Ferrari Is Already Making Use Of Its Reclaimed Testarossa Name
Less than a month ago, after several years of court battles, Ferrari won back the rights to the Testarossa name, and it's not letting it sit idle for long. A trademark filing unearthed by CarBuzz – in Iceland, of all places – reveals that the Italian automaker wants to protect the name 'Ferrari 849 Testarossa.'
Considering Maranello's modern penchant for putting digits in its nomenclature (see 812 Superfast, 430 Scuderia, 296 GTB, etc.), this could well herald a future model.
Numerous Theories Swirling
Source: Bring a Trailer
If this name does represent a new model, we'd like to imagine that it would not simply be a 12Cilindri with a new look, nor a rebodied 296. The Testarossa had a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, and we'd like to think that Ferrari would want the modern reincarnation to retain that cylinder count and that placement – the Daytona SP3 shows that it's technically possible; surely if Ferrari is seriously considering reviving a name as beloved as Testarossa, it would do so as part of an ultra-low-volume Icona Series, right?
Of course, the F80 proves that Ferrari no longer deems a 12-cylinder engine absolutely necessary for the pinnacle models in its range, and Ferrari could easily justify a V6 in the modern Testarossa by comparing its compact size to the original flat-12 engine's low center of gravity, for example. In fact, the name, which translates as 'red head,' could be used on anything with crimson valve covers, and as the 250 Testa Rossa depicted below shows, Ferrari doesn't always have a singular use case for every name.
Why A Tribute Seems Feasible In The First Place
Source: Drew Phillips/Autoblog
Ferrari does not often look to the past, and although several designs have claimed inspiration from older models, most stand alone. However, Ferrari Formula One driver Sir Lewis Hamilton recently floated the idea of a modern F40 tribute, potentially named F44. If it happens, Hamilton wants a manual transmission, and that's something Ferrari may consider for ultra-exclusive models, which a Testarossa of any sort surely would be. If an F40 tribute can happen, a Testarossa surely can, too.
All of this is speculation, and there's no guarantee that Ferrari even intends to make use of the name. But with contemporary hypercars becoming more and more extreme, perhaps slower, more engaging special editions are the way forward. A recent Evo interview tells customers to buy and restore classic Ferraris if they want a manual, but who knows? Perhaps for the right reimagining, rowing one's own gears could become a reality once more.
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