In this episode of The Driver’s Seat by Hagerty, Henry Catchpole drives Ferrari’s new 849 Testarossa — the hybrid successor to the SF90 — on both road and track. Though positioned as a facelift with more power, the 849 feels like a major step forward, blending dramatic new styling with a far more cohesive, driver-focused interior.
Power comes from a heavily revised twin-turbo V8 paired with three electric motors, producing over 1,000 horsepower. While calm and usable in everyday driving, the Testarossa truly comes alive in its aggressive track modes, delivering massive acceleration, sharp handling, and huge grip aided by advanced aerodynamics and all-wheel drive.
The episode also revisits classic Testarossa models, from 1950s race cars to the iconic 1980s road car, placing the 849 within Ferrari’s rich performance lineage as a modern road-and-track supercar.
