In 1956, the regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France were changed, and Enzo Ferrari, determined to continue competing, developed the first Testarossa, with a 12-cylinder, 3,000 cc engine producing around 300 hp. A weight of only about 800 kg allowed it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds, reach 260 km/h at the end of the track’s long straight, and win dozens of races, including the 1958, 1960, and 1961 Le Mans, as well as the World Sportscar Championships of those years. Only 33 were produced, and those that survived today sell for over $10 million.
In 1984, Ferrari decided to use the name Testarossa for the company’s new supercar, by then already under Fiat’s control. A 4,900 cc V12 engine produced up to 390 hp. The official acceleration figure was 5.8 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, but this was no longer a race car—it was a refined sports car for those who could afford one.
Almost 10,000 were produced until the end of production in 1992. Elton John, Alain Delon, Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, O. J. Simpson, and Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger all purchased one, but it became most famous as the car of detective James Sonny Crockett, played by Don Johnson in the hit series Miami Vice. Today, it sells for an average of several hundred thousand dollars.
Now, in 2025, Ferrari has decided to bring back the name that revs the engine of every car enthusiast. Yesterday, the Italian company unveiled the new generation of the 849 Testarossa, “Ginger” in Italian. On one hand, it is a plug-in hybrid like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale it replaces—something of the present age, which would have seemed unimaginable in Enzo Ferrari’s days.
On the other hand, the numbers dwarf the first two “Gingers”: A combined output of 1,050 hp, 50 more than the SF90, from a 4,000 cc engine combined with three electric motors. Performance? A dual-clutch automatic gearbox allows acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in “under 2.3 seconds,” a top speed of “over 330 km/h,” and a symbolic electric range of 25 km, with a 7.45 kWh battery. This time, the engine has only 8 cylinders.
Equipment this time includes systems like autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, because not everyone able to pay €530,000 in Europe (or €580,000 for the Spider convertible version) is a race driver. In 2025, Ferrari is also a consumer product that must offer not only reduced emissions but also 7 years of warranty and maintenance included in the purchase price, with the option to extend coverage from years 8 to 16 and replace the hybrid battery at the company’s expense afterward.
It will arrive in Israel only in two years. According to international prices, plus Israeli taxes, the base price will be around NIS 4.5–5 million before extras. Since the beginning of the year, 11 new Ferraris have been delivered in Israel, and 126 are currently on the roads in the country.