Ferrari Testarosa design influences

[graywolf624]

I wrote an essay a few years back on this particular topic. I came across a rough draft of said article while cleaning some back files and figured perhaps someone would enjoy it. My apologies for the poor grammar, this was an early revision. The final revision also had more information but unfortunately I wrote this a couple of years ago and no longer have the final version. The article itself originally had some really good pictures of the original testa rosa and the remake car. If someone wants them just ask. Unfortunately I think the final had a better piece about the famous strakes and grill.. Oh well.

Ferrari Testarossa Design Influences

The name Testa Rosa was derived from the Italian words meaning red head. It was an appropriate name for the original Testa Rosa since it had “red paint on the cam covers.” In late 1984 Ferrari released the Testarossa which was the world’s fastest production car at that time. “The Testarossa was named after the famed V12 Testa Rossa endurance racers of the late Fifties and early Sixties.” Ferrari has a long tradition of invoking names of its previous racecars in its road going vehicles. Created to succeed the road going v12 “Ferrari 512 BB” , the Testarossa would become “Maranello's best selling 12-cylinder model ever.”
The cars body design was a major change from that of previous Ferraris and was designed and built by the Pininfarina design house. Much of the Testarossa’s styling came about from hours of testing in wind tunnels by the Pininfarina design team. Through these tests a design was created that ensured “clean airflow, low noise, and high speed stability.” One of the major complaints about this car was its high coefficient of drag. However, the car was designed for down force and high-speed stability rather then a low coefficient of drag. Much of the cars design comes from these function influences.



The original Ferrari Testa Rosa

Some of the design aspects directly influenced by these tests was the low ground clearance and the low-slung hood. The car was also widened to increase the ground holding and handling abilities. Other then the doors and roof, the car is made of aluminum in order to keep the weight down.
The most memorable aspect of the cars design was the five straked inlets that cover the side air intakes. “The strakes are almost parallel, each one curved a little more along the line of the upper ridge than the one below it. The strakes are invisibly broken at the rear edge of the door where a vertical support holds them rigid. Aft of the support, the rear strakes seem to disappear into the side pods. Smooth and direct the airflow into the side pods occurs due to the strakes. They also protect the cabin and side pods from intrusion.” These intakes were required in some countries to cover holes of that size. The location of these side strakes was necessitated because the radiators were in the rear of the car. This was done to allow for the lower compact front end I already mentioned. This also increased the front luggage space and eliminated “the heat generated by the radiator-to-engine water pipes going alongside the passenger area” that many previous owners complained about. Also, taken from previous Ferrari designs were the egg crate grille, taut flowing lines, and the placement of the engine in the middle of the car. The car was based on the same platform as the car it succeeded, the Ferrari 512BB.

Air intakes, egg crate grill, and low slung hood on Testarossa.
Traditional influences on the car came in terms of colors and designs. There were many colors available on this car, but most sought after one was red. Ferrari actually has a color known as Ferrari Red the origins of which can be traced to the “color assigned to Italian cars competing in Grand Prix races by the International Automobile Federation in the early part of the century.” Therefore, red is the only acceptable color for many people who buy Ferraris.
Many similarities can be found between this car and that of aircraft from this era. The idea to test these cars in wind tunnels in order to decide the optimal style to serve the required function was procured from aircraft testing. Furthermore, the aluminum frame was actually a design idea taken from the aircraft of the time which all used aluminum to reduce weight.
New stylistic designs included the “rectangular rear lights and the broad, squared rear flanks. The buttresses aft of the cabin were designed both to enhance the lines of the car and function as aerodynamic and cooling aids.” The mirrors had dual stalks holding them up as this reduced wind noise and kept them clean through the use of the air stream. Originally the design only had one mirror on the driver side, but this was changed at a later date as requested by customers.

Rear lights and squared flank.

Much of the interior of the car was designed with vision and comfort in mind. The large forward window enhanced vision. Large speedometer and tachometer gauges on the dashboard aided driver control.

Speedometer and Tachometer

Interior seats
Comfort came in the form of electronically adjustable leather covered seats and attention to head and feet room.
The time period that saw the release of this car was characterized by over the top and flashy statements. The Testarossa definitely demonstrated these principles. Some key characteristics that emphasize this design were symmetry plus asymmetry, expressive symbolism, and contrasting textures. The first of these aspects was accomplished by the general symmetry of the car, interrupted by the original designs asymmetrical single driver side mirror. Secondly, the car definitely expresses symbolically the fact that the car is fast. Finally, the contrasting textures are clearly seen.
The Ferrari’s function stood up to it’s styling, as the car was the fastest production car in the world pulling a top speed of just under 180mph. The car also appeared in the television show Miami Vice as ”a black version driven by IRA gunrunner Sean Carroon” . Sales of the Testarossa were exceptional, as the Testarossa “became the all-time best-selling Ferrari model during its seven full years of production with 7,183 units made.” The cars succeeded vary well at its goals and many cars over the years have taken influences from this car, which truly give the impression of speed and power.

[nthfinity]

thankyou greywolf, the Testarossa is by far my favorite Ferrari, while a lot of this i knew, it is quite nice to read about it.

[skituner]

nice essay
i love turing school work into somthing fun by writing about cars

[FerrariFerrari]

Great essay! It really kept my interest thoughout which is
very important in writing. I actually learnd a couple of
thing about the Testarossa that I didn't know, and it even
gave me some more appreciation for it . Thanks for sharring
it with us.

Originally Posted by skituner i love turing school work into somthing fun by writing about cars

Me to, I was home schooled so my mom had the ability to
cater to my tastes in regards to my school work. Needless to
say it really made school pass by a lot faster and much funner.
Almost every essay I wrote was about either cars, polotics,
aircrafts, or architecture. And consequently since I liked
what I was writing about I really got into it and studied a lot
which I probably wouldn't have done if I had no interest in what
I was writing about so I learned how to write better.

[jonnix]

Ah... Testarossa.... :roll:

Great work, graywolf624!

Isn't this car just great? 8)

[spd]

Testarossa, it reminds me the assymmetrical side mirror, because the car is so low that the drive saide mirror is located half to the roof line

[Hawk]

Ya guy I knows dad has one its White on white very rare I guess stunning cars.

[meetmeroundthecorner]

Great car, just not as balanced as more modern ferraris, but sound fantastic!!! Boxer 12 cyl. MMMmmmmmmm!!!