The Ferrari 849 Testarossa

Why This Is the Ferrari We’ve Been Waiting For

When Ferrari announced the 2027 849 Testarossa, my first reaction was simple: this is a true Ferrari. But after diving into social media comments, two things became clear. First, most people don’t actually understand Ferrari—or the legacy of the Testarossa. Second, social media has given everyone with a keyboard a megaphone, regardless of whether they know the subject.

I can’t fix the second issue, but I can certainly shed light on the first. Here’s why the 849 Testarossa is perfection.

A Legacy That Spans Three Generations

The 849 Testarossa is not the “second generation” of the Testarossa. It is the third. To understand why, let’s trace the history.

1957 – Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
The Testarossa name was born in the racing world. The 250 Testa Rossa debuted in 1957 as one of Ferrari’s most successful race cars. It carried a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 producing around 300 horsepower, paired with a lightweight tubular chassis and stunning bodywork by Scaglietti. Its trademark red-painted cylinder heads gave the car its name—Testa Rossa translates to “red head” in Italian. The car went on to dominate endurance racing, winning at Le Mans, Sebring, and the Targa Florio, and cemented Ferrari’s place as a motorsport powerhouse.

1984 – Ferrari Testarossa
Fast-forward nearly three decades. The world was introduced to the Ferrari Testarossa at the 1984 Paris Motor Show. Pop culture, especially Miami Vice, immortalized its wedge-shaped body, massive side strakes, and mid-mounted 4.9-liter flat-12 engine producing 390 horsepower. While often referred to casually as a “Boxer,” the Testarossa actually used a 180-degree flat-12, not a boxer engine, but the effect was the same: exotic performance and a spine-tingling soundtrack.

Ferrari later refined the model:

  • 1992 – 512 TR: an updated Testarossa with improved aerodynamics, a reworked chassis, and power bumped to 428 hp.

  • 1995 – 512 M: the final evolution, with revised styling, weight reduction, and 440 hp—the most powerful of the line.

2027 – Ferrari 849 Testarossa
Now comes the 849 Testarossa, continuing Ferrari’s tradition of naming by displacement and cylinder count. First a 250 Testa Rossa, then a 512 Testarossa, and now an 849 Testarossa. The lineage is unbroken.

The Design Debate: Pininfarina, Scaglietti, and Beyond

One of the loudest complaints online is that Ferrari no longer uses Pininfarina. Critics seem to believe this somehow makes the 849 less authentic. But here’s the truth: Ferrari has never been tied exclusively to one design house.

Pininfarina has given us icons, yes, but so has Scaglietti. Zagato, Bertone, and others have also left their mark on Ferrari’s history. To say a Ferrari must be Pininfarina-designed is like saying Italian cuisine must be cooked only in one kitchen.

The 849 Testarossa is unmistakably a Ferrari. In 1984, the Testarossa looked nothing like the 1957 250 TR—and today, the 849 doesn’t resemble the 1984 car. That’s the point. Ferrari evolves. What matters is that the heads are painted red, the performance is undeniable, and the spirit remains intact.

The “Unibrow” Controversy

Another critique is the so-called “unibrow” across the front of the 849 Testarossa, a design cue shared with the 2026 Ferrari F80. Detractors act like this is some new misstep—but Ferrari did this before. Look back at the 1968 365 GTB/4 “Daytona,” which had a similar full-width strip across the nose.

And beyond that, the front of the 849 Testarossa is heavily reminiscent of the legendary 288 GTO. To me, that’s a statement of intent: Ferrari is drawing from its greatest hits to shape the future.

Power and Purism: V12, Flat-12, and Now V8

Some argue that the 849’s V8 makes it unworthy of the Testarossa name. But cylinders don’t define a Ferrari the way they once did.

  • The 250 Testa Rossa used a V12.

  • The 512 Testarossa used a flat-12.

  • The 849 Testarossa employs a V8.

So what? Today’s engineering means Ferrari can extract more horsepower and efficiency from a turbocharged or hybrid V6 or V8 than older V12s ever managed. Remember when critics dismissed the 296 GTB because it used a V6? They conveniently forgot the Dino 206 and 246. And yet, the 296 GTB turned out to be one of the best Ferraris to drive—ever.

Performance, not cylinder count, defines Ferrari.

Ferrari’s Modern Golden Era

Since the 296 GTB—essentially the new Dino—Ferrari has been on a design and performance streak. Every car since has been balanced, beautiful, and true to Ferrari’s DNA. I saw the F80 in person at Monterey Car Week 2026, and even David Lee, the world’s most recognized Ferrari collector, called it Ferrari’s best driver’s car yet.

With the 849 Testarossa, I expect nothing less than perfection.

My Message to the Keyboard Warriors

Many of the critics shouting online know Ferrari only through video games, not through ownership, history, or culture. The Testa Rossa name has always stood for a race-bred machine with red-painted cylinder heads. That’s what Ferrari has delivered again in 2027.

Ferrari has hit the nail on the head. The 849 Testarossa is not just a worthy successor—it’s a continuation of one of Ferrari’s most storied bloodlines.

And I, for one, cannot wait to see it in person.