Ferrari 849 Testarossa vs SF90 Stradale: What has changed?

The new Ferrari 849 Testarossa replaces the SF90 Stradale as the range-topping plug-in hybrid supercar, and the Prancing Horse brand claims the new car makes gains in engine output, aerodynamics, cooling, braking control systems, and driver interface.

The 849 Testarossa is priced at $932,648 before on-road costs, with the 849 Testarossa Spider retailing for a cool $1,015,589. Both prices are up from the SF90 and SF90 Spider, which were priced at $846,888 and $957,700 before on-road costs, respectively.

The new supercar’s design is unmistakably related to the F80 and the 12 Cilindri, bringing Ferrari’s new design philosophy to light across more models. However, with the 849 based on the same architecture as the SF90, the hybrid hardware philosophy is similar.

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Both cars combine a 3.9‑litre twin‑turbo V8 with three electric motors, including a twin-motor front axle that enables on-demand all-wheel drive and torque vectoring, and a third motor integrated into the drivetrain at the rear. Ferrari lists a combined 1000cv (735.5 kW) for the SF90 and 1050cv (772.2 kW) for the 849.

The SF90’s V8 produces 574kW at 7500rpm and 800Nm at 6000rpm, with an 8000rpm engine speed limit. As for the 849, the engine itself has seen a reasonable performance upgrade, now coming in at 610kW at 7500rpm and 842Nm at 6500rpm, and the limiter raised to 8300rpm.

Ferrari says the extra combustion output comes from a comprehensive rework of the V8, which has been in use in its original form all the way back to the 2016 Ferrari 488.

The upgraded components include an all-new turbocharger system, revised cylinder heads and engine block, and changes to the exhaust manifolds, intake plenums, valve train, and fuel system components.

Ferrari claims the new turbocharger in the 849 Testarossa is the largest turbocharger ever used by the brand, and says it has used low-friction bearings derived from the F80 hypercar and a turbine heat shield inspired by the 296 GT3 to help manage heat in the engine compartment.

The company also describes detailed work on compressor and turbine aerodynamics and calibration strategies intended to maintain responsiveness despite the larger turbo hardware.

On the exhaust side, Ferrari says the Inconel manifold has been redesigned with a larger diameter and length, and also points out the use of a flexible joint intended to manage thermal expansion and vibration without adding significant mass.

The Italian brand also positions the hybrid calibration work as an important part of the 849’s drivability changes. It says the powertrain control system has been revised to work in closer synergy with the updated combustion engine, including an “active damping” function intended to regularise idle and make transitions between combustion and electric running smoother.

The 849 also has a revised regeneration strategy under braking to improve pedal feel, with more progressive blending between electrical and hydraulic deceleration.

Both the SF90 and 849 use the same 7.9kWh (7.45kWh usable) battery and offer up to 25km of electric-only range.

Ferrari’s performance claims improve in several areas. The SF90 was already at the very edge of what seemed feasible for a road car when it came to acceleration. The outgoing model had a 0 to 100km/h time of 2.5 seconds and 0 to 200km/h in 6.7 seconds, with a top speed of 340km/h.

The 849 Testarossa is listed at under 2.3 seconds to 100km/h and 6.35 seconds to 200km/h, with top speed quoted at more than 330km/h. Ferrari also lists improved braking distances for the Testarossa, with 100km/h to 0 in 28.5 metres, compared to the SF90’s 29.5‑metre figure.

The lap time for both cars at the factory track is quoted as 1:17.5 for the Testarossa, compared to 1:19 seconds for the SF90.

Both vehicles have the same 1570kg dry weight, which might be surprising as the 849 has uprated hardware. However, Ferrari says it has offset the mass of performance-related upgrades through targeted weight reduction work throughout many components.

Ferrari also says the 849 introduces recycled aluminium secondary alloys for engine castings such as the cylinder head, crankcase and sump, claiming a reduction in CO2 emissions per kilogram of aluminium used of up to 80 per cent, equating to up to 0.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per car. Though we’re not sure if any owner will care…

On the aerodynamics side, this is an area where a vast deal of improvements have been made.

Ferrari lists 390kg of downforce at 250km/h for the SF90, and 415kg at 250km/h for the 849. The company also claims the 849 improves cooling performance for the powertrain and brakes by 15 per cent compared to the SF90, and describes the aerodynamic development as targeting both downforce and thermal efficiency.

At the front a redesigned underfloor is responsible for 35 per cent of the total downforce in the 849, thanks to a revised layout intended to increase front downforce compared to the SF90. Ferrari also describes a larger front splitter incorporating a “flick” element that it says contributes 10 per cent of the car’s front downforce.

