It is arguable that no manufacturer has so consistently and successfully transformed its roadgoing models into competition cars as Ferrari.

So when Maranello introduced its 40th-anniversary F40 model in July 1987, speculation immediately emerged regarding the car’s potential on the track.

With a race-developed twin-turbo V-8, aerodynamically perfected carbon-fiber coachwork, and a spartan interior that substantially minimized weight, it was difficult to imagine the F40 being more appropriate for any other purpose.

Ferrari wasted little time in addressing this interest, contracting the specialist tuner Giuliano Michelotto to modify the model into the F40 LM and Competizione iterations, which won a host of races while attempting to conquer IMSA competition and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

These highly developed variants only further spurred customer interest, and Ferrari executives then began to conceive a less drastic version of the racecar that could be campaigned by privateer clients ...