Ferrari Testarossa
I don't give Ferrari much love in in Car Lust, mostly because naming Ferraris as objects of automotive desire is like naming nuclear weapons as pretty powerful pieces of weaponry. It's too obvious to warrant much conversation.
I feel the Ferrari Testarossa deserves its time in the sun, though. The Testarossa doesn't seem to get a lot of attention these days--surprising considering it was once the flagship of the Ferrari line and, judging by bedroom posters and study-hall drawings, was hugely popular among the pubescent set.
Perhaps its pervasive 1980s aura has dusted the Testarossa with cheesiness by association; it's possible that all-too-frequent Fiero-arri kit cars have devalued its unique styling touches; maybe its look is not deemed traditional enough by the Ferrari faithful. Well, whatever it is, I'm putting a stop to it. The madness ends now!
I'm not going to deny the Testarossa looks a little quirky. Nearly as wide as it is long, and with severe and distinctive cheese-grater side strakes to feed air into the radiators, the Testarossa certainly isn't the typical Pininfarina-designed Ferrari wedge. The front end is slightly ho-hum, with anonymous turn signal markers and hidden headlights, but the impossibly wide, obviously mid-engined rear view is fantastic. Overall, I find the look unique and distinctively gorgeous.
Once the sense of sight is excited, add sound into the mix. Twelve-cylinder engines tend to sound special anyway--there's something about the harmonics of 12 cylinders soaring to redline that touches the soul. The Testarossa's flat-12 gives off a hard-edged metallic scream that crescendoes into an operatic aria that nearly makes one weep with joy.
Beyond its styling, the Testarossa broke the Ferrari mold in the mid-1980s by actually being comfortable to drive. Compared to its cramped, hot, and uncomfortable Berlinetta Boxer predecessor, the Testarossa was a bright, modern place to be, a mostly refined grand tourer that could cover miles of Autostrada in effortless bounds. Nowadays, following the Testarossa's lead, nearly all Ferraris are comfortable and practical. Relatively speaking, anyway.
Testarossas are stunningly inexpensive today for what they are--on everybody's favorite auction site, there are Testarossas available from $45K-$75K. That's a lot of car for the money. For reference, a new Cadillac Escalade ranges $55K-$80K. Of course, the killer for the Testarossa is the jaw-droppingly expensive maintenance--even seemingly simple maintenance can nickel-and-dime you for thousands of dollars at a time. A significant driver of sales price on used Testarossas is whether they have had their 30,000-mile service yet.
There is one aspect of the Testarossa that I can't really defend. Crockett and Tubbs drove a Testarossa on Miami Vice, forever linking the Testarossa with gauche 1980s fashion. It's hard to deny that even a glimpse of a Testarossa now inspires visions of pink t-shirts under white suit coats.
I've lined up two highly entertaining videos below that I think nail the Testarossa's mix of awesomeness with cheesy pretension. This first video handles the pretension; the second video is an uproariously funny (to me, anyway) German-language dub of the scene where Crockett gets his white Testarossa.
"Ja! Ha ha ha!"
Flickr's Testarossa group has some fantastic photos, three of which I have featured here. The first is from IJsselstein, the second is from toyangel, and the third is from pat_ernzen.
--Chris H.
JP on March 06, 2010 at 12:42 AM
The 86 Testarossa was the last model to have drivers side only rear view mirror. FYI, the 308 is an eight cylinder, whereas, the 512TR is a twelve cylinder. I own an 87 Testarossa ( commonly called 'TR').
There is a great reason it is as wide as it is long. I can take a corner at 100 mph and never feel it. The cars center of gravity is super low. And with the extra width and bucket seats - it is a masterpeice of a vehicle. The torque, even in fifth gear is absolutely awsome. Just a slight nudge on the gas pedal and you are in the next county. Even though its 23 years old, its still an eye-catcher. I race against new corvettes and blow them away. The corvettes and porches cannot handle the high speed turns and the instant acceleration that this car easily produces. The maintenance is minimal after you get the 30K service. I found several problems like hot re-start, fuel pumps going out, lights go out, etc. These problems were all related to the 'brain box'. You must rewire the electric 'brain box' to bypass all circuits over 5 amps. In other words, use a 12vdc relay to handle the power ( of each circuit ) and keep the original wiring thru the brain box for control. Then replace the 5, 10 or 20 amp fuses ,within the brain box, with a 2 amp fuse. Use the old 5, 10 or 20 amp fuses for your new 'power' circuits. The problem with the brain box is it cannot handle the amps from the starting circuit, lighting circuit, fuel pump circuit, etc. The current thru the soldered points inside it will eventually melt the plastic-like insulation between the soldered points. A new brain box is about 2K, and a box of relays is about 20 bucks. If you need help, email me at jim@globalautomation.ws I will provide free advice.