The Testarossa name is making a triumphant return. Ferrari on Tuesday took the wraps off the replacement for its SF90 supercar, opting to revive the legendary nameplate that inspired an entire generation of enthusiasts. Now called the 849 Testarossa, the car uses an updated version of its predecessor’s hybridized, twin-turbo V8 powertrain. There’s more power and more aero, which, according to Ferrari, means lower lap times around a race track.
When you think Testarossa, you probably think of the now-iconic flat-12-powered flagship of the 1980s. But the primary inspiration for the title, Ferrari says, is to pay tribute to the 500 TR, a four-cylinder race car built in 1956 to take on Maserati. The TR stood for Testa Rossa, the color of the camshaft covers used on the car’s engine. Either way, we’re hyped.
The 849 Testarossa’s name is not the coolest thing about it, though. All you have to do is look at it to understand.
It Looks Freakin’ Awesome
Ferrari’s current design scheme has more than a few critics, but I really can’t see why. The 12Cilindri looks amazing, and the F80, the company’s new big-boy flagship, is a box-flare-fender bundle of joy. This car’s fascia very clearly takes design cues from both, albeit with some incredibly cool bumperettes on either corner, similar to that one-off rally-ready Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer. There’s also an extra flick on the splitter, which Ferrari says is responsible for 10 percent of the front end’s downforce alone.
The rear is even more interesting. Ferrari calls those two little winglets a “twin-tail architecture” inspired by the 512 S, a prototype racing car that made its first appearance in the late 1960s. It also reminds me of the FXX K and, more recently, the SF90 XX Stradale, both of which also used similar setups. What you don’t see in the photos is the active rear wing, which sits between the two winglets, and can raise or lower in less than a second, according to Ferrari.
The Italian supercar maker is particularly proud of the 849 Testarossa’s redesigned underfloor. It has three pairs of vortex generators (that’s six total, I used a calculator), responsible for finding a 20-percent increase in downforce compared to the SF90. Another 15 percent comes from a reworking of the air coming from the front of the car, and that new diffuser.
Wait, No 12-Cylinder? Is This Even A Real Testarossa?
The last Ferrari to wear a Testarossa badge had a naturally aspirated flat 12 and a five-speed manual transmission. The 849 Testarossa has neither of those things. But I wouldn’t count it out just yet. Under the skin, you’ll find a newly updated version of the three-motor, V8-powered drivetrain in the SF90 Stradale. If you’re keeping track of the latest and greatest Ferraris, that’s two more cylinders than even the F80, which uses a V6.
Ferrari makes it clear this V8 isn’t entirely new, but going by the laundry list of new parts it lists, I kinda have a hard time believing them. There’s a new block, new cylinder heads, new turbochargers, new intake plenums, new exhaust manifolds, and a new valvetrain system. It’s more apt here to point out what’s not new than what is. It makes 818 horsepower all on its own, without help from the hybrid motors. That’s nearly as much as the 12Clindri’s 6.5-liter V12.
Ferrari credits the increased size of the turbos and the bigger-diameter exhaust ducts for the extra power. The company is also quick to point out the engine weighs about the same as it did before, thanks to titanium fasteners and lighter-weight camshafts. Those exhaust manifolds are also now made from Inconel, which is great at containing heat—though Ferrari says it’s employing the material to improve performance and sound.
Then there are the hybrid motors. As before, there are two up front—one for each front wheel—and another sandwiched between the engine and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Ferrari claims that, combined, the three motors produce a total of 220 horsepower (total max output for the whole system is 1036 horsepower). The system has been reworked to bring more comfort, better torque vectoring up front, and deliver a better transition between full electric and hybrid power.
Most importantly, the regenerative braking has been recalibrated in the 849 Testarossa to improve pedal feel, which was one of my main complaints when I drove the SF90. The motors are also more efficient than before, though Ferrari’s estimated EV-only range of 15 miles from the 7.45-kWh battery is the same as before.
What Else Has Been Changed Here?
The 849’s interior has been totally redone to give the driver a perceived higher level of importance—something I assume all Ferrari owners desire. The new dash has virtually all of the controls and vents facing towards the driver’s seat, with a new center console that splits the two occupants with a diagonal trim piece, similar to the C8 Corvette (though not nearly as drastic).
