Ferrari evokes spirit of 1980s with new 849 Testarossa hybrid

Ferrari on Tuesday completed a refresh of its hybrid range with the new 849 Testarossa sportscar, a tribute to the famous original Testarossa model of the 1980s.

Ferrari unveiled the new plug-in hybrid, four-wheel drive in Milan, a car which will replace 2019’s SF90 Stradale at the top of its range. The new vehicle will also be available in a retractable-top ‘spider’ version.

Its mid-rear mounted, 4-liter, eight-cylinder turbo engine, capable of 830 horsepower, is coupled with three electric motors, for a total of 1,050 HP, 50 more than the SF90 Stradale. It will be capable of a top speed of over 330 kilometres (205 miles) per hour, the company said in a statement.

The starting price for 849 Testarossa is set at 460,000 euros ($540,000) for the coupe and at 500,000 euros for the spider version, with first deliveries to clients scheduled respectively in the second and third quarter of next year, starting with Europe.

Deliveries to U.S. clients are expected to start some three months later, at higher prices due to import tariffs.

Ferrari, led by CEO Benedetto Vigna, is rolling out new models while also preparing to start next month to showcase its first electric vehicle, part of a three-stage process culminating in a world premiere next spring.

It will break Ferrari’s tradition of roaring petrol engines, although Vigna has reaffirmed the company would continue to make petrol and hybrid cars, along with EVs.

Ferrari in April launched the new hybrid 296 Speciale and its convertible version, based on the 2021 Ferrari 296, the house’s other hybrid model, now approaching the end of its life cycle.

As part of its typically aggressive path of new model releases, Ferrari in July also presented the purely petrol-powered Amalfi coupe, replacing and upgrading the successful 2019 Roma in the entry segment of its range.