By Khris Bharath
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September 14, 2025
Comparison: Ferrari SF90 Stradale Vs. Ferrari 849 Testarossa
With Ferrari bringing back the iconic Testarossa nameplate, it is reviving one of the most storied badges in Maranello’s history, a name born in racing and later made famous on the road. For those unaware, the words Testa Rossa first appeared in the 1950s on endurance race cars like the 500 TR and 250 TR, whose red-painted cam covers gave them their name and cemented their legend. Three decades later, the badge returned, this time on the now iconic Miami Vice-era 1984 Testarossa, followed by the 512 TR, defining Ferrari’s road-car styling with wide hips, side strakes, and a mid-mounted flat-12. For an entire generation, the Testarossa was the Ferrari, and hanging a poster of a red 512 TR on your bedroom wall was all about dreaming of status, excess, and the ultimate Italian statement.
So when Ferrari pulled the covers off the 849 Testarossa last week, along with its open-top Spider variant, expectations were sky-high. Now 849 is in reference to eight cylinders with 490 cc per cylinder. Here was the direct successor to the SF90 Stradale, which in itself was a landmark car as Ferrari’s first series-production plug-in hybrid, when it broke cover in 2019. The SF90 proved that hybridization could still deliver biblical performance even on a car with the prancing horse badge, but it also polarized. Some loved its digital precision; others found it too detached. Now, six years later, the 849 Testarossa promises to bridge that gap. It brings more power, better aero, smarter tech, and once again, the option of open-air driving in Spider form. So, how exactly do these two flagship hybrid Ferrari supercars compare? Let’s find out.
Exterior Design
Now, styling is purely subjective, so each to their own, but the SF90’s sharper design compared to its predecessor was certainly a break from tradition and a step in a different direction. Its narrow LED headlights, flat tail, and high-mounted exhausts gave it an aesthetic of something that somehow managed to look both futuristic and elegant, a feat that isn’t easy to pull off. Clearly, then, Ferrari hadn’t lost the plot as there were still plenty of exquisite details to keep the faithful happy. Most notably, the way the body-colored panel separated the roof from the engine compartment was one of the highlights. The proportions were spot on.
The 849 Testarossa, meanwhile, carries more visual weight, but not in the way purists might have expected. Upfront, you have two distinctive aero elements that sit just below the headlights, and blacked-out facia panels showcase Ferrari’s modern design language from the 12 Cilindri and the Ferrari F80. The rear twin-tail rear is inspired by the 512 S. The five-spoke aeroblade wheels serve a function as well as a form, venting air from the wheel wells to aid cooling. The Spider variant brings its own flair with the roof down, the twin-tail silhouette looks even more dramatic, and the retractable hardtop folds in 14 seconds at speeds of up to 28 mph.
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Having said that, there’s one sorely missing design detail, especially since Ferrari has decided to call this car a Testarossa. The 1980s original and the 512 TR were defined by their side strakes, a functional element that doubled as an intake solution and became shorthand for Ferrari in the 1980s. Here, though, Ferrari has decided to skip them (the internet was quick to come up with a mock up), replacing them with a vertical black panel that channels air into the intercoolers. Overall cooling has now improved by 15 percent. If you loved how the Daytona SP3 from Ferrari’s Icona Series embraced retro cues from the 1960s, this feels like a missed opportunity. The Testarossa name carries weight, and bringing back those signature strakes could have truly revived and tied it to that legacy.
Interior Design
Sitting at the very top of the lineup, the SF90 introduced the new Human Machine Interface (HMI), Ferrari’s fully digital cockpit with its highly configurable 16-inch curved display, and a heads-up display for the first time. The execution, however, was far from ideal because capacitive touch controls for simple tasks like indicators or wipers have long made daily driving a bit tricky. Great in theory, and while it looked advanced, in the real world, there was a lot to be desired.
The 849 Testarossa takes a more measured approach, and as is being seen across much of the industry, physical buttons have made a return, including a proper start switch. Ferrari is clearly listening to its customers, and we saw the first signs of this attempt to improve usability and ergonomics when they introduced the Amalfi coupe in July.
While the metallic panel on the central console is designed to mimic a gated shifter, it also continues to do duty on this newest flagship, as it did on the SF90. The 849 cockpit’s new “sail” design, borrowed from the Ferrari F80, brings visual drama to the cabin. Also, screens galore, because despite the revival of some analog controls, three panels: a 16-inch driver display, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and an 8.8-inch passenger display, deliver the expected data to both driver and passenger.
Further, the Spider variant’s cabin benefits from the same updates, but with additional attention to airflow management. Ferrari designed the cockpit so conversation remains possible with the roof down, something you wouldn’t have said about the Testarossa or 512 TR back in the day. Ferrari hasn’t abandoned tech, but this time it’s about refinement and functionality, and not just novelty.
