F40 tuner rival from back in the day—this was based on the 1987 Carrera 3.2—is also a seven-figure machine these days. However, the 463 hp, 408 lb-ft turbocharged flat-six bad boy comes in AWD form, which means getting off the line wasn’t an issue. And yes, this is the first time anybody’s drag raced the F40 and the Ruf CTR Yellowbird!
The 1989-born Acura NSX came to the world to beat V8 Ferraris of the era, which it did. However, this obviously wasn’t in the same league as the F40, so the result of this battle won’t exactly shock you. Then again, the reliable machine comes with an average price of around $70,000 today, which is why somebody chose to give this one an electric powertrain.
The original Viper, with its 400 hp 8.0L V10, is even more affordable nowadays, as its average price sits at $50,000. Hopefully, things stay that way after people see what the no-ABS American supercar can do to an F40. Oh, and here’s an engineer working to give the world its first off-road Viper build.
As for the Porsche 930, the OG 911 Turbo wasn’t the supercar that the badge has come to define meanwhile. Instead, it was an extremely capable sports car packing 282 hp and 243 lb-ft from its rear-mounted turbocharged flat-six. And while its battle against the F40 wasn’t caught on camera, Doug gives us a post-race bedroom description.
As a bonus, Doug also raced his 2022 Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain against the F40—as it turns out, driving his recently acquired Porsche Carrera GT or his now-staple first-gen Ford GT 800 miles to the event was a bit much, which is why the lifted wagon was his vehicle of choice.
Oh, and for fans of comparisons, here are the best quarter-mile times recorded by the supercars. Ferrari F40: 13.2s at 112 mph, Ruf CTR Yellowbird: 12s at 130 mph, Viper: 13.4s at 100 mph. Oh, the foibles these supercars have developed…
