Replacement Update for SF90 (849 Testarossa revealed)

But is there really anything "new" about this car? Or is it just a bad conglomeration of cliche design cues and poor surfacing? IMO I see absolutely nothing new or challenging.

It looks like they just referenced some past designs into an AI engine and went with the first option it spit out.

 

Another name my wife finds more appropriate
for the thing is the MANZONI ZAMBONI

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Dedicated race cars are allowed to be ugly. Form follows function bla bla. This is not a race car, but it’s stealing elements of past ones… and certainly is ugly. Manzoni and Ferrari have become so lazy that they are invoking ghosts from the past and piecing them together with legos.

 

As and F8 owner, I sold my 296 GTS and went back to an 812. I hear you!

 

Coming from the US "state of hockey", don't associate the Zamboni with this overcomplicated mess... Its design has been loved by generation after generation of young kids growing up here loving hockey. And it has not had to change at all for decades.

 

Someone at Ferrari needs to recognize that the current structure at Centro Stilo is not effective. While the cars are remarkable engineering achievements, they no longer evoke the same passion and visual allure.

As a professional designer, I can attest that having multiple designers work on a single design often leads to confusion. Under Manzoni and his team, many designs appear to be the result of a committee, reflecting different philosophies rather than a single visionary approach. I do not doubt the team's talent and competence; it is the structure I question.

The 849 TR has absolutely no fluid lines, not even one; it lacks a narrative. It is neither sensual nor aggressive. Instead, it resembles a visual argument. I do not understand the obsession with symmetrical lines and triangles. I have been a supporter of Manzoni; I love the 12 Cilindri, which I consider a piece of retro-futuristic art. However, the 849 TR is terribly awkward, and I am concerned.

 

And those that can’t afford the car anyway still buy merch. When your fan base loses interest because the cars aren’t desirable looking anymore and the F1 team is embarrassing - what’s left?

 

That is not a fair comparison. You can't compare apples to oranges. Those two things are not even remotely comparable because the Zamboni has a cohesive design to it.

 

My wife apologizes to the Zamboni aficionados out there in hockey land. She meant no offense and states we can all come out of our safe spaces now.

 

Definitely not a Zamboni aficionado, and I'm not a fan of sports ball. I was just saying that the zamboni has a cohesive approach to the styling unlike this disaster from Manzoni.

 

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I bet you can get someone to repaint it to bodycolor. Would be cool to see the results if a future owner will get this done.

 

F8, SF90 and 849 Testarossa has all no Emotion and sound. Buy a 812 Competizione or 458 Speciale.

 

about F1 team.. two of main engineers of the powertrain will left Ferrari soon: Zimmermann and Schmidt.
Thank you Elkan, thank you Vigna, thank you Vasseur.

 

Looks are subjective and sound is regulated by legislation. Unlike women though, a car can excite you even if you don't like its looks, as driving is the most important factor. You can not see the outside of a car when you drive it anyway...

“It is not because we are taking inspiration from old designs, we don’t want to just look at the past,” said Enrico Galliera, Ferrari’s chief marketing and commercial officer. “The name Testa Rossa [redhead in Italian] came originally from the cover of the engine of the most powerful model in the range.”
With the F80 considered to sit above the regular hierarchy, that’s a position that this new Testarossa has earned the right to use. And the camshaft covers visible through the glass cover that sits over the V-8 are indeed red.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a66024546/ferrari-849-testarossa/

How is the Corvette any different?

 

My PPF guy can wrap in Ferrari colors .... still though what is Ferrari design team so inthralled about with this stupid black strip on the front of the last 2 new cars? LOL

 

Yes you nailed it... I find the same thing in my line of work too....people say they don't care what others think about the looks of what they are buying but deep down they really do. Especially those that think about resale value.

I've been reading all over the internet today ( Facebook, IG, X, Reddit, FChat and others) the absolute dislike on the cars design and name. That's has been happening a lot with new Ferrari models and that is not a good overall public look for Ferrari....they are a public traded company after all. ;-)

I also wonder if we are in for serious sticker shock when pricing is revealed? How much more will those that can afford nd get an allocation will take? I am sure Ferrari will find out. All in all they will sell every 849 they can make and dealers will sell out allocations quick.

 

Desperation. Squeezing that last remnants of heritage goodwill to mask the fact that they have lost all design and engineering vision, like many others overcommitted to electrification when their demographic is the least willing to adopt it, all a sign of visionless and cowardly leadership.

This on top of the Ponzi scheme coming to an end, and everyone losing their shirts on their SF90 and Romas under the promise of a VS car when there's not enough of them to go around and when they need them to sell unsold PSs make for even greater panic and poor decisions.

That's not how hubris works.

