Ferrari 849 Testarossa Launched In India

Ferrari has officially launched the 849 Testarossa in India, with a base price of Rs 10.03 crore (ex-showroom). The 849 replaces the SF90 Stradale in the Prancing Horse’s road car line-up.

Also read: New Ferrari 849 Revives Iconic Testarossa Nameplate; Brings Hybrid V8 Power

Unveiled globally last year, the 849 gets a more squared-out design as compared to the SF90 that it replaces, while also sharing some styling similarities with other newer Ferrari cars, such as the 12Cilindri and F80. Up front, the bumper features a prominent splitter along with a large edge-to-edge grille. The low slung nose also features aero elements along the bumper’s upper edge while the headlamps sit neatly within a blacked out strip that spans the width of the nose - similar to the F80 and 12 Cilindri.

Down the flanks, a prominent crease runs from behind the front wheel arch, flowing into prominent black-finished air inlets on the rear haunch. The angled rear deck features a see-through cover letting owners view the powerplant mounted behind the seats. The rear features unique twin ducktail spoilers on either side, with an active spoiler tucked away in the centre. The rear gets the new slim-line Ferrari tail lamps, a high-set exhaust and a prominent rear diffuser.

Also read: Ferrari 12Cilindri India Review: Straight From The Heart

Inside, the cabin design too has evolved from the SF90, but it remains very much a driver-centric layout. A large digital screen sits neatly in the instrument cluster with almost all vehicle-related controls mounted on the steering. Unlike older Ferraris, the 849 does away with the capacitive touch buttons in favour of physical buttons on the steering. The passenger, meanwhile, also gets his own dedicated screen mounted on the dashboard. Unlike models such as the 12Cilindri, the 849 does not have a central touchscreen.

On the powertrain side, the 849 Testarossa gets an upgraded PHEV powerplant from the SF90. As before, a twin-turbo V8 sits at the heart of the supercar with two electric motors bolted to the front axle and a third integrated into the gearbox. Compared to the unit in the SF90, the V8 gets upgrades in the form of revised internals, including a redesigned valvetrain, cylinder heads and exhaust manifold, while also featuring a lighter crankshaft. The turbos, too, are larger-diameter units. The result is a hypercar territory 1,036 bhp of combined peak power with the engine by itself outputting 819 bhp and 850 Nm.

This translates into a 0–100 kmph time of under 2.3 seconds and a top speed exceeding 330kmph.

Of course, being a plug-in hybrid, the 849 can be driven as an EV as well, with the 7.5 kWh battery pack offering up to 25 km of range.