A historic car of the rampant horse, from 1990, in excellent condition and with about 130 thousand km traveled. The bodywork is polished, complete and some other intervention on the mechanical part
Testarossa: a name, a myth. For the forms, ostentatiously fascinating as you were not afraid to show in the eighties and always current despite the 41 candles. For the goose -skinned sound of its flat 12 -cylinder and, to complete the circle, for the fame as a true star derived from the leading role in the well -known TV series Miami Vice. Let’s face it, it was the dream of every enthusiast of the time and, alas, for most of us it remained such. If you don’t have it, to be able to drive it once in life. Therefore, the noble part of the pilot could finally have placed us on the seat, as the great defined it Niki Laudaand hold the steering wheel with the Horse In the center, well, it was “a lot of stuff”.
Photographs by Massimo Campi
Diva immediately
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But let’s start from the beginning, immediately from Diva. Because the Testarossa, whose name combines two words taken from the history of the Cavallino, is a tribute to the Ferrari 250 red head winner of three consecutive editions of the 24 hours of Le Mans Between 1958 and 1960. He made his world debut at the Lido cabaret on Champs Elysées on the occasion of the Paris Motor Show 1984. The new exponent of the noble lineage of Ferrari 12 cylinder He took the witness from another icon of Maranello, the 512 BB, strengthening the concept of supercar both in aesthetic terms and at the level of performance and technology.
True supercar
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First of all, on the 12 -cylinder dish, an electronic injection and ignition system debuted Bosch K-Jetroniccombined with the new newspapers with double cams trees and four valves for cylinder. All this brought Maranello’s 5.0 liters to deliver one Maximum power of 390 HP at 6,800 rpm with a torque of 490 Nm at 4,500 rpm, for a shot 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and one maximum speed of 290 km/h. The frame kept the tubular structure, stiff, with independent suspension to double deformable quadrilateral. Telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers, doubles at the rear, anti -roll bars and self -decently disk brakes on the four wheels, while there was no power steering.
Not just aesthetic
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His silhouette, elegantly blurred and of immediate impact, was also influenced by some precise engineering motivations. First of all, the shift of the radiators to the sides of the car body instead of the front, as it was on the 512 BB However, where they caused an annoying heat inside the passenger compartment, it inevitably increased the size of the back of the car by 152 mm. Move that, thanks to the skill of designers Pininfarina “guided” from Leonardo Fioravantiwho developed the lines with a careful eye to the proportions, determined the marked and unmistakable personality of the Testarossa. Thus the slender lateral air intakes appear with fool that immediately transmitted dynamism, so much so that they earn the nickname “scratches”. As well as the uprights and the flat and wide tail, which resumed the theme of the fools to mask the optical groups. Then the central outburst of the hot air from engine compartmentwhich thanks to the careful study in the Galleria del Vento, where a coefficient of 0.36 was obtained, did not need any aerodynamic appendix to ensure stability. The muzzle was low and characterized by retractable headlights. In addition, thanks to the increase in size, length, step and height of the roof line, compared to 512 BB, it also improved internal habitability.
Evolutions of the species
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The very first series of Testarossa, also known as “monospecchio“, he had a single rear -view rear view side, however in an unusually high position on the upright with the aim of guaranteeing good rear visibility. Characteristic which, together with the fixing of the circles monodado On the cars produced before June 1988, he made a version highly sought after by collectors. After this first series, the mirrors became one on each side, as well as being placed lower on the uprights. As well as the fixing of the wheels wheel, always with the classic star design and size of 16×8 at the front and 16×10 at the rear, which passed to the traditional five bolts. But it did not end here, because during his long career, from 1984 to 1996 with about 10 thousand specimens soldthe Ferrari Testarossa had two main updates. At the Los Angeles 1992 Automobile Motor Show the debut of the 512 TRwhich in addition to a new front design and 18 “rims boasted a further stiffening frame, with larger section steel pipes. The engine mounted 30 mm lower, to improve thus center of gravity and a moment of inertia, two critical points previously due to the positioning of the engine above the gearbox in the rear. Also the 12 flat cylinderthanks to new pistons, changes to the engine tree, suction and unloading ducts, as well as a new Bosch injection system, could boast greater brilliance. Increased power a 428 HP At 7,000 rpm, it was allowed to improve the acceleration 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and exceed abundantly the fateful “wall” of the 300 per hour, reaching up to 314 km/h. In addition, since 1993 the unbornable ABS anti -lock system was provided as an option. The power grew further in the last evolution called F512 m of 1994, reaching a maximum peak of 440 HP and 500 Nm of torque which, thanks also to the reduced weight of 60 kg, ensured an improvement in acceleration 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds with the maximum speed of 315 km/h. The latest arrival also presented more evident innovations on aesthetic level, with visible front headlights protected by a plexiglass shell and circular rear groups, thus anticipating the future stylistic trends of Horse. On this model, also quite refined, because it is produced in a limited series of 500 specimens and because the last Ferrari with the flat 12 cylinder, the ABS system has previously offered as standard offered as an option. The F512 M then left the price list in 1996, leaving the place to the 550 Maranello.
