FERRARI 849 TESTAROSSA REVIEW: 'A DRIVE LIKE NO OTHER'
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is now the starter point for the mid-engined supercar. Lamborghini, Aston Martin and McLaren all do it – and so does Ferrari, its SF90 Stradale having been launched in 2019. Yet not many people loved it: although the £380,000 Ferrari was certainly fast, it was also very digital in feel rather than delivering the visceral analogue experience beloved of buyers of high-performance cars.
The SF90 Stradale had issues with its novel brake-by-wire system and front axle, along with no luggage space and a very first-generation feel. But it doesn’t take long for Ferrari to take note and it has launched the 849 Testarossa, which shares the layout and most of the technical specification, to the extent that it might even be termed SF90:2. But all much improved, according to Ferrari.
One thing the SF90 didn’t really need was extra power, but naturally the Testarossa has more, up to 1,035bhp when the 4.0-litre V8 engine and all three electric motors (two at the front and one between the engine and gearbox) are kicking up a storm. The Testarossa’s lap time at Ferrari’s test track at Fiorano tells its own story; 1min 17.5sec, a full 1.5sec faster than the SF90.
But why have supercar makers moved to plug-in hybrid? It’s probably mostly to do with the sort of cod environmentalism expected in Europe, although I don’t know who is being fooled. This new Ferrari has an official WLTP fuel consumption of 30.37mpg, but unless you charge its battery every 10 miles or so you’ll never achieve that economy. It looks good on paper though.
Under the skin
The Testarossa name (literally “red head”) appeared in 1955 when the four-cylinder 500TR and V12-engined, three times Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 250TR racers had red crackle-painted cylinder heads. The name resurfaced in a flat 12-engined road car of dubious reputation produced from 1984 to 1996. Its high centre of gravity, weight distribution and soft rear suspension tended to kick the tail out if you lifted off the accelerator or, worse, braked in the middle of a corner.
The 2026 version has a short-stroke, twin-turbo, 90-degree V8 developing 818bhp and 621lb ft attached to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and augmented with a 217bhp plug-in hybrid system featuring a 7.9kWh lithium-ion battery.
While primarily a petrol-engined, rear-drive car, the front motors balance the handling of the weight at the back, pulling the car straight in the event of a slide.
The top speed is a fraction over 205mph, and 0-62mph takes less than 2.3sec. While Ferrari largely tamed the Eighties model’s tail-out tendency for its subsequent mid-engined cars, reviving the name was always going to invite unflattering comparisons.
“The safety systems are strong and not invasive,” says marketing engineer Stefano Frigeri. “We have no more clients that are scared of driving a 1,000 horsepower car these days.” We’ll see.
Style statement
This is a classic mid-engined supercar, 4,718mm long, 2,304mm wide and 1.7 tonnes in weight. The jutting chin spoiler and crazy rear wings, together with period decals, evoke the 512M endurance racers of the Seventies. While the tiny wings and bumpers spoil the overall purity, they contribute 415kg of downforce at 155mph.
The 849 has a cinched look, with a vertical panel behind the doors, which cover the massive air intakes for an engine that has been improved in almost every aspect over the SF90, including a pair of massive IHI turbochargers that spin at 150,000rpm on ceramic bearings.
Inside, it’s pure road racer, with the optional £42,115 Assetto Fiorano carbon-fibre pack (saves 35kg) and carbon-fibre rear diffuser at £7,837. The optional semi-race bucket seats are snug, but there isn’t much room inside. My size 12s were pressing the brake and accelerator pedals at the same time and I could have used a few more inches in rearward seat travel. And while there’s virtually no interior storage space, unlike the SF90 there’s a 75-litre boot, suitable for a couple of squashy bags.
On the road (and track)
The 849 marks the return of a physical engine-start button, along with other mechanical buttons on the steering wheel – thankfully. There is only one screen, the digital instrument panel, so to view the navigation map you have to minimise most of the other information. There are two manettino (“switch”) controls on the wheel: a physical one for the drivetrain and damper set-up, and another set of digital tiles for the hybrid set-up.
