Ferrari 849 Testarossa Styling

I hope so too. I've said this for years, the 365 Daytona is not a good looking design (the profile, stripe, and the massive side reflectors) and Ferrari has such a rich a deep catalogue they can draw from. But doubling down on everything having to have this faceless and striped section is just baffling...like as a concept car sure. But as a flagship and series car? They have gone like BMW in the styling department.

 

Car looks great. At first I didn't like it but its grown on me. Vey impactful design and different.
Just received the deposit agreement. Deposits are a lot of money though not going to lie.

 

Manzoni's personal Instagram page is wild.
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Typical intelligent cogent professional responses.
Constructive criticism?
Great that these Bozo's are able to hide behind their keyboards. 0 class.
Sound like a bunch of whiny 12 yr olds.

 

What the heck to people even mean, calling it an “abortion”? Perhaps they mean to say “abomination”? I’ve never heard something referred to as an “abortion”.

Is this a new insult?

 

No, its been around at least since the 1980's.

 

If you liked the F80 but didn't get an invitation allocation , or couldnt pony up the 3.5M purchase price, is the New Testarossa the answer to your dreams.

(If you bought the F80, is the New Testarossa your worst nightmare come true?)

 

They are not eloquent. But the uniformity of the response is striking. The responses to Ferrari's posts (as opposed to Manzoni's) are even more uniform.

This doesn't mean these responses are representative, or that the design won't gain acceptance with time. But, there's some information there.

 

As was the SF90 - some specs embraced with a different color.
I'm oddly liking this car - not for any other reason but it being bold / aggressive.
Fuel / Charging port - bravo

 

No, it's an old one...

 

It's a fitting insult in spanish and possibly other languages. Maybe simply misused by non-native english speakers.

 

I suspect the inspiration is also here:

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Thank you Day, that’s exactly what I thought when I first saw the car, not necessarily a bad thing, now we need a 849TR in that livery

 

The following is not directed to you personally, but a general response to all the posts on the design of the 849/Testarossa.

I wholeheartedly agree. No question that the car and its design have struck a chord with the population. And not a positive one, I get that.
Ferrari/Mr Manzoni should learn and listen to a certain extent. But remember, newness scares most people. One of the designer's goals should be to scare and provoke you. 'Nice' doesn't cut it.

HOWEVER, social media has turned the general population into a boorish, whiny, uncivil mob. The type of language and verbiage used to vilify the design is alarming. I love that there is so much passion around the introduction of a new Ferrari. That hasn't changed in years, but It's the responses that mystify me.

How many of these keyboard Bozos designed a car? How many have participated in developing a car for mass production? And just like belly buttons & buttholes, everyone has an opinion. Great. How one expresses that opinion is the question. Constructive criticism? Discussion about a design is always enlightening. Tell me why you believe what you do.

I've spent the last several days reading each and every post about the design of the 849/Testrossa. I'm fascinated by how people view design and why. I've spent my entire adult life designing and teaching automotive design. I love listening to people talk about design and why they feel a certain way about a particular design.

I don't know Mr. Manzoni, nor am I Ferrari stockholder. I've been a Ferrari fan for over 50 years and have owned 7, with a 296 GTS currently in my garage. This business of designing and building cars is a very serious enterprise with billions of dollars and a great deal of time invested. Those involved are compensated well and are responsible for the outcomes. If the car is a design flop or failure, it's treated very seriously. Seen a Cybertruck or an Aztek lately?

All the voices crying for the return of Pininfarina fail to understand the business, in that Pininfarina is not a single person designing a car, but an organization made up of a diverse group of designers with direction from the top. Can/would Pininfarina do a 'better' job at designing Ferraris? Don't know, but it would appear that like many other parts of life, many of the critics are living in the past. The era of the '50's -'00's is long gone. That was a golden era for Ferrari and Pininfarina. It's gone, the world has moved on, get over it. How many of the vocal critics are actual Ferrari customers?

Didn't mean for this lengthly response. I love to hear what people think about cars and design. It's not a science. No right and wrong answers. But of course some answers are better than others. And here's where I cue my professorial voice: "designing cars is not easy. If it were, anyone could do it. Its not, and they can't"

And with that, continue the discussion as before.

 

Go pick any model and read the comments on its introduction, you will find, to varying degrees, criticism. The difference is these days people really do not hold back on social media comments. Over here in F chat land, you might get a few like those, but most will have some degree of civility. The comments on social media are more like what youd get at a sporting event in the 1970s and 1980s.

Just going from memory on cars that came out to harsh criticism:
360, 430, 458 (not as harsh), 488, 612, 599, F12 (yes indeed), F12tdf (initial comments were very unflattering), I could keep going but you get the point.

