Ferrari Testarossa

The Testarossa traces its roots back to the faults of the 1981 512 BBi. They were led by design chief Leonardo Fioravanti, who also designed many other contemporary Ferrari models. The design was originated by Nicosia, but the guidance of Fioravanti was equally important. Being trained in aerodynamics, Fioravanti applied his know-how to set the layout of the car. The designers were originally trying to minimize the necessary side intakes, which also could not be left open due to American safety legislation, but then decided on making them a statement of style instead - one that ended up becoming emblematic of the late eighties. The Testarossa did not need a rear spoiler. The aerodynamic drag coefficient of was significantly lower than the Lamborghini Countach's 0.42. The styling was a departure from the curvaceous boxer—one which caused some controversy. that spanned from the doors to the rear fenders were needed for rules in several countries outlawing large openings on cars. Unlike the Berlinetta Boxer, the Testarossa had twin side radiators near the engine at the rear instead of a single radiator up-front - eliminating much piping and allowing for a much cooler cabin. Testa Rossa, which literally means "red head" in Italian, refers to the red-painted cam covers sported by both cars' 12-cylinder engines. Like its predecessor, the Testarossa used double wishbone front and rear suspension systems. Ferrari improved traction by adding 10-inch-wide alloy rear wheels. The Testarossa's drivetrain was also an evolution of the 512 BBi. Its engine used near identical displacement and compression ratio, but unlike the 512 BBi had four-valve cylinder heads that were finished in red. ==Testarossa==

Engine The Testarossa has a naturally aspirated longitudinally-mounted, Tipo F113 flat-12 engine. These combine to provide a maximum power of at 6,300 rpm and maximum torque of at 4,500 rpm. Engine specifications Wheels and suspension When introduced for the 1985 model year, the Testarossa had magnesium single bolt "knockoff" wheels with a diameter. These wheels used the Michelin TRX tyres having sizes of 240/45 VR 415 at the front and 280/45 VR 415 at the rear. In the 1986 model year, the wheels kept the same design but were changed to a standard diameter, with a width of 8 inches at the front and 10 inches at the rear. Goodyear Gatorback or Pirelli Cinturato P-Zero 225/50 VR 16 front tyres and 255/50 VR 16 rear tyres were fitted. It lost comparison tests to the Lamborghini Countach, Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo and BMW M5. Well-known Testarossa owners included Elton John, Marti Pellow, Alain Delon, O. J. Simpson, Rod Stewart, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson, John Carmack, Dr. Dre, M.C. Hammer, Austrian Formula One racing driver Gerhard Berger, and Gary Monsieur. Don Johnson, who famously drove a white Testarossa on Miami Vice, was gifted a brand-new silver 1989 Testarossa by Enzo Ferrari himself, who was a fan of Miami Vice. Michael Mann, executive producer of the series, also had a custom painted, blue metallic Testarossa. As Ferrari's flagship model during the 1980s, the car made numerous appearances in pop culture, most notably in the arcade game Out Run, and in the third, fourth, and fifth seasons of Miami Vice. The car has subsequently become synonymous with 1980s "yuppies" and is an icon of 1980s retro culture. Its signature side strakes have become a popular aftermarket body component for wide arch aesthetic body kits. The side strakes also spawned body kits that were designed for cars such as the Pontiac Fiero and the Mazda B-Series pickup trucks (these were referred to as "Truxtarossa" kits), in addition to a wide variety of Japanese and American sports cars and motorcycles such as the Honda VFR. ==512 TR==

{{Infobox automobile Engine The 512 TR sports a longitudinally rear-mounted Tipo F113 D flat-12 engine. and on to in 10.7 seconds. It can complete a standing (from stationary) quarter mile in 13.2 seconds or a standing kilometre in 23.4 seconds. The 512 TR has a top speed of . Over 400 cars had this defect which was caused by variances in temperature and environment. Another recall was issued in relation to the passive restraint system on seat belts not functioning properly, on over 2,000 cars. at Pininfarina was tasked with redesigning the body of the car for better integration of the newly included spoilers and the new engine cover. The design was updated in line with the recently introduced 348. Wheels The 512 TR has wheels with a width of at the front and at the rear. The tyre for the front wheels are 235/40 ZR 18 and 295/35 ZR 18 for the rear. The front brakes have a diameter of and the rear brakes have a diameter of . Notable appearances The 512 TR is featured on the cover of and in the 1994 arcade racing video game The Need for Speed. ==F512 M==