At the rear, Ferrari says the 849 adopts a twin-tail concept and an integrated active rear spoiler. Ferrari says the active spoiler can switch between low-drag and high-downforce configurations in under a second and can contribute up to 100kg of downforce at 250km/h in high-downforce configuration.

Ferrari also describes a multi-level rear diffuser and says the rear underbody downforce is aligned with the SF90 while reducing drag attributed to that area by 10 per cent.

The cooling and thermal changes made for the 849 are comprehensive. The extra power required a 15 per cent increase in heat dissipation capacity, and as such the new car has redesigned coolant radiators with an 18 per cent increase in radiating surface area and an 18 per cent larger front air intake to increase airflow.

Ferrari also says the bodywork flanks and ducting have been optimised to increase airflow to the intercoolers by 30 per cent, and it describes a revised door and side intake strategy used to feed intercooler, engine intake, and rear brake ducting.

Brakes and electronic controls are another major area of change. Larger brake discs on the 849 see it move to 410mm front and 372mm rear, compared to the SF90’s 398mm front and 360mm rear.

Ferrari says it has revised the braking system hardware including discs, pads and rear calipers to improve thermal management and consistency under repeated heavy use.

The company also details brake cooling changes, including improvements to front caliper airflow and a rear brake intake moved from the underbody on the SF90 to a higher-energy zone within the flank intake. This change is said to increase airflow to the rear caliper by 70 per cent and improve rear brake cooling performance by 15 per cent.

With five years between the release of these two models, Ferrari has revised the technology of the new 849 Testarossa substantially. While the SF90 introduced an integrated suite including brake-by-wire with energy recovery, along with systems such as eSSC and RAC‑e, the 849 adds ABS Evo and Ferrari’s FIVE (Ferrari Integrated Vehicle Estimator).

Ferrari describes FIVE as an estimator that creates a simplified real-time “digital twin” model of the car, and claims it can estimate vehicle speed with an error of less than 1km/h and yaw angle with an error of less than 1 degree.

The company says these estimates feed multiple dynamic control systems, with ABS Evo using the estimates to set target wheel slip and optimise braking distribution across different grip conditions. The result, Ferrari claims, is later, harder braking that is more repeatable than the SF90.

The increase performance has also seen a change of tyres, with a wider tyre sizes for the 849, moving from 255/35 ZR20 front and 315/30 ZR20 rear on the SF90 to 265/35 R20 and 325/30 R20. Ferrari claims a three per cent increase in lateral performance compared to the SF90 due to tyres and a specific set-up, and it also claims a 10 per cent reduction in roll gradient.

The spring mass has also been reduced by 35 per cent, and the 849 is listed with semi-active MagneRide dampers as standard (also available for the first time with suspension lift even with the Ferrari Assetto Fiorano track pack).

The new tyres have been co-developed with multiple tyre providers, including Michelin, Pirelli and Bridgestone. This sees the introduction of specific Ferrari tyres in the form of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2R (for maximum track use), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 for Assetto Fiorano, and Pirelli P Zero R and Bridgestone Potenza Sport as standard-fit options depending on specification.

Inside, Ferrari’s approach to driver controls changes direction. The SF90 introduced a touchpad and haptic steering wheel buttons as part of its “hands on the wheel” philosophy, alongside a 16-inch curved HD digital instrument cluster. While some elements were loved by owners, the lack of real buttons on the wheel was very much missed.

For the 849, Ferrari says the steering wheel adopts mechanical buttons, including the engine start button, and it describes a revised HMI intended to make interaction simpler and more intuitive.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility are standard, as is wireless smartphone charging, and the MyFerrari Connect remote monitoring system available for the 849.

Ferrari also lists a broader set of driver assistance systems for the Testarossa, including adaptive cruise control with stop/go, automatic emergency braking with cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam, traffic sign recognition, a surround-view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver fatigue monitoring..

In aftersales terms, both cars are covered by Ferrari’s seven-year maintenance program. For the 849 and the SF90, the ‘Ferrari Forever’ philosophy comes in play regarding the hybrid battery, with the company promising to continue to support owners with updated battery technology and upgrades indefinitely.

First Australian orders of the new Ferrari 849 Testarossa coupe arrive in the fourth quarter (October to December) this year, with the Spider following in the first quarter (January to March) of 2027.

Data table: Ferrari 849 Testarossa vs SF90 Stradale (as listed by Ferrari)

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