This 12 cylinder beauty has been replicated and remodeled in numerous movies, television shows, and if course video games. Her sleek styling and unmistakable identity make her a model for success, speed, and fun.
The
Ferrari Testarossa, not to be mistaken for the 1950’s Testa Rossas that spun through the 24 hour LeMans, came onto the scene in 1984. Its re-engineering project in 1991 totally revamped the vehicle that was once reviewed as having the center of gravity of a double-decker bus into one of Pininfarina’s sleek works of pride.
With her ultra wide body and remarkably low frame the Testarossa became a dream handler after her makeover. Her improvements, her grace, and her style landed her on the cover of Road and Track Magazine nine times in just five short years as enthusiasts and critics alike heralded her superiority to other cars in her class, and her superiority to her sister Ferraris.
Her 4.9 liter flat 12 pulsates with anticipation and excitement at the mere notion of her 390 horses opening up full throttle. The coil over shocks and the rear double wishbones set her apart from her basic original design that mimicked the 512 BBi. With such a successful overhaul design, there were 7,177 Testarossa’s manufactured. This is of course makes it the most popular and common
Ferrari ever created, though owners seem to have no problem sharing her excellence with others.
In 1984 and 1985, the Testarossa marketed for a mere $94,000, which by 2006-2007 inflation standards comes to a whopping $177,000. This high price tag did not stop enthusiasts from racing to their dealership the instant the Testarossa was ready to hit the streets.
Despite the unprecedented success as a road ready vehicle, the Testarossa never made it to the race track. Its popularity as a street legal version encouraged the designers to spend their time focusing on improvements which would be handed down from the Testarossa to the 550 Maranello.
The distinct Testarossa side slit strakes along the car’s side are attributed to a design feature that included two radiator hoses that ran on each side in front of the rear wheels. This was an innovative design at the time and initiated the wider body frame. Despite what many considered to be groundbreaking design, the Testarossa received some mixed reviews, even being noted as “having a center of gravity similar to that of a double-decker bus.” This comment was addressed in subsequent designs of sister cars to the “Red Head,” even though she was only 5 and ½ inches off the ground.
The dual overhead cam with a total of forty eight valves, maintaining four valves per cylinder, along with the 385 horses under the hood made this one of the fastest and most powerful street legal sports coupes of its time. 361 pounds per foot ratio of maximum torque at 4500 rpm made her fun to punch and a thrill to accelerate.
Reaching 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 5.20 seconds didn’t make her the fastest on the road, but it definitely made her competitive on the roadway. Her ¼ mile was marked at 13.50 seconds and her top speed of 171 miles per hour was still fairly high for the time frame she was introduced. For her era, she was a hot new design destined for a state of classic standing.
The 5 on the floor transmission, rack and pinion steering, and rear wheel drive configuration produced a driver’s car, a car that didn’t like to creep in traffic and drivers who couldn’t wait to get their little machine out on the open roads.
Ferrari enthusiasts were ready and willing to push this new design to the absolute limit, and often they did. The ratio that measures moving violations per number of makes and models on the road recorded the
Ferrari Testarossa as one of the highest ratios in the United States.
Averaging between ten and fifteen miles to the gallon, she was subject to the gas guzzler tax imposition. Most performance cars are, yet Testarossa owners were the first to appeal the tax in the early 2000’s. This is probably due to the consistent popularity of the
Ferrari and the number of them that are actually owned in the United States.
Though she was a little hard to shift, a complaint that was mildly addressed in subsequent models, and most found the ride to be a little harsh considering the ticket price,
Ferrari die-hards play it hard for the Testarossa. Her grace can not be denied, and the simple heart pounding, nail biting, ego lifting notion of being an illustrious owner of one of these super performance vehicles is enough for some people to lay down anywhere between fifty and one hundred thousand dollars for an original 1984 model. As a street car, she was minimally modified for street use, a thinly veiled, barely legal race car that never truly hit the tracks, needs no introduction when seen out and about.
While shifting in heavy traffic can lead to something that likens an hour of strength training in the gym, the power and maneuverability of the Testarossa is habit forming. Once she is out on the open road and the tachometer reaches that 4000 rpm mark, there is seemingly nothing that can get in her way, and nothing that can convince the driver that a more practical car might be in order, as the heavy traffic from earlier is now nothing but a hazy memory as the rumbled echoes literally through the chest wall and literally into the driver’s soul. Leadership is more than just creating a fast car. Leadership is creating a performance super car that out lasts most of her competitors and retains worldwide recognition that spans well beyond her production years. The
Ferrari Testarossa is not doubt on of those fabulous legends, and most likely will retain her legendary crown for decades to come. For those who have yet to have the experience, driving a Testarossa just one time can put everyday cars in their proper perspective.
© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Bart Denys for www.sport-cars.org
April 1, 2008, 4:45 pm
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