Performance
As for performance, the SF90 was, as previously mentioned, Ferrari’s first hybrid benchmark. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo 90-degree V8 pairs with three electric motors, good for a combined 986 horsepower (160 hp from e-drive) and 590 pound-feet of torque. 62 mph is done away with in 2.5 seconds, and it tops out at 211 mph. If you’ve seen those drag races on YouTube, you know how the hybrid tech has helped the SF90 dominate the ¼ mile against much of the competition. But even with the mega performance, this is a plug-in hybrid, remember, and you can still cover 15.5 miles on electric power alone from the 7.45-kWh lithium-ion battery integrated into the chassis. Four eManettino modes let you toggle between eDrive, Hybrid, Performance, and Qualify, tailoring response for every scenario.
How the 849 Testarossa builds upon that is something hard to fathom. The V8 now delivers 819 horsepower on its own, thanks to larger turbos, lighter internals, and a freer-flowing twin Inconel exhausts, with ducts that are 20 percent larger and 10 percent longer than before. Three electric motors, two at the front, one axial flux unit in the engine bay, add 217 horsepower for a combined 1,036 horsepower and once again, all-wheel drive. Zero to 62 mph now takes just 2.3 seconds, with 124 mph in 6.35 seconds, with top speed rated at 205 mph.
However, downforce has now gone up to 915 pounds at 155 mph, just over 50 pounds more than before, now aided by a faster-reacting active rear spoiler that complements the twin-tail rear bodywork. Around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, the 849 Testarossa managed to clock in a 1:17.5, half a second quicker than the SF90. The Spider trails slightly, hitting 124 mph in 6.5 seconds and lapping Fiorano in 1:18.1. But considering the retractable roof mechanism adds about 200 pounds, the performance gap is smaller than you might expect.
Coming to dynamics, the SF90’s torque-vectoring AWD made it absurdly capable, but some owners described it as “too digital.” The 849 Testarossa refines this approach. Ferrari’s new FIVE digital estimator sharpens ABS Evo, brake-by-wire, and traction management. Larger carbon ceramics and co-developed tires shorten stopping distances, while the optional Assetto Fiorano pack cuts weight by 66 pounds and adds twin wings that triple rear downforce. There is an additional active central element that pops up in high down force mode. Additionally, a redesigned front underfloor with vortex generators channels air to the multi-level air diffuser.
The optional Assetto Fiorano package, beyond the weight savings from carbon wheels and lightweight seats, comes with race-derived suspension calibration and Michelin Cup 2R tires. Ferrari quotes braking distances and cornering speeds significantly improved with the package. If the standard 849 Testarossa is already devastatingly fast, the Assetto Fiorano-equipped car is the one designed to hunt lap records. Where the SF90 sometimes felt like you were managing software, the 849 should give you more confidence to push its limits.
Specification
Ferrari SF90
Ferrari 849 Testarossa
Engine
4.0L twin-turbo V8 + 3 e-motors
4.0L twin-turbo V8 (revised)+ 3 e-motors
Combined Power
986 hp
1,036 hp (819 hp ICE + 217 hp e-motors)
Torque
590 lb-ft
590 lb-ft
Transmission
8-speed DCT
8-speed DCT
0–62 mph
2.5 seconds
2.3 seconds
Top Speed
211 mph
205+ mph
Ferrari SF90 Vs Ferrari 849 Testarossa: Price and Availability
Back in 2019, the SF90 started at about $625,000 in the U.S., with most optioned builds hitting $750,000 or more. Even today, SF90 resale values remain strong, especially for Assetto Fiorano versions. The 849 Testarossa, despite being newer and more powerful, undercuts it slightly. The coupe starts at $540,000, while the Spider variant will set you back $585,000. Options and tailor-made builds will push most cars above $650,000, but Ferrari clearly wanted to keep the Testarossa within striking range of its predecessor. U.S. deliveries begin in late 2026.
The Testarossa badge carries enormous weight and was the car that cemented Ferrari’s dominance back in the 1980s. To revive that name in 2025 is a bold move, one that requires more than just power figures. As for the SF90 Stradale, it will always be remembered as the model that helped Ferrari into the hybrid age. Nearly 1,000 horsepower, relentless acceleration, and cutting-edge tech made it a formidable advocate against the competition, even if its interface and character divided opinion.
The 849 Testarossa, on the other hand, is Ferrari’s attempt at further refining that formula. More power, sharper aero, and cleaner ergonomics make it objectively better. The Spider adds open-air drama to the mix, and if you’re the kind who lives on the ragged edge and seeks the ultimate track toy from the onset, the Assetto Fiorano package is your fix, from the get-go.
Is it the spiritual successor to the ‘80s icon? Not entirely, without the strakes, some will argue it’s missing that car’s defining trait. But Ferrari has pretty much delivered on everything else. So if a hybrid Ferrari has been on your radar for a while, you now have more choices.
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Images: Ferrari
