Ferrari Testa Rossa J

History of the Testa Rossa

Rewind to the 1950s and 1960s, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was arguably one of the most famous cars of the era. Many attempted to beat this Ferrari on circuits around the world in an attempt to take Ferrari’s spot on the podium.

Prototype

The prototype of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa – a car with an engine identical to the 250 GT that competed in the 1957 Mille Miglia, a 290 MM chassis and a body similar to the 500 TRC – is brought to the track for the first time at the 1000 km of the Nurburgring in May, 1957 with the number 7. On that occasion Masten Gregory and Olindo Morolli took the car to cross the finish line in tenth place. At this point, no one would have ever imagined it becoming one of the most glorious Ferraris in history.

The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was presented to the press on 22 November 1957 with the shapes sculpted by the Carrozzeria Scaglietti, creating the beautiful “pontoon fender” type barchetta body. This bodywork was later simplified in favor of a more homogeneous shape. The Ferrari Testa Rossa J takes the exquisite shape of the original “pontoon fender” version.

Racing highlights

Throughout its racing era, the original car accumulated a list of significant achievements, winning an outstanding 18 races, including:

1958: 1000 km of Buenos Aires, 12 hours of Sebring, 24 h of Le Mans
1959: 12 h of Sebring, Los Angeles Times Grand Prix
1960: 1000 km of Buenos Aires, 24 h of Le Mans
1961: 12 hours of Sebring, 24 h of Le Mans, Circuit of Rhodes, 4 hours of Pescara, Governor’s Trophy, Christmas Trophy
1962: 12 hours of Sebring, 24 hours of Le Mans, Bridgehampton 400, Race at Motorsport Park
1963: 3 hours of Auvergne

Unrivaled in its success, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa won three marque championships for Ferrari (’58, ’60, ‘ 61), and is the only Ferrari to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times (’58, ’60, ’61 and ’62 – considering the 330 TRI / LM, the latest evolution of the 250 Testa Rossa).

Available for a new generation

Ferrari has partnered with The Little Car Company, the world experts in junior cars, to develop the Ferrari Testa Rossa J on their behalf in the UK. The vehicles are an official Ferrari licensed product manufactured by The Little Car Company to the uncompromising standards you would expect from the world’s greatest car maker.

Design

The attention to detail is unparalleled on every element of the car, taking inspiration from the craftsmanship of the original Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. The body is made of hand-beaten aluminum, using the same process with which the original cars were made. The paint is the same as that applied to the range cars, as is the front badge. The front lights, the rear brake lights and the horn are fully working, the rims are re-proportioned on the basis of the original Borrani rims, and the tires are Pirelli Cinturato.

Famous liveries

Now, the Ferrari Testa Rossa J pays homage to these racing legends by offering a range of liveries to match the originals. After an extensive search, Ferrari Classiche has identified some of the most iconic racing liveries that have been applied over time to the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Discover these liveries on the online configurator.

Safety

While the top quality of the car makes it a perfect collector’s item, the car has been developed with the utmost attention from the point of view of Vehicle Dynamics and Safety. The car has four driving modes selected via the manettino key on the dashboard that delivers a range of performance modes that suit every driver.

‘Novice’ mode allows the user just 1kW of power and features a remote kill fob that also limits the range the vehicle can be from them.
‘Comfort’ mode will allow 4kW of power to be used and allow the driver to begin exploring the vehicle’s full potential up to 40km/h.
‘Sport’ mode delivers 10kW of power and allows the car to reach its top speed of 80km/h.
‘Race’ mode unleashes the full 12kW of power available in the Testa Rossa J’s fastest accelerating configuration. The Top Speed of the Ferrari Testa Rossa J in the US & Canada will be 19mph /30kph.

Motor

The Ferrari Testa Rossa J is powered by a 48V electric motor that delivers instant torque from 0 rpm, powered by removable batteries mounted in the front of the vehicle that gives up to 90km of range.

A Grid Girl’s Guide to COTA: WEC vs F1

Brembo brakes

Whilst being a faithful replica of the original vehicle, safety has been a key driver throughout the design process. The Ferrari Testa Rossa J features hydraulic disc brakes at all corners, provided by Brembo, with a dual circuit master cylinder. The tires are period-correct Pirelli units which deliver performance, as well as safety of a fully capable all-round historic tire, and Pirelli have been in close collaboration throughout the design and development process.

Interior

Moving onto the interior, the transmission tunnel has been removed and the two original seats are replaced with seating that can accommodate an adult and junior. Even the same piping pattern as the original seats has been reproduced by the Centro Stile on the Ferrari Testa Rossa J. To ensure the interior’s quality matches the exterior’s beauty, the leather used for the seats is the same as that used on Ferrari’s modern range cars. The steering wheel is supplied by Nardi, like the steering wheel of the original car, with which the world’s smallest steering wheel quick-release system has been developed to facilitate easy entry into the car for the driver.

The dashboard houses the instruments with the original design and provides the driver with all the necessary performance information including; battery temperature, engine temperature, speed, energy delivered and battery charge level. Next to the instruments is the beautifully designed Manettino, inspired by that used in the Ferrari 812 Superfast, which allows the driver to change the car’s driving mode.