Ferrari 849 Testarossa Styling | Page 23 | FerrariChat

Ferrari 849 Testarossa Styling

Discussion in 'SF90/849' started by technom3, Sep 9, 2025.

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  1. inox

    inox Formula Junior

    Oct 11, 2017
    627
    I think the design team had some challenges trying to tidy up Lamborghini like rear air intakes from the SF90 to more Ferrari style intakes in 849. However, the chassis appears to be designed originally in a way that there is not much room for a differing design. Therefore the rear haunches appear to be higher than desired for cooling reasons only. The black band may have been added later in the design phase to reduce this effect. It may also help masking the gap between the door and the intake area. It is a bit tricky door design to get right.
     
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  2. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 8, 2005
    79,900
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    Jerry
    People with no creative eye think all low slung sports cars in red look the same.
     
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  3. inox

    inox Formula Junior

    Oct 11, 2017
    627
    SP3 had much easier platform and lower body to work with. I agree that SP3 is a real gem and much prettier than 849. That said, when we get the road test videos out, I expect opinions of 849 change quite much. Indoor images of the car are just awful. Almost like Ferrari had made them intentionally bad. They seem to deviate from the actual form seen in the outdoor pictures.
     
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  4. MDEL

    MDEL F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 24, 2016
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    Mario
    I wasn't aware of all the limitations you mentioned in the previous post, which the 849 design team faced. However, IMO, the original sin of this hybrid Ferrari family doesn't lie in the platform, but rather in its concept, in which Ferrari prioritized absolute performance and lap-time beating above all else, relegating stylistic considerations to a secondary importance. Even with all the design constraints resulting from extreme aerodynamics, what many of us expected from Flavio Manzoni was that, as happened with the LaFerrari, he would once again use is genius stroke to transform these limitations into design excellence. From what we see in the indoor pictures of the 849, it's clear that Manzoni didn't achieve that goal. I'd say it's a leap of faith to believe that everything we dislike about the 849's design will become wonderful once we see the car in person because miracles have always been a matter of personal belief and faith.
     
  5. jumpinjohn

    jumpinjohn F1 Veteran
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    Mar 22, 2013
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    This is no improvement, IMO. Leave the fake strakes for someone else…
     
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  6. gliazzurri

    gliazzurri Formula Junior

    Jun 11, 2016
    561
    Maryland
    Yes exactly
     
  7. willcrook

    willcrook F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 3, 2009
    2,817
    UK
    the black stripe on the front is insane imo, the more I see it on the f80/12c/849, the more I wonder if even the designers think "why did we put it there"
     
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  8. FLU

    FLU Formula Junior

    Oct 6, 2008
    827
    Full Name:
    Flu
    I’m guessing the black stripe is a part of Manzoni’s effort to avoid creating a face on a car. We all know how he despises being able to see a face on cars.
    With headlights usually being the eyes of the face, once he changes the proportions of the headlights in the attempt to hide them and connects the two headlights with a black bar to further blur and accentuate the effect - tada, no more faces on cars. He has achieved his goal on this one IMO.
     
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  9. Garretto

    Garretto F1 Veteran

    Sep 3, 2003
    5,086
    Bilbao, Spain
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    Rodolfo Di Pietro
    To me it looks OK in the 12C as it clearly mimics the Daytona nose (and was nice). But it looks sooo wrong in F80 and 849...

    However I will insist the side stripe/strap is much worse. In one of those outdoor pics above looks like the shadow of a street lamp (and I wish it was).
     
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  10. sexybeast

    sexybeast Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2008
    287
  11. furoni

    furoni F1 World Champ

    Jun 6, 2011
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    Pedro Braga Soares
    The more i see it, the more i dislike it! that thing is hideous!
     
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  12. Dragster

    Dragster Formula Junior

    Jun 8, 2007
    502
    Charlotte, NC
    It looks more like an underbite to my eyes.

    I like the rear and sides of the car. I think the overall concept of the front is nice, but like others, I don't really understand the black bar between the headlights. I get that Manzoni doesn't want to see a face, but there were plenty of other Ferraris designed under his watch without zorro masks.

    With that said, as with other designs, I'll reserve judgment until I see one in person, but the design is definitely growing on me.
     
  13. gliazzurri

    gliazzurri Formula Junior

    Jun 11, 2016
    561
    Maryland
    They are both awful style pieces that are lacking creativity and true style.
     