Thankfully, the 849 keeps my favorite part about Ferrari interiors, the gated-shifter-themed gear selector. Here it’s positioned high up in a flowing-like state, unlocking the lower console for things like a cupholder and a place to put your phone. Also, there are real buttons on the steering wheel instead of horrific touch-capactive D-pads. Thank goodness.
The rest of the interior is typical Ferrari. Bucket seats, steering wheel-mounted turn signal buttons, gigantic paddle shifters, and a right-side display for your passenger to stare at as you break seven laws at once while merging onto the highway.
Ok, But Will It Drive Better?
Sure sounds like it. Ferrari says it used the SF90 as a starting point, with the goal of improving five specific categories: lateral and longitudinal acceleration, gear changes, braking, and sound. Here’s how engineers tackled each category:
Lateral acceleration was optimised by working on the suspension geometry and management of the electronic vehicle dynamics controls to provide a faster response to steering wheel inputs and improving the mechanical grip of the rear axle. Longitudinal acceleration benefits from a quicker response to the accelerator pedal and the increase in maximum power available.
The gearshift strategy has been refined to provide a more progressive feel and reduce actuation times. Braking efficiency has been improved, as has pedal feel and travel, thanks to the introduction of the ABS Evo developed for the SF90 XX Stradale. The sound has been calibrated to accurately replicate accelerator response in terms of quality through the rev range.
The company also uses what it calls the Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator (FIVE) digital system, which, among other things, can simulate a ghost of the car it’s mated to in real time.
The FIVE system represents a significant evolution in dynamic controls. It is an estimation system capable of creating a digital twin that replicates the behaviour of the car in real time, based on a simplified mathematical model powered by real measurements (acceleration, 6D sensor).
FIVE accurately estimates performance characteristics that cannot be directly measured, such as speed (with a margin of error of less than 1 km/h) and yaw angle (margin of less than 1°) of the vehicle, improving traction control, electronic differential management and e4WD system delivery. These estimates feed into all vehicle dynamics controls, making the response more precise and repeatable.
Silly name, sure. But also cool as hell.
There’s no telling how much the 849 Testarossa will cost—Ferrari is famous for withholding such information when it launches a car. The outgoing SF90 Spider started at nearly $600,000, so I’d estimate MSRP will be somewhere around there—chump change, as far as the average Ferrari buyer is concerned. If you’re already on the company’s nice list, you can put your order in now.
Top graphic image: Ferrari
Hideous. There’s so much wrong with it that I’ll just be concise and say that it looks like it was designed by a middle schooler. Makes a C8 look good, the highest end of which is probably faster than this Ferrari, anyway, if that even matters.
Beyond looks and beyond this particular car or manufacturer, I think we’ve reached the problem with performance cars that action movie franchises face where they write the series in such a way that they (feel they) have to continually top the last movie in stakes. At some point, the stakes are forced to get too ridiculous for anything that’s supposed to be taken remotely seriously and performance cars are well into that stage. We’re at the point of a theoretical Die Hard 15 where John McClane has to save the galaxy from intergalactic terrorists led by a cgi Alan Rickman with “alien” blue skin. What they need is a reboot of more than a name, get back to inspiring design, connection, simplicity, an appeal to emotion, even if—oh no—it’s slower than the last one that nobody had the skill to fully use even with the computer doing 3/4 of the controlling (if they drive them at all). I’m not saying retro design (something neither Ferrari nor Lamborghini have ever really been about), but something that eschews optimized aerodynamics at speeds nobody achieves in exchange for aesthetics that everyone can appreciate and maybe knock half the hp off so that it’s actually somewhat controllable by a normal person.
The most charitable thing that can be said about it is that Elmo didn’t doodle it in his third grade notebook.
The styling is a hot mess – particularly that vertical piano black thing at the leading edge of the rear fender intake interrupted by the flat line from the front wheel arch to the back of the car – .
The Pancake Spatula spoiler is not a great idea – nor are the exhausts above the rear bumper.
And Red over a Blue interior? And a notch in the console under the drive selector for – what – your right knee? Really?
Is it too late to rehire Pininfarina?
Ultimate boss move would be to buy one of these and then take it to Pininfarina for a rebody.
I honestly think Ferrari cut ties with them to save money. They know people will still pay out the ass for their nonsense so who cares what it looks like any more? But I guess to be devil’s advocate Enzo didn’t really care what they looked like, either.
