Testarossa. Italian for “redhead,” first a reference to the painted cam covers of the 500 TR sports-racer in 1956, then continued the following year with the 250 Testa Rossa and its descendants. The name reappeared in 1984, on the fabulously wide-hipped and side-straked Testarossa road car, and now it’s back once again, with the 849 Testarossa.
The latest redhead replaces, and in some ways reimagines, the SF90 Stradale. Like the SF90, the 849 (the numbers represent the displacement of one cylinder in cubic centimeters, another historical naming convention) features a mid-mounted twin-turbo 4-liter V8 engine paired with three electric motors: two on the front axle to provide all-wheel drive, the third on the rear axle. In addition, both cars’ chassis, bodywork, suspension, and engine are made from aluminum, their brakes are carbon ceramic, and their transaxles contain both an electronic differential and an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
While their spec sheets may look similar, there’s little visually that connects the SF90 and the 849. And, Ferrari being Ferrari, everything under the skin that could be reworked and improved has been, starting with the plug-in hybrid powertrain.
BIG POWER
The 849’s Tipo F154FC internal-combustion engine is the latest iteration of the twin-turbo 90° V8 that arrived with the California T. Although the design remains the same, all of the components—from cylinder heads and block to intake plenum and exhaust manifolds —are new. Newly designed, that is, since those engine castings are made from what Ferrari calls “recycled aluminum secondary alloys,” which reduces the casting process’ CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent.
Displacement remains unchanged from the SF90, at 3,990 cc, but the Testarossa produces an additional 50 hp, for a total of 830. Contributing to the increased output are new larger turbochargers, which feature F80-derived bearings and a 296 GT3-inspired heat shield, as well as reworked intercoolers.
The 849’s trio of electric motors, which produce a total of 220 hp, remain mostly unchanged physically. However, the hybrid setup’s control systems have been heavily revised to work more seamlessly with the internal-combustion engine when transitioning to and from electrical power. In addition, energy recovery during braking has been reworked to improve brake pedal feel. The battery pack’s capacity has shrunk slightly, from 7.9 to 7.45 kWh, but all-electric range remains the same at around 15 miles.
In case you haven’t done the math yet, the 849 Testarossa’s maximum output is 1,050 hp. That’s enough to launch the 3,461-pound (dry) machine from rest to 62 mph in less than 2.3 seconds and to 125 mph in 6.35 seconds. Top speed is 205 mph.
MAXIMUM CONTROL
Returning to that spec sheet for a moment, it’s clear the SF90 and 849 are very close cousins. They share a 104.3-inch wheelbase, are nearly identical in length, width, and height, and even weigh about the same—thanks, says Ferrari, to cutting 44 pounds from the Testarossa in order to offset the added weight of new components.
That’s not to say Ferrari hasn’t improved the 849’s handling, of course. The new model’s suspension setup and kinematics have been revised, and its front and rear rubber have grown 10 mm in width—the 849 wears 265/35R20s front, 325/30R20s rear. Pirelli and Bridgestone supply the OE model-specific tires, with the Potenza Sport also being available as a run-flat.
The 849 also inherits ABS Evo (first seen on the SF90 XX Stradale) and the F80’s Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator, which creates a digital twin of the car in real time, estimates things like speed and yaw, and then relays that information to other electronic systems in order to improve traction, braking, all-wheel drive, and so on.
As one example, ABS Evo uses FIVE’s estimates to determine the ideal amount of slippage and then optimize brake distribution to match. The result, says Ferrari, is later, harder, and more repeatable braking. (Speaking of brakes, the 849’s front discs are F80-size, measuring 16.1 inches in diameter, while the rear discs have grown about a quarter-inch to 14.6 inches.)
BEAUTY OR BEAST?
The 849 wears the now-expected Space Age cues developed under Ferrari design boss Flavio Manzoni, including the visor between the headlights, large blacked-out rear deck, and a crease that rises as it heads back along the door. The Testarossa then goes its own way with bumperettes located just below the headlights, and a prominent mouth underneath, plus rear haunches and twin duckbill spoilers inspired by the 512 S and 512 M sports-racers of the 1970s.
A two-position active spoiler sits flush in the body between the duckbills, with a new multi-plane diffuser below. In total, the 849 produces 915 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, 55 pounds more than the SF90.
A black vertical band rises through the Testarossa’s pinched sides, connecting sills to fender-mounted air intakes. Those intakes are divided into two parts: the large lower section feeds the intercoolers, rear brake ducts, and engine air intakes, while the smaller upper section directs cooling air into the engine bay.
COCKPIT
The 849’s interior has been completely redone—dashboard, door panels, center console—compared to the SF90; about the only element that remains the same is the swath of material that wraps the floor ahead and to the side of each seat. The new look is cleaner and less dramatic than before, aside from a new “sail” element that rises from the center console and wraps around the driver. The sail also holds the transmission controls, while the steering wheel features physical buttons in addition to haptic surfaces.
OPEN-AIR THRILLS
At the same time it unveiled the Testarossa, Ferrari also revealed its drop-top sibling, the Testarossa Spider. Outfitted with the company’s retractable hard top—which raises and lowers in 14 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph—the Spider is, as usual, mechanically identical to the coupe, with the roof and extra chassis reinforcement adding 198 pounds to the bottom line. In terms of performance, the biggest difference is that the Spider is sixth-tenths of a second slower around the Fiorano test track.
Ferrari also paid attention to occupant comfort with the roof open. New on the 849 is a patented wind stop, which captures air from above the side windows and releases it down low near the seats, thus reducing the high-energy flow at the top of the cockpit.
THIS ONE GOES TO 11
The 849 coupe and Spider can be ordered with the track-oriented Assetto Fiorano package—or, more accurately, specification, since cars so equipped come with items that can’t be had on non-Assetto Fiorano models. First on that list are stiffer, non-adjustable Multimatic shock absorbers and Michelin Pilot Cup2 or Cup2 R tires. (The standard MagneRide dampers are available as an option, with or without a front-end suspension lifter.) Next are many carbon-fiber components, including the wheels, which reduce weight by around 66 pounds.
Third is a new aerodynamic package, which starts with a wider splitter up front, continues through new underbody vortex generators, and ends with a pair of twin-element winglets in place of the regular car’s duckbills. Ferrari says the winglets provide three times the downforce of the duckbills without a significant rise in drag.
Also exclusive to the Assetto Fiorano cars is an optional twin-stripe livery. Available in white or red, the stripes are segmented rather than solid.