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Whatever happened to Ferrari design seems to have happened overnight. The 296 is the definition of classic understated elegance, even if you're not into hybrid power the car's beauty belied its brutal performance. Sub 7 at the ring without giant aero bits in a cohesive and proportional design is one of the most impressive automotive feats I have witnessed. The SF90, although a reliability disaster and imo less fun to drive than the 296, was at least beautiful and still designed with Ferrari ethos at its core. I personally find the SP3 unattractive but I seem to be in the minority on this one. Even The PS is actually very attractive for what it is. But it seems someone woke up after a bad melatonin induced siesta at the factory one day and decided to do whatever the 12C, F80, and this is. I'm so out on whatever Ferrari is doing and looking for a superfast to keep forever, or at least until their hubris costs them so much money that they regroup and design something beautiful. I'm not hopeful, they don't seem to embrace accepting mistakes and swallowing pride.

 

I think there is quite a bit that is new. The vertical bar I mentioned in my original post is something unfamiliar to me (for a Ferrari design). I don’t particularly like it, but it’s certainly new to me.

If I had one overarching critique I’d say the new car doesn’t look better than the car it replaced. The SF90 is prettier.

 

I think there are economic and aesthetic forces at play here.

There is a clear new design language, and I think it will define this current generation of Ferraris. One of my theories on automotive design is that automakers collectively use common design elements to signal "current" across an entire line up. You see this in Mercedes, Audi, and all of the others. This serves, beyond the aesthetic purpose, an economic purpose: in these brands dominated with light mid-cycle refreshes, it drives buyers to the new models, and signals that the almost identical pre-refresh models, are "older" and "cheaper".

Whether for aesthetic, or economic reasons (likely both), Ferrari has effectively done just this across the lineup. Any joe is going to see the black strip or visor-like nose, or the tail light language -- which is shared across all models -- and say "that is a new/current model Ferrari". This is true from PS to 12C to SF80 to Amalfi. As much as we love many of the cars in our garages, there is now a visual shorthand that allows all to distinguish "old" vs "new".

I personally suspect that the 849T will garner praise once it's on the road and seen in person. Manzoni designs wonderfully complex volumes that require seeing in person to appreciate and understand. Once you do that, you start to see the 2d images in new light. Manzoni is also pushing the envelope. Now we are veering into the realm of subjectivity, but I appreciate that this car looks more like a hyper car than anything ferrari has had in their core model lineup. I think it will effectively draw a lot of eyes away from the competition. Just bold enough to even lure the buyer who secretly appreciated just a touch of the loud lamborghini design, but who didnt want to venture across the line into being garish (which I would denote lambo as).

I think this car is on the front foot. I think it will gain appreciation and desirability quickly. And I think the broad sweeping pronouncements of Centro stile's failures are plagued by recency bias and are grossly overstated. Clearly they have some incredible design chops: the Roma is heart achingly beautiful. The 296 is and elegant, classic shape, and restrained in design, yet still wonderfully complex set of organic curves mixed with folded edges. Flavio a master of his craft. He is also not perfect. And Pininfirina isn't a silver bullet... they're owned by Tech Mahindra for Chrissakes. Design firms are as good as their people and Pininfirina is no longer just "a guy".

At this point, I think Manzoni sees something we don't fully see yet. This is art, and -- I cringe as I say this, because it sounds like an insufferable art critic's line -- great art can drive controversy and discomfort at first reveal.

 

To say this is a revelation, to be honest

 

agree with the economic reasons here - these modern, "black bar" Ferraris look VERY different than older ones - but the "art" discussion is a tough one for me. I agree design IS art, and by its nature, that is completely subjective. BUT, this art migrates into economics/finance because these cars are not being built just for people to look at... Ferrari is a public company - they have to sell these cars to people who want to drive them. So, performance will be important (and I expect it will be very, very good), but also, emotion will be as well. As another earlier poster stated, people will hesitate to buy this knowing that so many view it is strange looking at best, and downright ugly for many. I am one. I have waited a long time to buy a Ferrari, and was hoping this car would be one I could aspire to one day own (knowing I'd have to likely buy an older car, then a new Roma or PS, etc to work my way up to "approved new buyer" status)... now, I simply have NO interest. You like this car? great - go nuts. Buy it. Buy 2 or 3! Just sell your F8 or SF90 into the market, so people like me can pick up one of those a bit more cheaply...

 

you miss quoted me, I didn't mentioned corvette, I couldn't care less for them
Looks is subjective, but just to extend, the universal beauty is beautiful to wast majority, let's just mantion some of late models like pista f8 sp1 sp2 roma Purosangue (one can argue the concept, but can't deny the looks) .296 speciale is also beautiful even if agresive and sounds pretty good. Credit where due, criticism where due.
The more simple they designs usually the better,
and you can't deny the lever of arogance in some of their leaders. Design and corporate wise.
849 don't deserve the name Testarossa,

 

well, I think it looks great. Dealer offered me an order spot for a Spider and I accepted. Having seen the f80 recently I know how different these cars look in real life vs in pics. I will keep our 296 GTS....

 

I hope there are thousands upon thousands who agree with you and also buy one... but I want them to sell their older cars!