Enzo was also an absolutely massive, unrepentant asshole
Which is why Lamborghini even exists outside of building farm tractors.
I have so much respect for Lamborghini’s early years. To just establish a car company purely out of spite and to then proceed to build the best Italian road cars of the 60’s is one of the coolest things anyone’s ever done.
Like, the Miura and the 275 GTB were contemporaries and they were light years apart in terms of design and technical prowess, IMO.
Lamborghini was a character himself. The story of how he weaseled Pirelli tires for his new car company is so hilariously Italian and it was amazing how he was able to get together a bunch of young guys who happened to be incredibly talented and then trusted them. They did some ingenious and crazy things, but were leaps and bounds ahead of Ferrari.
Well, the fact that Enzo Ferrari assemble a staff of the best engineers in Italy over the years and then they got in a fight with his wife, and he fired them all certainly made it easy for Mr. Lamborghini to hire a team of engineers.
And Bizzarrini, plus the Iso Grifo, and the GT40s.
He absolutely was. So many people’s idea of what a Ferrari is is because of Pininfarina. Enzo’s only passions were racing cars and firing people.
I myself, am rather partial to Scaglietti‘s designs. I would be happy to with any of those.
I loathe the black bar / “visor” of recent Ferrari front ends, and this one looks even worse than the 12Cilindri and F80 with all the bits that are just sticking out.
The rear end is only slightly better, and the side profile is at best inoffensive. Overall as a package it’s just a complete mess.
I actually love how pointy it is
I actually like the 12 Cilindri etc, but the exterior here is a jumbled mess. I can’t tell if I like the interior or not because that blue is a hideous choice. Somebody give me one so uh I can complain about it more accurately.
Ewww. Gross.
The original four cylinder 500 TR is still the best looking, and what i think when t hear Ferrari Testa Rosa That 1980s one was the “does a 180 degree engine make my butt look big?” Car, and I get that the slats were to prevent German children from getting sucked into the vents, but it still doesn’t look right.
“Mein gott! Zist Verrari ist zucken mine liederhosen!”
When I was about 8 friends of my parents gave me a pair of shiny police green liederhosen, and being that-weird-kid I decided to wear them for the summer. In the Central Valley of California.
I have to say, I owned the spinning around on a big disk until you are and last one to fall off ride at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and San Francisco Playland. Sort of like a Teufelsrad They just stuck there
There are no side strakes. You can’t call a car the Testarossa unless it has side strakes.
Hot take: the interior looks cool, the exterior looks like ass and is a blasphemy to the name of the car that an 80s kid worshipped. Every Ferrari design from the last decade looks the same. They need to hire Pininfarina to design a proper successor, because this looks nothing like the heritage that should have inspired a modern testarossa.
Yeah, that’s gonna be a no from me dawg.
Taken in individual components the design is interesting, I especially like the Daytona vibes the headlight/front nose is giving, as long as you ignore EVERYTHING below the beltline that is. Then it turns into a 308 briefly, before getting F50 flanks, and then who knows what on the rear. NONE of this matches any of the namesake Testarossa’s that I am aware of, which makes it even worse?
Yeah that’s it, it’s like pieces of Ferrari’s past all pastiched into some sort of Ferrari Chimera, which probably would have been a more fitting name.
Ferrari’s design house is out of touch because they are designing cars for out of touch people. Middle eastern princes, California tech bros, and 12 year old daddy’s money crypto kids.
It looks like it was designed by three different designers who weren’t allowed to talk to each other.
The original TR designs flowed organically, beautifully. Even the Testarossa of the 1980s had lines that your eye would follow smoothly from front to back without interruption.
This amalgam is covered in straight black lines that leap out like speed bumps. It can’t seem to decide if it wants to be curvy or angular, a wedge or a bar of soap.
The big black bumper, or whatever that extrusion is on the back, is a bold throwback to the US-spec 5 mph bumpers that got added to imports in the 1970s.
Interior’s not bad, though. It’s a great opportunity for Corvette owners to nod appreciatively when they see it.
It’s sad when the only current Ferrari I like is an SUV. I don’t know if that says more about me or their design these days.
If you told me this Ferrari were drowning, I would not lend a hand.
I have not been waiting for this moment for all my life.
Kids these days. Used to be, we complained about the shields on the fenders! And that Rosso…Dino must be spinning in his grave.
