Ferrari 849 Testarossa Track Review: The Most INSANE Ferrari in India | Times Drive

So you just saw glimpses of what this video is going to be about. And of course, you've got an idea of what I've been driving today at the Buddh International Circuit. It's this car right here, the Ferrari 849 Testarossa. It's always a special day when a new Ferrari comes to the Indian market, but when a Ferrari has a name such as the Testarossa, well, the expectations have to be high. Today we've got the perfect experiencing ground and perhaps the perfect car for a day like this. Here's what this car is all about. Let's talk about the design, it's a Ferrari, we'll talk about the design. I've come down to the level of the car because this is a properly low slung performance car. It screams performance even at a standstill and it's pretty much the expression of going fast even without moving. That is a very quintessential requirement for being a Ferrari and I think this car does that. The wedge shape, the kick up spoiler that we'll get to in a minute. All in all, this is a package that will take attention wherever it goes if you are into something like that. But if you take a closer look at the design elements, there are some highlights that really seal the deal for me. Like the amount of bodywork out here in the front along the bumper, there is so much air channeling going on. Now, why does Ferrari do this? Because there is a lot of air that we have to feed into the systems inside so that everything stays cool, everything stays at optimal performance. But of course, the big side, the big positive of that is that the car looks aggressive. If you can hear that, that's the sound of a powerful Ferrari down the main straight. But we have to talk about this particular design element over here. It's blacked out, it gives the connected light kind of a design. But the design that Ferrari is going for is they are trying to mimic pop-up headlamps like the Testarossa did all those decades ago. So this is what they're trying to do. Of course, they can't put pop-up headlamps today because the safety regulations won't let them do that but it does bring that little bit of a throwback to the pop-up headlamp design although for me I see a bit of Daytona over here as well but that could be just me if I come to the sides well this is where you see the low profile tires and this very well-finished wheel do you like wheels I like wheels a well-finished wheel really seals the deal I think this looks fantastic especially with the yellow caliper that has been matched to the color here is a red It has a red color Ferrari, its shots are on your screen, I think a red color Testarossa looks like a quintessential Ferrari, even in yellow, there is nothing to complain about. Coming to the sides, you can see a lot of sculpting has been done on the doors, there are these big haunches at the back and a big scoop right here to let all that air in to the brakes and to the engine as well, really scooped out, the door handle is actually here, If you press it, the car will open. It has a unique design element. You get to see a little bit of floor work here. But Ferrari has extensively worked on underbody work. To pull the car down to the track. And all these elements that you see over here. These are meant to create downforce at stupid speeds. Talking of speeds, we were clocking 280, 285. The faster guys were doing 290 kmph down the back straight of BIC. And that is when we were taking it easy. Because we were not trying to play around with such an expensive car While you're taking it easy, you're about to reach 300 kmph That's the performance spectrum of a car like this, at a place like this I really liked the car from the back, it's really unique And I think from here, it looks like a proper Ferrari If you put wallpaper on this car, I think you'll put it from the rear three quarters Not from the front three quarters, but there is nothing to complain about This looks fantastic, I really like the mid-mounted the mid-mounted dual exhausts over here alongside the prancing horse logo looks really sporty and of course you have this big element over here i don't complain about fly-by sounds but yes you've got so much work being done over here which is an extension to the aerodynamic bodywork that has happened in this car one particular thing i would like to talk about is these spoiler elements which sort of kick up in two parts, they are a hark back to the original race cars from the house of Ferrari which have raced in some really fast places. Do you know which car I'm talking about? Well, if you do, let me know in the comments. Now, I'll show you a very good thing. I'll show you a fuel lid type of design element and there, too, you'll get to see this because of a reason. It's not just a design element. This car is actually a hybrid. This makes use of combustion engine power and electric power puts them together and makes about a thousand fifty horsepower we have driven it at the track we'll get to that in a bit but now let's talk about the interiors I know you want to talk about its performance but let's talk about the interior quickly I promise I won't spend a lot of time here the best thing I got to see is a physical start button yes Ferrari has heard the feedback that touch based start-stop system which we were able to see in the Ferraris in recent times, now in that place again a physical start-stop button has come which I think is very much a great thing to have in this car. Speaking of the interior overall well you have a screen for the passenger over here which shows all the nice information including the things like the RPM of your engine and the speeds that they are traveling at and you have this massive screen right over here which displays all the information that you would want to. Very easy to read very very intuitive to use and all in all you have this very sporty cockpit right over here with column-mounted large paddle shifters which I always like I think column mounted paddle shifters are better than steering mounted paddle shifters. What do you think about this? Do let us know in the comment section. Last but not the least, let's talk about one design highlight which is its gear lever console