At the end of September, when the summer heat was still lingering, Ferrari unveiled its fastest supercar in the heart of Tokyo. The event took place at the convention center adjacent to Takanawa Gateway, and the entire event space was dyed red, making it difficult to even set foot inside.

Red is an iconic color for Ferrari, and this new model has been named the "Ferrari 849 Testarossa." Testarossa means "red head" in Italian, and as the name suggests, the engine cam cover is painted red. The name Testarossa carries on the tradition of the famous 1950s car, the "250 Testa Rossa," but since Ferrari at the time adopted a front-engine, rear-wheel drive (FR) system with the engine mounted in the front, the red-painted engine was housed in the front. In any case, the Testarossa was Ferrari's flagship model, historically with racing DNA.

The origin of Ferrari

The name Ferrari is probably well known, but it originates from the name of its founder, Enzo Ferrari. In the 1950s, Enzo Ferrari was a racing driver who later founded a racing team and established a manufacturer of racing cars and high-performance sports cars in Maranello, northern Italy.

Since its founding, Ferrari has maintained its philosophy of "producing only racing cars and luxury sports cars in small quantities," which has become the foundation of the brand. However, Ferrari has not only pursued speed, but has also been praised for its beautiful styling and engine sound, which has been likened to an orchestra, all of which are considered artistic. It is this fusion of "functional beauty" and "artistic quality" that has established the brand as a symbol of car culture.

The production model bearing the name "Testarossa" debuted in 1984. The launch event was held at the Cabaret Lido on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Ever since I read about it in a car magazine, I felt that the "Testarossa" was a special Ferrari.

A sports car that even professional drivers dream of

Although I have a career as a professional racing driver, getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari and racing in a race is just a dream within a dream. Even though it may be an impossible dream, I attended the press conference imagining myself in the cockpit.

Here's a quick profile of the Ferrari 849 Testarossa. Its underlying technology is a three-motor plug-in hybrid. The platform is the successor to the SF90 Stradale, but the reason it was named "Testarossa" is probably because it is the fastest Ferrari currently available. While the interior is based on the SF90 Stradale, the styling is significantly different, indicating a new Ferrari design trend.

Ferrari has also released the SF90XX Stradale, a more track-oriented model based on the SF90 Stradale. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to drive this ultimate model on the Maranello circuit, and was amazed at how fast it felt, almost like a racing car on public roads.

However, the SF90XX Stradale is limited to 799 units, meaning only a limited number of owners will be able to get behind the wheel. With a maximum output of over 1000 horsepower from its plug-in hybrid and V8 engine, its performance is just like an F1 car transplanted to a road car.

This model has been announced to achieve 0-100km/h acceleration in under 2.3 seconds, and with minor improvements, it is highly likely that the new Testarossa will also achieve performance approaching that of the SF90XX Stradale.

Marco Spessotto, who was in attendance at the launch event, commented that the Testarossa is faster than the SF90 Stradale. While carefully choosing his words, he hinted that the car has performance on par with the lone SF90XX Stradale. The body styles announced are a two-door coupe Berlinetta and a Spider (open-top) with a retractable hardtop.

It was given the new title of "849"

Body dimensions: Length 4718mm x Width 2304mm (including mirrors) x Height 1225mm, Wheelbase = 2650mm. Vehicle weight is 1570kg. Tire sizes are 265/35R20 in the front and 325/30R20 in the rear.

The "849" refers to the V8 engine's displacement per cylinder of 490cc.
This 4.0L V8 engine is equipped with a turbo and mounted in the rear mid. Of course, the engine cover is painted red. The newly developed 4.0L V8 turbo produces 830ps, an increase of 50ps over the previous model.

Furthermore, the plug-in hybrid system is equipped with two motors in the front and one in the rear, producing 220 PS with the motors alone. The total system output reaches an astonishing 1050 PS. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is 0.2 seconds faster than the SF90, and it may even surpass the SF90XX Stradale. The battery capacity is 7.45 kWh, ensuring a range of 25 km in EV mode. Ferrari Japan has announced the domestic price at 6465 million yen.

Is the Testarossa an incarnation of the SF90XX Stradale?

It's easy to imagine the 849 Testarossa's performance on par with the SF90XX Stradale. Here, I'd like to recall my experience test driving the SF90XX Stradale two years ago.

It was November 2023, and the circuit in Maranello, northern Italy, was unfortunately wet. With cold tires and an unfamiliarity with the car, I had no choice but to drive carefully at first. But with the 1030 horsepower monster in front of me, I couldn't resist the urge to open the throttle wide.

In an instant, the 800hp V8 turbo awakened from behind me, and the addition of the motor's torque created a powerful acceleration force that pushed me against the ground. It felt as if I was riding a rocket. As the road surface temperature rose and the feeling of the tires gripping the ground was clearly transmitted through the steering, I was ready to move on to aggressive driving.

Braking is crucial to making full use of the 1030 horsepower. The combination of carbon composite Brembo brakes and the advanced ABS "ABS-evo" ensures stability even on semi-dry road surfaces. Even when the road surface conditions are different on the left and right, the downforce and electronic control ensure no unstable behavior.

Furthermore, in high-speed corners, the large rear wing generates 530 kg of downforce at 250 km/h, and the aerodynamic technology directly derived from F1 provides stability. In corners at 200 km/h, the steering becomes heavy and you get a strong sense of contact with the ground, but in low-speed corners the downforce weakens and the steering becomes lighter.

The new generation of Ferrari is a thoroughbred that makes full use of hybrids

At first glance, the 849 Testarossa may seem like a wild horse, but in reality, it has been tuned with the latest technology to become the fastest and most refined thoroughbred ever made.

The sports cars that Ferrari pursues are not just machines that boast speed, but "passion creators" that evoke emotion and passion in the driver.

There's a saying that goes, "Never fall in love with a mountain man," but you shouldn't fall in love with a man who loves Ferraris either. No matter how beautiful a woman is sitting in the passenger seat, a Ferrari is a special world that makes you forget her existence.

Kazuo Shimizu

International Automotive Journalist, Visiting Professor at Kanagawa Institute of Technology, Faculty of Automotive Engineering
He made his rally debut in 1972 and became a professional race driver in the 1980s, participating in endurance races both in Japan and overseas, while also working as an international automotive journalist. He started out in rallies, now competes in races as a professional, and has returned to the All Japan Rally Championship. He writes for a variety of media, mainly on automotive dynamics theory, safety technology, and environmental technology, and has appeared on numerous TV programs as a commentator and symposium moderator.