There’s a choice of damper set-ups, too; a single-speed multimatic option gives stiff and consistent body control, while adjustable magnaride provides a softer ride for road use which can be stiffened if desired.
While the exhaust note has been improved over the SF90, it still lacks depth and timbre. Setting extreme Race and Qualifying on the drivetrain and hybrid settings, I pull on to the curving Monteblanco circuit near Seville in Spain. Initially it feels muffled and a bit clumsy rather than lithe and flowing. The steering is stiff off the dead centre and there’s no sense of feedback.
Out of the pitlane I floor the throttle on the damp track expecting, well, who knows? The gearbox changes down and nails the yelping, howling engine to the lofty redline. The big car shrinks around me, gathering speed like a diving tern. Tug on the right-hand paddle behind the steering wheel to change gear and the charge and noise begins again.
Crikey this car is so fast, it boils your synapses. The steering lacks feel, but it’s fast and direct. Over the invisible damp patches the safety systems intervene so gently that you feel much more skilled than perhaps you are. The brakes – some of the largest ever on a road-going Ferrari, activated by wire rather than hydraulics – are fantastically powerful and sensitive.
At one point I hit 186mph along the main straight, with the rear wheels gently losing grip then being reined in by the ingenious electronic differential, the front motors and the traction control system. No drama; Andrew, you’re such a great driver.
Except I’m not that good, confirmed when I disengage all the electronic aids and find myself correcting slides all round the circuit, rescuing potential spins and treating the accelerator pedal as if it were a raw egg under my foot. Electronics are a more effective moderator than talent – or lack of it.
On public roads, the Testarossa is an exercise in self control. In hybrid mode the drivetrain whirrs and clunks, feeling more trolleybus than supercar. A couple of lads wave their hands, encouraging me to rev the engine, but I don’t want to disappoint them by demonstrating its electric-only range of 16 miles, so just smile back.
When the engine starts, the progressive accelerator and controls mean the Testarossa can be driven gently, even briskly, but you don’t go near full throttle – and beware of road furniture, even with the optional nose lift in the raised position.
The Telegraph verdict
Under your foot is one of the most electrifying Ferraris ever built, and perhaps the slightly abrupt and dual personality is the cost of that performance.
This is no ordinary car, and while it forgives most lapses a great deal more than the previous Testarossa, it still demands respect and responsibility. And the payback for that is a drive like no other.
The facts
On test: Ferrari 849 Testarossa PHEV Berlinetta
Body style: two-door, two-seat mid/rear-engined plug-in hybrid supercar
On sale: now, first deliveries later this year
How much? From £407,617 OTR (Spider £442,467 OTR)
How fast? More than 205mph, 0-62mph in under 2.3sec
How economical? 30.37mpg (WLTP Combined)
Engine & gearbox: 3,990cc, 90-degree, twin-turbo V8 with 818bhp at 7,500rpm and 631lb ft of torque, eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, driving the rear wheels via a 160bhp electric motor between gearbox and engine, four-wheel drive
Electrical system: 217bhp total, three-motor hybrid system with twin axial-flow front motors and radial rear motor, 7.45kWh lithium-ion NMC battery with inverter
Maximum power/torque: 1,035bhp/631lb ft
CO2 emissions: 212g/km (WLTP Combined)
VED: £3,300 first year, £620 next five years, then £195
Warranty: four years with seven years servicing
The rivals
Aston Martin Valhalla, from about £850,000
Similar, 4.0-litre V8 (from Mercedes-AMG), with an eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and a three-motor hybrid system in a mid-engined, two-seat carbon-fibre body. One estimate is total power and torque up to 1,064bhp and 811lb ft. It hasn’t been the most problem-free gestation. I will be driving it soon.
Lamborghini Temerario, from £259,000
Another plug-in hybrid with a twin-turbo V8 (also see McLaren’s Artura) but this revs to 10,000rpm; since it replaces a V10 engine, this starter Lamborghini needed something special. Early reports are that the ride and handling are pretty good, the interior high rent, and the performance out of this world. Again, I will be driving it soon.
2026-02-02T16:25:52Z