which you can see here. Very well-finished, it is automatic car, of course, but the old gated manual transmission is designed like that. We get to see it in a lot of Ferraris nowadays, but now we are seeing a floating look. I really like this. This is confidence from the house of Ferrari that they are putting it on display. All in all, I'm a real big fan of the cabin. I quite like it. With that done, now, finally, let's talk about the driving experience. So the pit is green, it's time to head out in the Ferrari 849 Testarossa here at the Buddh International Circuit what a day it is today so why does the Ferrari 849 Testarossa exist well the answer is simple why not this is a car that brings together best of two worlds engine power and electric power both of which combined make about 1050 horsepower and if i put my foot down that's fourth gear that's fifth gear i'm over 200 kilometers an hour right now 250 260 275 and off the throttle at 280 kilometers an hour right from the get-go And we reach our first corner. That's the amount of power that the 849 Testarossa is packing under the bonnet. Now we all know that Ferrari is a fast car. It's difficult to think how fast this car is. But yes, I was saying that we all know that a Ferrari is always fast. This is also the case. But what's really surprising is the way it instills confidence into the driver I mean I'm doing stupid speeds I'm barely going under 150 kilometers an hour at full chat and I can feel that there's much more on offer inside this car out of the parabola 180 out on the brakes a little bit on the curb and just carry the momentum that the car has the good part is because the engine is on the boil all the time you have instantaneous response from the car you think and the car does. Down the main straight of the Buddh International Circuit easily over 240 kilometers an hour. Before I hit the brakes hard, the tires are resisting the amount of pressure being put on to them. They are squealing for mercy but there's no lack of grip whatsoever. The rear of the car is happy to step out but I have to keep in control today I want to be a good guy a good boy in the books of Ferrari but down the straight I'm giving it the beans again 250 kilometers an hour happens in an instant over 290 letting off the brakes what an engine what an engine what a drivetrain now everybody would talk about the engine what people won't talk about is the transmission Shifts in an instant. Knows exactly what gear it should be in. Dude, listen to that. What a car! We've entered the cool-down lap. I'm going to collect my thoughts. Let's think a bit. Now, I had thought a lot of analogies about this car. I had thought a lot about what I should say. But I think this is the most truest experience of what happens when you drive a Ferrari, especially something like the 512 Testa Rossa Testa Rossa by the way means redhead if you didn't know and the 849 means eight cylinders and the 49 is supposed to tell you 499 cc's per cylinder so of course it's a four liter v8 engine that you have on this car then there is the electric assist from the hybrid part of the powertrain all of it combines makes this car extremely quick around the track so yes i did think of a lot of things i wanted to say about this car but right now my mind is in overdrive this car is much faster than my thoughts and obviously my skill level as well it will take a special driver to maximize this car an 849 Testarossa just passed me by i'm on the cool down lap that gentleman is still driving the car what a beautiful sight it is a bright yellow Testarossa with that flicked up spoiler at the back what a sight what a sight what a day to be alive last but not the least the buttons are back on the Ferrari that's always a good thing that tells you Ferrari is listening they've brought the buttons back the manettino continues to be there just like before thankfully that has not been touched around with and yes i think to think of the 849 Testarossa as just a successor to an earlier model might be over simplification i think this car is truly special at whatever price it comes at it's really about the experience and if you like going fast at a racetrack this is pretty much your cheat sheet get one of these and you'll be stupidly fast so to sum it all up as you saw my brain got fried when i was driving this car because there's so much happening and so fast the world is whizzing past you at incredible speeds you really have to use all of your mental power especially if you are someone with a skill set like me a novice driver you really have to pull together your thoughts to have a good experience once you do that though as you saw it is a lot of fun so yes i'm not going to go into a lot of detail about this, about that and all of those things because I think you've already caught a glimpse of how the car is to drive and that's the purest form of expression that I can share with you about this car. Let's talk about the price. It starts at around Rs. 10.5 crores. If you find this price tag too much, well, I'm sad to share this with you but this is not the car for you. But if it is something that you don't care about, well, this is actually one of the cars that you can consider and if you happen to do that this is a great place to start and the Ferrari Esperienza event i'm obviously butchering the pronunciation if you happen to take part in that you can experience not only this car but several other cars at a place like the Buddh International circuit a great place to start what do you think of the car let me know in the comment section so what i'm going to do now is go for a lap and shut up just listen to how the car sounds like over a lap of the Buddh International Circuit minus my commentary i have a very nice gentleman sitting with me who's helping me out understand the lines i'm reaching the last corner here's how the car sounds like down the back straight and here we go thank you for joining in on this drive what a day hope you had a good time was it good thank you thank you i was trying to speak and follow your hand at the same time It's better, no? They have the voice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, thank you. Yeah. Is it yours? Yes, sorry. It's still rolling.