  14. St.R

    St.R Formula Junior

    Apr 10, 2023
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    P.
    Some guys mentioned that the 849 sound are disastrous. So what's the point of a 1000 hp car?
     
  15. St.R

    St.R Formula Junior

    Apr 10, 2023
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    I don't understand why Ferrari can't get the exhaust sound right on an 849 Testarossa. The new sound are disappointing and quieter than on the SF90.

    Everyone says it's because of EU regulations, but I can't comment on that. However, if it were due to EU regulations, then a 296 Speciale would also have to be significantly quieter.

    I don't find the exhaust sound of the 296GTB particularly loud, but it's acceptable but not more from the exhaust. After i heard the 296 Speciale Aperta sound live and the exhaust sound during gear shifts, I have to say that it is significantly louder than the standard 296 and, for the first time in a long time, you can talk about an audible exhaust sound in a turbo engine.

    I just wonder why Ferrari didn't manage to do this with the 849 Testarossa and F80.

    Everywhere you read from Ferrari that the 296 Speciale is supposed to offer driving thrills like never before. It feels like the real F80.

    With the F80, you only read that the car is fast, but nothing about emotions.

    Does anyone know more about this? Just to clarify, I'm only talking about the exhaust sound, which is crucial for the Speciale Aperta. How the car sounds from the inside has nothing to do with the exhaust sound. I'm only talking about the real sound coming from the exhaust.

    Otherwise, if people think only the sound inside the car is important, I might as well put in earplugs and listen to a playlist of F1 cars from 2000.
     
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  16. maha

    maha F1 Rookie

    Mar 17, 2014
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    The black bar symbolizes Manzoni's midlife crisis...
     
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  17. REALZEUS

    REALZEUS F1 Veteran

    Feb 16, 2011
    8,525
    Bournemouth, UK
    As you may have heard HP is a unit of power, not sound.


    You are mistaken. All reviewers were ecstatic!


    You do that so we can have some peace of our own here.
     
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  18. St.R

    St.R Formula Junior

    Apr 10, 2023
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    No one has commented on the sound, which is not a good sign. The car may drive well, but it lacks emotion and sound and this is the DNA from Ferrari.
     
  19. gliazzurri

    gliazzurri Formula Junior

    Jun 11, 2016
    561
    Maryland
    Exactly. It’s truly embarrassing.
     
  20. Spet00

    Spet00 Formula Junior

    Jul 21, 2020
    380
    Has it been driven on a track already? If not, then I don't see how we'd be able to judge the sound yet. Remember there's EU mandated soft limiters on stationery revs.
     
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  21. Caeruleus11

    Caeruleus11 F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2013
    11,765
    One possible reason for the black bar, along the lines of moving away from the humanistic elements of eyes and a face, could be to hide the headlights, at least when off. Regulations no longer permit pop up headlights, but by placing the headlights inside a black stripe, they are no longer individual elements, which was something last really seen on cars with pop up headlights.

    I’m also not sure if Manzoni hates seeing a face on a car, I’d like to ask him, if thats true; but rather, I think he has said in interviews they just want to move in a new direction. Artists are like that. They go through phases.

    Sound on the turbo V8s in general is not the strong point- this is especially true for the mid engine cars. The front engine V8s sound better. Someone explained it to me once that it has to do with how the headers and exhaust are setup. I interpret this difference between front and mid cars as the mid cars have to be more about maximum performance, thus, a bit more serious, whereas the front engine V8 cars can be a bit more casual, they are still fast, but its like they said lets not be quite so serious. Then you have the V6, which simply sounds better.

    As to why the 296 Speciale sounds better than the 849, even though they will have overlapping model years, Im pretty sure it has to do with the fact that the 296 was homologated back in maybe 2020 or 2021. Whereas the 849 must have been homologated quite recently. Newer, and even more strict regs apply.
     
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  22. LeapFrog

    LeapFrog Rookie

    Dec 7, 2022
    14
    Full Name:
    Wes
    Rosso Corsa does not suit this car at all.
     
  23. sexybeast

    sexybeast Formula Junior

    Apr 7, 2008
    287
    I agree, I remember my pops expressing the to me the sound of a ferrari when I was a kid. never heard such a wonderful song until I did in person. it's what made me love ferrari. now the newer cars just don't have that soul unless you put an exhaust on it. its a sin for ferrari to sound like they do from the factory.
     

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