Ferrari has revealed its latest series-production apex predator – the 849 Testarossa (‘Redhead’) – which reprises a hallowed nameplate from the prancing horse annals.
The name is a reference to the red cam covers affixed to the 1956 500 TR and this under-bonnet visual element has remained a trademark of all high-performance Ferraris since.
The last vehicle to be graced by the Testarossa moniker was Ferrari’s strake-festooned, flat-12-powered 1980s/90s flagship. Although the latest offering shares neither its engine configuration nor styling theme with its yesteryear namesake, Ferrari execs say the 849 is similarly mould-shattering and avantgarde in interpretation.
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As for the newcomer’s ‘849’ prefix, the number is derived by the car’s number of cylinders and cubic capacity of each combustion chamber (8x499cc).
The debutant has big wheeltracks to fill, as the ultra-rapid SF90 that it replaces rewrote the rulebook for series-production hypercars when it launched in 2019, serving up titanic performance that eclipsed even the fastest limited-run models the Maranello brand had rolled out until that point.
Even so, the SF90 wasn’t greeted by the rapturous response that Ferrari might have hoped for as – despite its formidable dynamic capabilities – the car didn’t deliver driver engagement to match some of the marque’s former greats. Its fiddly haptic controls also didn’t win too many friends.
Rather than being a superficial makeover of the discontinued SF90, the 849 Testarossa represents a comprehensive revamp, featuring reimagined design language, a heavily reengineered twin-turbo V8 and uprated brakes, suspension and electronic chassis management controls.
Just as crucially, the awful haptic controls are gone, replaced by physical buttons for key functions, plus Ferrari’s iconic red starter button makes a welcome return.
As for market positioning of the 849 Testarossa, Ferrari commercial and marketing director Enrico Galliera describes it thus: “It’s what we call a ‘piloti car’ because it’s designed to deliver the maximum in performance and dynamics”.
As such, the newcomer sits at the opposite end of the Ferrari spectrum to “sportscar driver” models such as the Amalfi.
European deliveries of the 849 Testarossa coupe commence in the second quarter (April to June) of 2026, with the Spider following it to the market in the third quarter (July to September).
Australian buyers will have to wait approximately six months longer for local deliveries of each model to commence.
There’s as yet no word on local pricing, but we’d expect a slight premium on the circa-$850k entry point that applied to the defunct SF90. The Spider will cost roughly 10 per cent more than the coupe, while the optional Assetto Fiorano performance/aero package also adds approximately 10 per cent to the price.
The 849 Testarossa’s headline stats are nothing less than startling. Peak power from the twin-turbo V8 hybrid powertrain is quoted at 1050hp (772kW), representing a 20hp (15kW) bump over the already stupefying SF90.
Although the Testarossa carries over the 3990cc F154 V8 from the SF90, it’s essentially an all-new powerplant as the cylinder heads, engine block, exhaust manifolds, intake plenums, titanium fasteners, valve train system and fuel rail are all new.
Strapped on to the V8 are the biggest IHI turbochargers ever fitted to a Ferrari production model, with low-friction bearings and upgraded intercooler among the measures used to minimise lag.
The force-fed V8 redlines at 8300rpm and generates 830hp (610kW) and 842Nm, which are monumental outputs from a 4.0-litre engine.
Ferrari chief product development officer Gianmaria Fulgenzi explains the hybrid element of the powertrain – also revised in calibration from the SF90 – provides torque in-fill at low revs, so the perception from behind the wheel is of zero turbo lag.
Ferrari quotes a 0-100km/h split of 2.25sec, 0-200km/h in 6.3sec and top speed of 330km/h-plus. Astoundingly, Mr Fulgenzi says the 849 Testarossa’s 0-100km/h split is virtually lineball with Ferrari’s F1 car.
The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission also received a lot of attention, says Mr Fulgenzi, and he claims the result is even faster and more seamless shifting characteristics.
In addition, revised engine calibration is said to make for a more exciting sound – essentially of the V8 on the overrun – during upshifts.
Overall, you can expect the Testarossa’s sonic signature to be more rousing than that of its predecessor, as the Inconel exhaust manifold has a 20 percent larger diameter, and its length also increases by 10 percent. Exhaust gases are fired out of two drainpipe-sized outlets that protrude from halfway up the rear fascia.
The V8 is supplemented by three electric motors – an MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit, Kinetic) that also drives the rear axle, plus two motors on the front axle to enable torque vectoring and maximise traction and efficiency when exiting corners.
The electric motors are fed by a 7.45kWh battery pack that enables the car to cover up to 25km in electric-only mode.
Crucially, Mr Fulgenzi says the regeneration strategy under braking has been revised to make for more progressive and natural brake-pedal feel.