More than you can afford pal. Ferrari.
After all of that text I still don’t understand what this FIVE system is. You can race the ghost of another car while driving this car on the track… or something?
performance characteristics that cannot be directly measured, such as speed
???
If there was SOME WAY to tell how fast a car was going, the roads would be much safer!!
I’m sorry but no. Ferrari’s in-house designs have been an utter mess. They all look like a team of a dozen people were tasked with designing specific areas of the car and not allowed to communicate with one another. Then they used some sort of AI to mash together all of these wildly different styles into one thing. Your eye has no place to settle and the whole thing looks wildly incohesive. Let’s stop giving this company a pass because it’s Italian. Their stuff looks awful.
They way that radar is tacked onto the grille is insane for a $600k+ car
Also how every single one of their wheel designs is the same and those are all copies of the wheels on a previous generation Honda Accord Sport.
I’m so out of touch with the modern Ferrari lineup, is this the one that sits in the owner’s living room while they are out in the Corvette ZR1 they actually drive or is that a different model?
Red over blue is certainly a choice.
It’s distinctive, I’ll give it that. But it doesn’t make me wish my pants were looser like the 12Cilindri did.
No Pininfarina no care. Ferrari’s current team couldn’t design their way out of a wet paper bag and this is no exception. Is too busy, too angular, and overburdened by totally unnecessary black accents. I agree with 4moremazdas, growing up I used to be able to give you a paragraph on just about any Ferrari…but now?
I can’t even tell one from another. Add in how incredibly pretentious the company and owners are and I just couldn’t care less. Even if I had Ferrari money one of these wouldn’t even vaguely be on my radar…I’d be doing everything in my power to get my hands on a 550 Barchetta.
Ferrari has become an utter parody of themselves. They’re trying to be like Lamborghini in the 2010s but without the fun.
Lamborghini has always had more fun than Ferrari and always will
Came here to say “Can we just go back to having Pininfarina design these?”.
They’re technically impressive, but just lacking something in the visual department. They just seem kind of bland. They just don’t have the same presence as the older cars.
I’m not sure if it’s age or the way the world has changed in the past 20 years (probably both), but as a teenager I could list all of the current Ferraris and at least tell you where in the lineup they fell and some basics.
But even though I’m still pretty enthusiastic about cars in general, I had never even heard of the F80 or 12 Cilindri, and had to look them up for reference. And I still don’t care about them or this.
I blame my current lack of supercar knowledge on the lack of Top Gear. Clarkson’s presentation is what made those reviews so entertaining. I just can’t relate to other presenters’ description of driving dynamics or on-road handling, the actual car review stuff. Chris Harris captures the fun and excitement in his own way.
Magnum had Robin Master’s 308GTSi
Mr H had a Dino (Mrs H had a 450SL)
Crockett and Tubbs had a Testarossa.
Europe had the 512BB and the 412GT.
Life was good.
I’m sort of in the same boat. I don’t know if it’s because I lost interest, or if it has to due with the type of media I’m consuming – I used to read all the magazines at the beginning of each month from the public library and then university library. Those had the new releases, but also comparisons and shootouts and all those sorts of things. Top Gear gave me some of that, but not as regularly and it’s been a few years we’ve been without. And when I waned off of Autoblog and went more regularly to Jellopicnic, that was probably the nail in the coffin.
Amazingly, once I started paying my own rent cars that cost more than the average house became less special. Go figure.
The trouble with Ferraris today is that they are just another supercar in a world of new supercars that get unveiled every other day. If you didn’t tell me ahead of time that this was a Ferrari, and you took the badges off, I don’t think I would have guessed it was a Ferrari. Maybe the black bar across the front would be a tip-off because of the 12Cilinidri, which I love, but otherwise, nah.
This is where I’m at anymore with Ferrari. I know of most of their models but I have no idea where they fit in. After they got rid of Pininfarina their designs have not appealed to me and they all look like bad concept cars.
No it doesnt look awesome.
It looks like a corvette kit car.
And that the best thing to say for it.
My take – Outside design is interesting and I would almost say different from what I would expect in Ferrari (which I appreciate). Inside design is interesting, I like the small screen options near the passenger, and appreciate some physical controls….until I saw that blue (velour looking) Alcantera I assume. That looks/ed hideous to me, but I am sure there are other options.
No red camshaft covers no care.
Honestly? fair