Original “preserved”
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The car of our service, dated 1990has been kept in excellent condition. So much so that at the time of the purchase by the current owner, with less than 100,000 km in the bielle, he requested only a few interventions at Franco Beolchi Autostore di Sannazzaro de ‘Burgondi (PV) to return to parade in the conditions that we can admire. There body With a simple polishing he found the brilliance of the best days. While the internal leather coverings were suitably treated by a specialist to regenerate the skin, especially that of the driver’s side seat, removing some slight chapping and reviving the brightness of the original color. The instrumentation was also in excellent condition, therefore only a functionality verification was performed, as for the wiring of the electrical system, and cleaning. As for the part mechanics A complete coupon was performed, with a replacement of the distribution straps as well as the handling handles with others of more resistant material. Then the sealing of all hydraulic circuits was verified, with a particular eye to the braking system. The Ferrari Testarossa so regenerated was able to resume on the asphalt “carpet”. And the current passionate owner has certainly not been prayed, so much so that in less than three years from the illustrated interventions about 30,000 km at the wheel of that long desired car has already been enjoyed, including a “escapade” from Milan to Bari for an Asi rally so as to celebrate the “gold plaque” in the best way that proudly boasts.
Desire for
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But here we are at the moment so desired. Access to the passenger compartment was easy, thanks to the large space guaranteed by the opening of the door. With the seat and steering wheel regulation I immediately found the best driving position at the level of ergonomics. Although it is certainly not a vatus, at first I could not help but perceive how the front of the pavilion is a little “looming” on the front glance. A feeling, moreover, usual enough on Gran Turismo Of the eighties, favored by the inclination of the windshield, as well as the accentuated horizontal angular of the steering wheel and the position of the pedal disassembled to the right, with the gear lever perfectly at hand. Small compromises to “digest” on the great tourism of the time, which however were immediately canceled on the first lap of the key, when the musicality of the 12 -cylinder pervaded the interior, in a not annoying but “enveloping” way making you feel like in the center of an orchestra. An essential and immediately readable instrumentation, as well as the clean dashboard, with the various controls of use grouped on the central tunnel, where the unmistakable metal grid that acts as a guide to the gear lever has marked. The dry graft of the first gear, in the rear left position as in many racing car of the timehe immediately put us in “active” mode. The departure was easy, thanks to the tough clutch but perfectly modular and from the first meters the 12 dish has given us satisfaction, as a push, ready and with a full -bodied and constant extension. Pleasure like the sound, well assisted by changewhich requested a certain decision in the movement but precise in the grafts and with the slightest excursion of the lever. After the labors in maneuver, for the lack of power steeringin motion the steering has become incredibly almost light, while transmitting to the driver the exact perception of what is done by the front tires on the asphalt. At the entrance of the curve, both the dry ones and the medium and fast ones, the Testarossa has designed precise trajectories by transmitting safetywhile with the rise in speed the rear accused a certain coricement. Especially in trajectory changes, due to deleterious load transfers in the dynamic, such as to require a good appraisal for correct control and a certain habit of the feeling of “movement”. Also the brakingwhile guaranteeing values absolutely up to conditions of normal use, when pushing has accused a pinch of bite and less precision. This wants to really do the fussies, because the pleasure of finally finding themselves behind the wheel of the myth has compensated abundantly those that today, accustomed to all sorts of Comfort and “correction” electronicwe are led to define small imperfections. Instead, what a character!
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