Ferrari Testarossa in Photos: See the 849 Testarossa’s Predecessors Back to the '50s

The 2027 Ferrari 849 Testarossa is a big deal, but how long has it been since you appreciated the design of its predecessors? Don’t dust off that wall poster just yet; instead, keep scrolling and enjoy photos not only of the new 1,035-hp V-8 plug-in hybrid, but also the earlier Testarossas and “TR” models that led Ferrari to replace the SF90 nameplate with something more iconic.

We’ve got 1980s road cars as well as Ferrari race car photos, including of the model that inspired two of the three aerodynamic spoilers on the new 2027 Testarossa.

Oh yeah, and what’s with that name, anyway?

In the late 1950s, the 500 TR race car had red valve covers on its V-12 engine, and "Testa Rosa" is Italian for "red head."

In the past, "Testarossa" has also referred to models near the very top of the Ferrari range, which also describes the 2027 849 Testarossa. The 8 of "849" refers to the new model's eight cylinders and the “49” refers to the cubic centimeters of displacement. In this case, there’s 49cc for each of the 2027 Testarossa’s eight cylinders, for a total of 4.0 liters of displacement.

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1956 Ferrari 500 TR

The one that started it all. Ferrari wanted a car to challenge Maserati, and what better place to start than with a former Maserati engineer leading development?

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1957 Ferrari 500 TRC

This variation was revised to meet C-section regulations for the International Sporting Code.

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1957 250 Testa Rossa

Mechanically related to the TRC, this race car had far more power. The nameplate won the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1958, 1960, and 1961, so you can understand why Ferrari would continue that tradition.

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1962 Ferrari 330 TR

This was the last front-engine Ferrari to win the 24 Hours of LeMans. If you’re now asking yourself when the Ford GT40 won LeMans, that would be 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969.

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1970 Ferrari 512 S

What you need to know about the 512 S is this: Ferrari says it inspired the new 2027 Testarossa’s spoilers. Check it out in the photos—the spoilers on rear of the car look similar. It’s one of the only retro-modern design cues on the 2027 Testarossa.

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1984 Ferrari Testarossa

This is the one that, along with the Lamborghini Countach, defined exotic performance for a generation of enthusiasts. Enormous side intakes are iconic, as is the model’s appearance in the video game Out Run.

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1991 Ferrari 512 TR

A slight visual improvement on the original '80s Testarossa, the 512 TR made improvements in comfort and ergonomics to expand its reach. Incidentally, the new 2027 Testarossa also sports ergonomic changes to improve its overall package.

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1994 Ferrari F512 M

At the very end of the Testarossa road car’s run, Ferrari made some dynamic improvements and adjusted its styling, too. We prefer the earlier models with pop-up headlights, however, as this update looks to us like a classic design trying too hard to be modern from front to rear. In 1996, Ferrari unveiled the 550 Maranello, the Testarossa's replacement.

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2027 Ferrari 849 Testarossa

And now we reach the latest model, the 2027 Ferrari 849 Testarossa. An update on the outgoing SF90, the 2027 Testarossa still aims for maximum performance though now as part of a more expansive lineup.

Which Testarossa is your favorite? The new one definitely wins on performance, but the 1991 update may be our pick.