If you had asked me 10 years ago to make a prediction about the future of the enthusiast space, I would never have guessed that we would be experiencing the golden age of the scaled-down mini car. And yet here we are, with the latest example of a tiny car that will grace someone’s collection.
The F-Racer Junior, as it’s officially named to avoid angering the lawyers in Maranello, is being offered as part of the RM Sotheby‘s Monterey auction in August, and is a surprisingly faithful miniaturized rendition of the Ferrari F40.
Oft described as the closest thing to a go-kart for full-size racetracks, the F40 has come full circle with this little bruiser. Measuring in at 8.5 by 5.25 feet (2.6 x 1.6 m), the F-Racer Junior is big enough to fit two passengers (two children or one adult), just like the original car!
The designers of this mini version of the F40 have even managed to improve upon Ferrari’s work, by turning this into an F-Racer Junior Targa. Admittedly, that was likely to accommodate larger drivers, but vehicle features can have more than one benefit.
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However, there’s no way to spin it, the F-Racer Junior’s engine is a definitive downgrade. Rather than the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that made 477 hp (356 kW/484 PS) in U.S. spec Ferrari, the mini car as just a 270 cc gas engine.
Despite being small, the engine is mighty, propelling the F-Racer Junior up to a top speed of 35 mph (56 km/h). Although that’s a much lower top speed than the 201 mph (324 km/h) F40, it remains a pretty impressive velocity for something this small.
In addition, it has hydraulic disc brakes, four-wheel oil dampened independent suspension, and a rear differential, making it a pretty sophisticated chassis for what is effectively a large go-kart with a body on top of it.
Offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s August 17-19 Monterey auction, estimates suggest that the price for the F-Racer Junior will be anything but mini. Although it won’t match the price of the real deal, it is expected to go for between $30,000 and $40,000.