The carbon-ceramic brake discs – huge 410mm stoppers at the front and 372mm at the rear – and brake pads are also new, so the Testarossa’s decelerative capabilities should more than match its massive straight-line thrust.
The Testarossa rides on new springs and dampers that serve up added roll stiffness vis-à-vis the SF90, and the tyre options – co-developed with Michelin, Pirelli and Bridgestone – are also new.
Pirelli PZero R or Bridgestone Potenza Sport rubber (265/35 R20 at the front and 325/30 R20 at the rear) is the default fitment, but opting for the Assetto Fiorano package gets you Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tyres.
For those chasing the last few tenths in lap times, there’s also the possibility to order super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2R boots (available on request).
Mr Fulgenzi is at pains to point out that a key dynamic element of the Testarossa is the Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator (FIVE), which – by recreating a digital twin of the vehicle – replicates what’s happening with the car within 1km/h and 1 degree of yaw angle.
“It greatly reduces the physical and mental effort required by the driver when pushing like hell,” he says, adding, “A good driver, not a professional, can very quickly get close to the peak of the car’s dynamic performance.”
There’s little doubt the styling of the 849 Testarossa will be dissected at length by keyboard warriors on internet forums as it’s likely to polarise opinions.
The face of the car once again features a visor-like treatment – per the 12Cilindri and F80 – and this is the element that some may not love, as one could argue it lacks the emotion and curvaceous appeal of past prancing horse stylistic greats.
Even so, Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni says key departures from the norm initially take time to appreciate. As an example, he cites the 365 GTB/4 (better known as the Daytona) which dispensed entirely with traditional Ferrari design language and yet came to be regarded as a seminal classic.
Arguably the most dramatic view of the 849 Testarossa is the rear three-quarter angle, with the striking twin-tail derriere inspired by 1970s Le Mans racers, most notably the sublimely sculpted 512 S.
The two fixed spoilers at the outer flanks are complemented by a single active rear spoiler with two settings. This unit recedes into the bodywork when not deployed, with the high-downforce setting only coming into play under high-speed cornering and braking.
With a complex underfloor – comprising no less than three pairs of cascading vortex generators – adding to the 849 Testarossa’s aero package, the car generates total downforce of 415kg at 250km/h. This represents an increase of 25kg compared to the SF90 Stradale, while cooling performance improves by 15 percent.
Mr Manzoni says: “One of the biggest challenges in designing the car was to figure out how to accommodate the largest turbos ever fitted to a series-production Ferrari with all their cooling requirements”
The doors became a key element, with their three-dimensional surface incorporating a hollowed-out duct that feeds 30 percent more air to the intercoolers than was the case in the SF90.
The interior of the 849 Testarossa also represents a comprehensive makeover of the SF90, with the dual-cockpit layout partitioned by a floating element that also houses the gear selector.
The big – and welcome – change is the return of physical buttons on the steering wheel for key functions, in lieu of the SF90’s infuriating haptic controls. The iconic red Engine Start button also makes a return, while the digital cluster allows the rapid reconfiguration of the electric driving modes (via the eManettino).
Ferrari says the user interface is designed to concentrate functions around the driver, with an enveloping effect that also involves the door panel and the central tunnel. Connectivity is simplified via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while wireless charging for smartphones is integrated into the central tunnel.
The interior design was conceived to optimise space and improve ergonomics, according to Ferrari. Accessibility has been improved by reducing the width of the bottom of the door panel and adjacent areas, thus freeing up additional space for the rear bench and the passenger-side glove box.
The seats are available in two versions: comfort, with a sculptural treatment of the upholstery and styling that matches the geometry of the cockpit, and a carbon-fibre racing seat, with sporty side bolsters for ideal lateral containment.
Buyers seeking added differentiation and even sharper dynamics can specify the optional Assetto Fiorano package, which brings an overall weight reduction of about 30kg, thanks to the extensive use of composite materials such as carbon fibre and titanium.
Specific components include the new lightweight tubular seat upholstered in black Alcantara, which saves around 18kg compared to the standard seats, and 20-inch carbon-fibre wheels that reduce unsprung mass and improve responsiveness when accelerating and braking.
Aero upgrades include larger flicks at the front and an additional pair of vortex generators in the underfloor.
At the rear, two twin wings replace the twin tails. Ferrari claims this solution makes it possible to triple the vertical downforce compared to that of the twin tails without significantly penalising aerodynamic drag.
The Assetto Fiorano package also sharpens dynamics via stiffer, single-rate Multimatic shock absorbers, springs lightened by 35 per cent and reducing roll gradient by 10 per cent.
For the first time, it’s also possible to equip the Assetto Fiorano specification with the front lifter, which in this case implies maintaining the semi-active Magneride suspension.