Powered by a 270 cc engine that can get it up to a top speed of 35 mph, the F-Racer Junior is expected to sell for between $30,000 and $40,000
3 hours ago
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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!
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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.
