Text: Jorge S. B. Guerreiro; Images: Ferrari

Ferrari has revived its glorious Testarossa nameplate! The mythical name first appeared on several models in the 1950s – but it was above all the Testarossa of 1984 that seared it into collective memory.

It refers to the engine's red-painted cylinder heads, a privilege reserved for the brand's most powerful cars. Today, it comes paired with the number 849 (8 cylinders of 490 cubic centimeters each).

Black Band and Racing Genes

The 849 Testarossa adopts the new design language introduced with the 12Cilindri and continued on the F80: a black band connecting the headlights, clean lines, and an unmistakable taste for futurism. It also draws inspiration from the 512S and 512M race cars of the 1970s, borrowing their two-section rear wing architecture.

On the Spider, the styling was adapted to the loss of the roof – an intervention offset by a reinforced body.

Under the hood sits a four-liter twin-turbo V8. Three electric motors lend it a hand, two at the front axle and one at the rear. Together, they produce 1,050 horsepower and 842 Newton meters of torque.

The new Ferrari 849 Testarossa.

«Engine Start» – and Nothing Happens

Inside, the cockpit wraps around the driver: The center console carries a floating gear selector, and physical buttons make their comeback on the steering wheel.

We press «Engine Start» – and nothing happens. The car pulls away in electric mode (with a range of 25 kilometers). We insist: A furious cry rises from the exhaust pipes.

We then tackle the climb to the highest point in Spain, the Teide volcano. Rolling through a few villages in automatic mode shows just how effortlessly this Ferrari can be driven.

Historic heritage: earlier Testarossa models.

A Catapult Toward the Horizon

But as soon as the road opens up, the Testarossa demonstrates its urge to catapult itself toward the horizon. The speeds reached quickly climb into territory best left unmentioned: zero to 100 km/h in 2.25 seconds; the sprint from zero to 200 km/h is dispatched in 6.35 seconds.

Compared with its predecessor, the SF90, the torque vectoring combined with ultra-precise steering lets you fly through corners with astonishing ease. Given the immense power, the electronics keep watch – without ever reining in the driver.

On the contrary: They let you believe you are a driver on par with Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton. And all that without a helmet, the wind in your hair... All that remains is the trip to the till: That will be 537,952 Swiss francs (around $660,000), thank you.

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Jorge S. B. Guerreiro is the publisher of Roadbook Magazine.