Ferrari’s Icona series has long been a tribute to the brand’s iconic past, reinventing legends with modern elegance and cutting-edge performance. After the Monza SP1 and SP2 paid homage to the open-top barchettas, and the Daytona SP3 celebrated the brand’s 1960s sports prototype racers, Ferrari might be looking forward to a more contemporary classic: the F40. According to Top Gear, sources close to Ferrari have hinted that the next Icona model, the SP4, could draw inspiration from the F40—Ferrari’s legendary 1980s supercar.
The Top Gear report has sparked excitement, not only because the news is backed by “highly reliable” sources, but also because it was penned by the editor-in-chief, signaling weight behind the speculation. Should the SP4 indeed honor the F40, Ferrari fans can expect a blend of the car’s iconic heritage and Ferrari’s latest technology.
Previous Icona models haven’t been mere throwbacks; they fuse Ferrari’s rich history with a modern twist. The SP1 and SP2 used the 812 Superfast’s chassis and engine, while the Daytona SP3 shared lineage with the LaFerrari, albeit sans hybrid components. If Ferrari decides to nod to the F40, the SP4 might pair a carbon fiber chassis with the powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from the SF90—a thrilling combination that would echo the F40’s legacy of raw performance and innovation.
Like the earlier Icona releases, the SP4 is expected to be a limited-edition masterpiece, available only to Ferrari’s most loyal customers and priced well above €1 million. The exclusivity not only ensures rarity but underscores Ferrari’s strategy of high profitability, as these models are developed around existing components, making them more cost-effective for Ferrari to produce while maintaining a high ticket price.
However, an F40 homage is no simple task. The original F40 remains sacred to Ferrari fans, and reviving it could invite comparisons to Lamborghini’s new Countach, which was widely criticized and even disowned by the original designer. Additionally, Ferrari’s potential plans for an “F80” successor—a modern descendant of the F40—could complicate the SP4’s reception.
Yet, Ferrari’s Icona series has so far delivered on every level, with each model celebrated as a perfect blend of history and modernity. While reviving the F40’s legacy may be daunting, Ferrari has proven it can balance reverence for the past with technological brilliance, leaving little doubt that, if the SP4 is inspired by the F40, it will be nothing short of extraordinary.