The F512 M was the last version of the Testarossa. 501 cars were produced in total, of which 75 were made for the North America market. 75 right-hand drive cars were built. Engine The F512 M sports a 4.9-litre () Tipo F113 G longitudinally mid mounted flat-12 engine. Due to new titanium connecting rods and a new crankshaft that together weighs less than those that they replace, the engine has a 7,500 rpm electronic rev limit. The Ferrari F512 M can accelerate from 0 to in 4.7 seconds, Pininfarina and Ferrari flags line the dash board. Wheels The F512 M has wheels with a width of for front and for the rears. The tyres are Pirelli P Zero units, with codes for the front wheels of 235/40 ZR 18 and 295/35 ZR 18 for the rear. The front brakes have a diameter of and the rear brakes have a diameter of . ==Concept cars and one-offs==

Testarossa Spider The Testarossa Spider (s/n 62897) is the sole official convertible variant of the Testarossa commissioned in 1986 by the then-Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli to commemorate his 20 years of chairmanship of the company. The Testarossa Spider has an Argento Nürburgring exterior, a white magnolia leather interior with a dark blue stripe running above the matte black sills, and a white electrically operated soft top that could be manually stowed away. The vehicle was delivered to Agnelli in four months, and had a solid silver Ferrari logo on the hood instead of an aluminium one. The silver theme refers to elemental silver's periodic table abbreviation "Ag" (from the Latin ''''), the first two letters of Agnelli's name. and so Pininfarina and some aftermarket firms such as Straman, Pavesi, Lorentz and Rankl, and Koenig Specials offered unofficial Spider conversions on special consumer requests. The official Spider is no different mechanically from the normal Testarossa available on the European market. It has a standard 4.9 L flat-12 engine with a power output of . The only differences, other than being a convertible, are that the Spider's front window and door windows are both shorter than those of the normal car and it has a special transmission manufactured by Valeo installed which is convertible to both automatic and the standard 5-speed manual versions with the push of a button, a technology ahead of its time. The transmission was installed on special request of Agnelli as he suffered from a chronic leg injury. The original car owned by Agnelli's family friend was auctioned off in 2016 at a price of US$1.3 million. By that time, the car had been driven for 23,000 kilometers. A red Testarossa convertible is the feature car in Sega's arcade and home-console video-game franchise Out Run. Mythos The Ferrari Mythos is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive concept car based on the mechanical underpinnings of the Ferrari Testarossa. The Mythos is powered by a 4.9 L Tipo F113 B Ferrari flat-12 engine sourced from the Ferrari Testarossa, the engine produces at 6,300 rpm and of torque at 4,500 rpm while having a power to weight ratio of per tonne. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Testarossa sourced 5-speed manual transmission. The car utilises a helical coil suspension system with transverse arms on the front and rear. Acceleration figures of the car remain unknown, but the car has a projected top speed of about . Colani Ferrari Testa d'Oro Designed by Luigi Colani in 1989, the Testa d'Oro was designed to break land speed records at the salt flats. It was based on a Testarossa with a turbocharged flat-12 engine featuring a 5.0 L Ferrari-Lotec turbocharger. The engine had a power output of at 6,400 rpm and of torque at 5,000 rpm. It successfully broke the record in its class in 1991, reaching with catalytic converters fitted. FX The Ferrari FX was a special order sports car custom made by Pininfarina at the request of the 29th Sultan of Brunei. It featured the flat-twelve engine of the Ferrari F512 M, on which it is based, and a 7-speed sequential manual transmission from the Williams Formula One team. The FX has a top speed of around , FZ93 The FZ93 (Formula Zagato '93) was designed by Ercole Spada as a follow-up to Zagato's series of Ferrari specials. In 1994 the car was reworked and repainted all-red; it was also renamed as ES1 in honour of its designer. F90 For almost 18 years, Ferrari denied that the F90 existed. The project was eventually discovered along with the fact that six were made for the Sultan of Brunei in 1988. The project was managed by Enrico Fumia, the head of the Research and Development department at Pininfarina. At the time, the project was top secret to that extent that Ferrari themselves didn't know of the project. Fumia styled the car and said the F90 name referred to it being a "Ferrari of the '90s." All six F90s used a Ferrari Testarossa chassis on top of which Pininfarina sculpted an entirely new body and interior. The engines were stock units, having a power output of and having a rear-wheel drive layout, but the radiators were moved to the front of the car. ==References==

• • • "Retail Prices, Import Cars," Automotive News, April 1986: page 53. • • Sir Mix-A-Lot wrote the track Testarossa (on his 1992 album Mack Daddy) about his "jet black" 1987 Testarossa. • French House/Electro artist Kavinsky has written several songs about the Testarossa, including "Testarossa Autodrive", which was remixed by SebastiAn. The Kavinsky character's back story is that he fatally crashed his Testarossa and came back from the dead to make music. • The video and arcade game Outrun uses the Testarossa as the main car. ==External links==