The Ferrari 512TR (Testarossa time!)

If you grew up in the eighties, or were alive for them, anyway, you probably recognize today’s vehicle: the Ferrari Testarossa… well, actually, this is the Ferrari 512TR, which was the immediate successor to the Testarossa, whose production life lasted from 1984-1991.  The 512TR was made for a span of only 2 years between 1992 and 1994.  They’re essentially the same car as the Testarossa, (guess what that “TR” stands for)  with minor aesthetic changes.  The main difference between the two is that the 512TR has an upgraded transmission.  But don’t expect Don Johnson to hop out of this one wearing a linen suit, because we’re a long way from Miami.  This one was spotted in a parking lot just a couple blocks away from the Menards store off 394 here in Minnesota. 

The most distinctive thing about the Testarossa is the side strakes, which had to be included to make the car legal in areas where large openings were not allowed -after all, you wouldn’t want any endangered species or kids getting sucked up into those inlets.  The strakes cover the area where air flows in to cool the dual radiators that are positioned, like the engine, in rear of the car. 

Speaking of the engine, the Testarossa featured a 4.9L flat 12 under its bum.  I had assumed that this would be a boxer configuration, but in my research, discovered that I was mistaken about that.  While for the most part, the cylinders are opposed like a boxer, the Testarossa’s 12 cylinder engine is not considered a boxer because the pistons that punch opposite of each other do not each have their own space along the crank shaft, but rather, they pair up to share crank pins. I guess you really do learn something new every day!  This engine trots out 421 HP and 360 lb ft of torque, which was more than enough power to move the Testarossa’s 3,650 lb self along.

Of course, there is the matter of fuel economy to take into account, and if the original MSRP of around $200,000 plus an additional $2,000-$2,500 gas guzzler tax doesn’t give you enough sticker shock to mess your white linen Miami Vice Sonny Crockett suit pants, then a trip to the gas pump should.  The Testarossa has a 30.4 gallon fuel tank, which at today’s gas price of about $3.25/gallon, would cost you $98.80 to fill… and if you actually planned on doing much driving in the Testarossa, you’d have to fill that tank quite often because that flat 12 is a thirsty engine.  Fuel economy stats on the Testarossa indicate you’d be getting 9 MPG for city driving and 14 on the highway -and that’s if you don’t drive like a nut, goosing the engine and revving up to show off.  If you stuck to city driving, you could go 273.6 miles in between trips to the pump.  Highway driving lets you put 425.6 miles on the odometer before you’ll have to buy more gas. 

Testarossa means red head in Italian, and even though the Testarossa in Miami Vice was white like this one, most people probably expect to see them in red.  The Testarossa does actually have red cam covers though, so it is a real red head.  Back in the eighties, the Testarossa, along with another Italian supercar, the Lamborghini Countach were absolute icons of what constituted exotic and cool in the automotive world.  Both were featured on posters and in videogames.  The Testarossa, as already stated was featured in Miami Vice, but also has made appearances in games like Sega’s Outrun arcade game and more recently, a version in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.  I have a soft spot for video games in part because I used to work at an arcade when I was in high school.  Vice City has so far been my favorite GTA game, and its version of the Testarossa is one of my most favorite cars to steal in that game.

Nowadays, you can get your hands on a Testarossa for anywhere from around $40,000 for one that hasn’t been particularly well kept, on up to around $90,000 for one in near perfect condition.  A look at what’s posted on Hemmings shows a couple of decent examples for around $50,000-$60,000.  For all that money, you get lousy fuel economy and no power steering, but you do get a 5 speed manual transmission and vented disc brakes all around...  And most importantly, you get to say you own a Ferrari.  Just pray that nothing goes wrong with it though, or you’re in for an expensive fix.  We haven’t even touched on what it would cost to insure one of these, but I’m betting it’s not cheap. 

A Testarossa is a stunning car to behold, and driving one for a day would be a great experience.  To my thinking, owning one would be ridiculously expensive, and is probably best left to people who have piles of money sitting around and have nothing better to do with it.  For the kind of money that a Testarossa costs, used, and especially back when it was new, you can get any number of cars that nearly match, or even completely surpass it for power and performance, while at the same time offering up lower maintenance costs, better reliability, vastly superior fuel economy, and up to the minute technological amenities.  But that’s not really the point, is it?  The Testarossa has certain factors that make it more than just the specs and stats it seems to be on paper.  It’s an exotic and not often seen piece of functional (somewhat, anyway) art, it’s nostalgia in its most exalted form, because this machine was one people fantasized and dreamed about, had posters on their walls of, even, and it’s immediately recognizable as something rare and precious.