The Redhead Returns: The 849 Testarossa Roars Into Life

Ferrari just took the wraps off its latest hypercar and it bears a legendary name. In order to live up to that honorific, the 849 Testarossa (Italian for red head, and a nod to the colour of the cam covers on the cylinder head of the car's engine) has been endowed with four-figure power, the latest technology, and historically-informed styling.

Indeed, the car’s plug-in hybrid, three-motor, twin-turbo V8 powertrain makes 1,036 hp in all — a 50 hp increase over the model it replaces, the SF90 Stradale. The extra power has been found via a number of improvements, including a new engine block, exhaust manifolds, intake plenums, titanium fasteners, valve train system, fuel rail, and cylinder heads. Moreover, the 849 Testarossa also gets the largest turbocharger ever equipped to a production Ferrari.

The internal combustion engine works in concert with three electric motors, one at the rear of the vehicle, and two that power the front axle. The motors contribute 217 hp to the car’s total, and mean that it has all-wheel-drive power and torque vectoring for better handling under acceleration. Thanks to a 7.45 kWh battery, the 849 Testarossa can go up to 25 km on electric power alone.

Speaking of accelerating, thanks in part to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission borrowed from Ferrari’s Formula One car, the 849 Testarossa is capable of reaching 100 km/h in just 2.3 seconds, and of continuing on to a top speed of more than 330 km/h. That’s 0.2 seconds quicker to 100 km/h than the plug-in hybrid Lamborghini Revuelto (which makes 1,001 hp) and 0.1 seconds quicker than the recently unveiled Lamborghini Fenomeno, despite the fact that the limited edition raging bull makes a few horses more (1,080 hp).

From an aesthetic point of view, the 849 Testarossa builds on the foundation laid by the outgoing SF90 Stradale but draws inspiration from prototype racecars from the 1970s, including the Ferrari 512 S, whose twin wings over the rear wheels directly informed the shape of the new car’s back end.

In combination with the improvements to the front end — including a redesigned underfloor, integrated bumperettes, and a new splitter — the 849 Testarossa generates 25 kg (55 lbs) of downforce more than the car it replaces, for a total of 415 kg (915 lbs) while improving cooling by 15 per cent.

For those who want ultimate performance, the Assetto Fiorano package reduces the car’s overall weight by 30 kg (66 lbs) from a dry weight of 1,570 kg (3,461 lbs). That weight savings is achieved thanks to the extensive use of composite materials, including lightweight tubular seats and 20-inch carbon fibre wheels.

The high-performance package reduces owners’ customization options, though, and can only be ordered in Bianco Cervino (white) and Rosso Corsa (red). The regular 849 Testarossa can be ordered in a variety of colours, inside and out, including Rosso Fiammante (a play on the historic pastel shade Rosso Corsa) and Giallo Ambra a shade of yellow that has reddish undertones inspired by amber.

All that and owners get a seven year maintenance program for their new hypercar, which is, after all, supposed to be a comfortable, useable vehicle for the road.