We’ll have to really judge it when we see it. More recently, people were really critical of the Dodici Cilindri. Yet when many have seen it in person, the criticism has become more muted.

Personally, I wish each car had less in common with its mates in the line up, though no one will confuse, say, a Dodici Cilindri with a Purosangue. (When the F12 came out some people confused its front end with the FF).

I think whats going on is Ferrari Design is changing up the styling conventions they use, and that is quite a jolt when you are used to something. And in a way, its a credit to them that they made those changes first on the SF90, 296, Purosangue, etc, and while people had reactions and knew there were changes, it wasn’t quite as shocking. I think had they rolled out this styling language a few years ago, it would have been even more so.

And I think its worth noting that people coming to F chat and indeed on social media, often tend to be enthusiasts about a particular topic, which means they already know what they like, and if they like what came before, and then there is a change, there is a good chance they won’t like it. Enthusiasts by our very nature just want more of the same. That can work, for some time, but at some point you have to change, or you are left behind. Ferrari is not about doing the same thing over and over again. To me, this new F80 era is really just them doing what they’ve always done. It’s just a pretty big change.

I think I like this new language better than the kind of flying blade arrow head of the SF90 era, but I think I still like the 458/F12 era the best in recent times. However, thats with the benefit of more than a decade of looking at the 458 era cars. I was surprised at how much better the Dodici looks in person. Anyway, my own personal reaction is that I find it both a bit weird, but also, that I am excited by it, so I kind of like it. I like that they are changing it up. There was something about what I call the SF90 era of designs that I find a little bit neither here nor there. It makes me just a little bit sad, as I think Ferrari should be proudly about something- whatever that is. I guess you could say I appreciate the boldness in this new design language.

It’s also worth pointing out that these cars are not designed just for a quick first impression. They have to look good, of course, but, perhaps, said another way, they have to be relevant for more than just the brief, first impression moment in the late Summer of 2025. These have to fit into the long history of Ferrari. There is really no way to judge if they succeed on that level but for the passage of time. Then we will know. But, I am guessing that the Ferrari designers from Mr. Manzoni on down, they are clearly accomplished and talented, (and yes, they can still make mistakes), but based on history, I think time will show these designs in at least a fairly positive light.

 

Well said!

 

Thought same - tired of every Ferrari looking / feeling same - there is no reason to own slightly different models. What's most impressive - same basic engineering of SF90.

This one is controversial like the TR - as intended.
Fun fast furious design well over due. Love SF90 and the new direction.
People who put down SF90 - even on here, appear very jealous, as if one owner cares what a hater thinks - odd. Because they couldn't get the hot cheer leader in high school they hated her - grow up.

 

The styling of the 849 seems to have drawn inspiration from the NART 365 BB LM #18139 the Bob Coates car.
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Thank you. I guess I’ve just never heard it before. Learn something everyday.

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DObAV-Fjpea/

 

i hear a lot of negative comments...i don't feel like making them now,and it makes no sense to make comparisons with Ferraris of the past....this is clean break from the past,this design is made to seek maximum aerodynamics and performance.....i own an F12 that i'm in love wich has an "old style design",can you say that?? Before giving a final judgment i have to see the car in real life and then time will tell........

 

I think if there is anyone who can discuss designing of cars and the positive and feedback that goes along with a new design , it's you!!! Well said.

 

I was not a fan of the Dodici in pictures, but seeing it and driving it I do really like it. so perhaps the new Testarossa will be the same... but in pictures I really dont like it. Ferrari's used to be beautiful, now they are not.

the F8 in my opinion was the last mid/ rear engine that they made that made me want to sell my soul for one... the Roma / Amalfi is pretty... all the rest... not so much. the 812 I do like, and will get one at some point... but I dont ache for any of the others... and that to me is a major problem. 200 hp or 2000 hp, its got to look great first.... and from what I have seen the new TR does not.

I'll likely see it in the flesh next month as we go to the Factory ... so maybe I'll completely change my mind... but hard to see that. The Daytona is ok looking and the F80... again-ok looking... Ferrari just have to get back to putting beauty up front as well. The La Ferrari has some good aspects.... all this slab sided stuff is a turn off to me.

 

But they aren't wrong with what they are saying in principle

 

Personally, I think the design is fantastic. Its unapologetically new. In many ways its perhaps too much of a leap for most to emotionally embrace.

Its also worth noting, if I were Ferrari I wouldn't care what folks not buying my cars thought about the product. They will never be my customers.

How many dropping bombs on the new TR can actually buy the car...? As in, write the check today if offered one? Ferrari knows, they know who their buyers are...the have probably even shown some buyers the design months ago for feedback.