Most new mid-engined supercars are now plug-in hybrids, said The Telegraph, and in 2019 Ferrari launched its own: the SF90 Stradale. “Not many people loved it”, however: though it was extremely fast, it had rather a “digital feel”, and failed to deliver the “visceral analogue experience” that buyers of high-performance cars tend to want.
Ferrari evidently took note – and now it has launched the 849 Testarossa, “which shares the layout and most of the technical specification” of the SF90, but is, according to Ferrari, “much improved”.
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The styling of the 849 is “divisive, but there’s no question it puts a smile on your face when you swing open the door and drop into the driver’s seat”. Steering is “light and free”, and the ride “never feels less than firm”; the car has a “bumpy road mode”, too, which takes the edge off “lumpy” roads. And though it’s a big car, “it feels compact and wieldy”. According to Ferrari, the top speed is 205mph, and it’s quick out of the blocks, taking 2.3 seconds to hit 62mph; total power is 1036bhp.