2025 Ferrari 849 Testarossa Spider First Drive: A 1,050-HP Rebirth of a Legend
Maranello revives its most famous nameplate for a plug-in hybrid flagship that redefines the limits of the V8 supercar.
“Se un’anima c’è, è molto più probabile che l’abbia un motore piuttosto che un essere umano.”
That quote, attributed to Enzo Ferrari, loosely translates to: “If anything truly has a soul, it’s far more likely to be an engine than a human being.” Those words echoed in my head as I walked around Maranello’s newest eight-cylinder machine: the Ferrari 849 Testarossa Spider.
The automotive world has been buzzing for months about this car, ranging from its striking aesthetics to the inevitable debate surrounding the resurrection of the Testarossa name. “We wanted a challenge,” the Ferrari team explained. “We wanted a flagship with a rear-mounted V8 wearing that name again.” Ferrari’s engineers are a rare breed—people whose passion runs so deep that they welcome your honest opinion. My reaction, in the end, was surprisingly simple: I just couldn’t wait to press the red start button and hear it come alive on the roads of Tenerife.
Photo by: Ferrari
On paper, the numbers are staggering: 1,050 horsepower, 0-62 miles per hour in under 2.3 seconds, and 0-124 in 6.5 seconds. It is, quite simply, the most powerful series-production Ferrari ever built. To put that performance in perspective, the Spider has already clocked a 1:18.10 lap time around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track. But those numbers only tell part of the story.
The real magic lies in how Ferrari combines electronics, aerodynamics, software, and engineering to make the mechanical package feel more alive—not less. Everything exists to deepen the connection between car and driver, adding that extra layer of engagement enthusiasts are always chasing. That’s what defines the Testarossa: breathtaking performance while remaining approachable enough for drivers with varying skill levels. More importantly, this car creates a genuine bond with the person behind the wheel.
Yes, it’s a plug-in hybrid with a 7.5-kilowatt-hour battery, which makes electric driving useful for quietly leaving a hotel or slipping through a city center. But when a Ferrari has three electric motors—two up front and one between the engine and transmission—they’re there for much more than silent running.
Heart And Soul
Photo by: Ferrari
The centerpiece of this technical tour de force is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 making 830 horsepower—a 50-hp jump over the same engine in the SF90. It utilizes the largest turbochargers ever fitted to a production Ferrari, mounted in a conventional layout rather than a hot-V configuration. Three electric motors complete the package. Two sit on the front axle, using Ferrari’s RAC-e system for torque vectoring and all-wheel drive. The third, an F1-derived MGU-K mounted between the engine and transmission, brings the combined output to 1,050 horsepower.
But the real story isn’t the headline power figure—it’s what the torque vectoring and all-wheel-drive systems allow the car to do. There’s no question the F154FC powertrain—part of the engine family that powered everything from the California to the 488 and SF90—is brutally fast. Yet outright acceleration is only one piece of the puzzle. Even standing still, the racing influences are impossible to miss.
The front “mustache” echoes the Le Mans-winning 499P, while the massive splitter and asymmetric grille channel airflow with obvious aerodynamic intent. Around back, the split-tail design pays tribute to the 512 S that raced at Sebring in 1970 with Ignazio Giunti, Nino Vaccarella, and Mario Andretti. The doors deserve special attention; each one is a patented single-piece aluminum component produced by hot forming, as conventional stamping wasn’t possible. They also serve as functional aerodynamic elements, feeding air directly to the enlarged intercoolers shared with the F80.
At 155 mph, the car generates 915 pounds of downforce. Thirty-five percent comes from the front underbody, while the splitter and split-tail each contribute another 10 percent. The active rear spoiler transitions from Low Drag to High Downforce in less than a second, adding up to 220 pounds of downforce on its own.
Photo by: Ferrari
On the Spider, Ferrari ensured the folding hardtop came without aerodynamic compromise. It opens or closes in just 14 seconds at speeds up to 28 mph. A wind deflector behind the seats reduces buffeting with the roof down, while a bridge behind the cabin directs airflow toward the active spoiler when the roof is up, matching the coupe’s aerodynamic performance. Inside, the cabin feels like a single-seat race car, featuring a horizontal dashboard and a central spine inspired by Ferrari’s classic gated shifters. Crucially, Ferrari has listened to feedback and returned to physical steering-wheel controls, including the red engine-start button—a welcome change after years of touch-sensitive interfaces.
Pure Sensation
Photo by: Ferrari
Tenerife’s pavement is as smooth as a racetrack, though the mountain roads come with strict speed limits. Even staying well within legal bounds, the Ferrari delivers an unforgettable experience. The acceleration is extraordinary, but what really resets your expectations is the turn-in. The torque-vectoring system works so seamlessly that it never feels artificial; the car darts into corners almost like a go-kart. On corner exit, the electric motors instantly fill the gap before the turbochargers are fully awake, firing the car toward the next straight.
Body roll has been reduced by 10 percent compared to the SF90, while springs that are 35 percent lighter—matching the Assetto Fiorano package—have been tuned specifically for road use. This allows the tires to maintain a more effective contact patch when maximum grip matters most. The improvements continue on the straights; in third gear above 5,500 rpm, the 849 accelerates harder than the SF90, while both the steering and throttle feel sharper and more immediate. Even the dual-clutch transmission has been retuned for sound, using software to maximize combustion pressure during downshifts for a more dramatic exhaust note.
Photo by: Ferrari
Overseeing everything is Ferrari’s FIVE system, a real-time digital twin that continuously monitors the car through a six-axis inertial sensor. It’s incredibly sophisticated engineering that feels effortlessly intuitive from the driver’s seat. That’s exactly how Ferrari test driver Raffaele De Simone describes the car’s philosophy: technically complex, but always natural.
Verdict: More Than A Name
Photo by: Ferrari
The “Testarossa” name instantly evokes the wedge-shaped icon of the 1980s, but the history stretches back to the red cylinder heads of the 1956 Ferrari 500 TR and the 250 Testarossa. Now, it returns on Ferrari’s first flagship production model with a rear-mounted V8 after years of front-engine V12 flagships. At a time when genuine mechanical emotion feels increasingly rare, the 849 Testarossa Spider puts it back at the center of the experience. While the starting price hovers around $540,000, this is a car designed to be driven—not simply admired. The name may spark debate, but driving it tends to end the conversation.
