THE FERRARI 512 TESTAROSSA
When I was around the age of 6, I went to Tokyo, Japan to visit my Uncle and his family . This Ferrari 512 Testarossa was the first scale (1:15) model of the actual car that I bought with all my savings, produced by Kyosho, a model car company. Being a car enthusiast, it was my favorite. It was later demolished by my baby cousin eventually after it was passed on, but the various memories of it still live on.
Some think the Testarossa was Maranello’s response to the paralyzingly avant-garde Lamborghini Countach, but regardless of the reason for its production, the Testarossa myth started in 1973, with the Ferrari 365 GT/4 BB and the following Berlinetta Boxer supercars that nipped at Lamborghini’s heels through 1984. The BBs were fast, extremely pretty, and sounded excellent. But a sweltering cabin, sketchy handling, and a lack of storage inspired Ferrari to build the bigger, wider, more accommodating Testarossa in 1984. It’s not the first mid-engine twelve-cylinder Ferrari, nor is it even the first to wear the Testarossa name. The 1957-1961 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa’s red valve covers on its V-12 earned it the testa rossa (Italian for “red-head”), and the later 1984 Testarossa payed homage with red covers of its own on its flat-12 engine.
The mechanicals mostly carried over from the BB, including that fabulous 4.9-liter flat-12 engine, now tuned to 380 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque in U.S. spec. That’s more power than the older BB, but the extra size and weight meant performance remained the same, with a 0-60 mph run in the low five-second range, and a top speed of 180 mph.