849 Testarossa Spider: A New Era For Open-Top Ferraris
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Milan, September 09, 2025. Meet the 849 Testarossa Spider, the car that takes the open-top supercar idea and gives it a proper shove. Replacing the SF90 Spider, it pairs a mid-rear twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors to deliver a headline 1,050 cv. It is loud, fast and terribly clever, all at once.
Design And Open-Air Experience
This is a berlinetta that can also be a spider, thanks to a retractable hard top that opens or closes in 14 seconds, even while you are hurtling along at up to 45 km/h. The roof stows cleanly and the rear section becomes muscular and purposeful, not the usual floppy aftermath. For open-top refinement there is an innovative wind stop built into the rear bench that channels incoming air into the seat floor, taming turbulence and making long, windy runs far less unpleasant.
Powertrain
Underneath the bodywork is a plug-in hybrid package that marries an 830 cv twin-turbo V8 with three electric motors and a 7.45 kWh battery. The electric contribution totals 220 cv, yielding the 1,050 cv headline figure. Two electric motors sit on the front axle to provide eDriven four-wheel capability and torque vectoring while a motor on the rear axle brings race-bred response. The set-up is tuned for on-demand all-wheel drive and brutal, usable performance.
Internal Combustion Engine
The V8 is a heavily revised version of a multi-award-winning family of engines and now produces 830 cv at its peak with a redline around 8,300 rpm. New internals, a much larger turbo with low-friction bearings and improved intercooling reduce lag and increase top-end shove. Exhaust manifolds in Inconel with larger ducts and a refined exhaust layout preserve that recognizable V8 timbre while meeting emissions regulation without adding weight. Even the casting alloys for some engine components now use recycled aluminium, cutting CO2 associated with their production.
Electric Motors And Hybrid Control
The hybrid system keeps the architecture of its predecessor but refines it. The front axle pair is used for traction, torque vectoring and stability, the rear motor is a high-performance MGU-K-style unit. Software improvements smooth transitions between electric and thermal power, cooling maps have been improved so electric performance remains consistent under heavy use, and regenerative braking has been recalibrated to make pedal feel more natural. In pure electric eDrive mode the car can travel up to 25 km.
Sound
This is not some muted hybrid monotone. The V8 has been tuned so the sound remains a headline act at all revs, richer in the low and mid ranges and explosive as the tachometer approaches the limiter. Gearshift strategy has been adjusted to give upshifts a racier, more rewarding bark when you prod the throttle, especially in the sportier drive settings.
Aerodynamics
The 849 Testarossa Spider is obsessively aerodynamic. Total downforce reaches 415 kg at 250 km/h, up 25 kg over the SF90 Spider, while cooling performance improves roughly 15 percent. The front underfloor has been redesigned with cascading vortex generators to boost outwash and increase front downforce. Side ducts feed larger intercoolers and brake inlets, and the rear adopts a twin-tail motif with a two-element active spoiler that swaps between low drag and high downforce in under a second. In open-top mode a rear tonneau bridge ensures airflow remains benign over the engine cover and spoiler, so aerodynamic balance is preserved.
Thermal And Braking Systems
A 50 cv increase in engine output required bigger cooling solutions. Radiators and intercoolers have grown in capacity and been reshaped to extract more air within the available body volume. Brake cooling has been upgraded front and rear to handle increased stopping power, with larger ducts and targeted fairings boosting airflow to the callipers. The braking hardware itself has been beefed up with larger discs and optimised calipers to maintain performance under repeated high-load use.
Vehicle Dynamics And Electronics
Handling has been rewritten around more power, more grip and sharper response. Suspension geometry, spring and damper settings and tyre choices have been honed to yield faster steering response and improved mechanical grip at the rear. The car weighs the same as the SF90 Spider despite the added power, thanks to weight-saving measures, and achieves an exceptional dry weight to power ratio of about 1.58 kg/cv. A new estimator system called FIVE forms a digital twin of the car in real time, improving the precision of traction control, e4WD delivery and electronic differential management. ABS Evo uses those estimates to optimise braking distribution for harder, more repeatable stops.
Tyres And Driver Assistance
Tyre choices have been co-developed with the major manufacturers to suit different tastes, from road-friendly high performance to track-orientated compounds. Standard sizes are 265/35 R20 front and 325/30 R20 rear. Driver aids are present but discreet, stepping in only when needed; features include adaptive cruise with stop and go, automatic emergency braking with cyclist detection, blind spot detection, lane keeping and surround view cameras among others.
Styling And Interior
Visually the car is a modern reinterpretation of 1970s sports prototypes married to a sharp, geometric present. The cabin takes a berlinetta approach with a horizontal dashboard and an enveloping cockpit that keeps primary controls within easy reach. The steering wheel mixes mechanical switches with a digital cluster; the engine start button remains a tactile, necessary indulgence. Materials range from soft-touch leathers to performance Alcantara seats, the latter available in comfort or fully carbon-fibre racing versions.
Assetto Fiorano And Personalisation
An optional Assetto Fiorano package strips roughly 30 kg through extensive use of carbon fibre and titanium, adds 20-inch carbon wheels, lighter seats and a raft of aerodynamic tweaks that significantly increase downforce for track use. Personalisation is comprehensive, with new exterior colours developed for the model and bespoke interior shades to match. There are also extended maintenance and warranty options for owners who want their hybrid powertrain covered longer term.
Technical Snapshot And Performance
The headline numbers are vivid. Maximum combined power 1,050 cv, internal combustion engine 830 cv, battery 7.45 kWh with roughly 25 km pure electric range. Dry weight lands at about 1,660 kg giving a class-leading power-to-weight ratio. Performance claims exceed 330 km/h top speed, 0-100 km/h in under 2.3 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 6.5 seconds, with a claimed braking stopping distance from 100 km/h around 28.5 m. The lap time on the Fiorano circuit is quoted in the low 1 minute 18 second range.
This is not a gentle evolution. It is a full-bore statement: a thunderous, clever, open-top berlinetta that refuses to compromise on speed, sound or style.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
