RETURN OF THE REDHEAD

The Testarossa name is back for Ferrari's latest plug-in hybrid supercar with several nods to other iconic Ferraris of the past

- by SAM JENKINS

IT'S NO SECRET THAT WE - AND customers - struggled to bond with the SF90. Its performance was undoubtedly impressive but its vast capabilities were far from easy to exploit on the road. Now, a year since Ferrari pulled the plug (pun intended) on its 986bhp hybrid, it's hoping to rectify those shortcomings with this: the 849 Testarossa. Slotting into the gap left by the SF90, and sitting below the €3m F80, the new model promises not only to offer more performance but to make it more accessible, all wrapped up with an 'outrageous' new look (Ferrari's word, not ours).

The car revives the iconic Testarossa nameplate that first appeared on a sports racer all the way back in 1955, then as Testa Rossa. As for 849, the '8' refers to the number of cylinders and '49' the capacity of each of them (490cc). This also means it has the exact same displacement as the car it replaces, and the similarities run deeper than that.

At its core is a derivative of the SF90's 4-litre twin-turbocharged dry-sumped V8, with a new F154FC engine code and almost every component having been given some attention. The block, camshafts, crankshaft, plenums, valvetrain and even the fuel rails have seen revisions, with major components now cast from recycled aluminium. The result is a 50bhp bump in engine output to 819bhp, a 31lb ft torque increase to 621lb ft, and a heightened 8300rpm red line to match that of the hardcore SF90 XX.

The 849's turbochargers are entirely new, too, and the largest fitted to any model in Ferrari's regular range. They feature the same low-friction bearings as found in the F80, turbine heat shielding derived from the 296 GT3 racer, uprated compressor wheels and turbines, and tweaked calibration for improved response. While they do without the electric 'turbo spool assistance' of the F80, Ferrari claims 'zero' lag regardless.