Ferrari Testa Rossa J
One of the most famous classics from the house of Ferrari is the 250 Testa Rossa. This racing sports car got its nickname from the red painted cylinder heads. Only 19 examples of the original version were built in 1957. Until 1961, a total of 17 more Testa Rossa followed with various modifications, especially to the body and chassis. In 1958, Ferrari won the 24-hour race in Le Mans with this model. Today, well-preserved vehicles reach high seven-figure prices at auctions. In order to bring smaller and younger fans of the Italian sports car brand together with this classic, Ferrari is now working with The Little Car Company. The result is a 75-percent downsized version of the 250 Testa Rossa, powered by an electric motor. To ensure that the appropriate proportions and historically correct paintwork could be created, the staff of the Ferrari Styling Center and colleagues from Ferrari Classiche helped. The latter also provided technical drawings of the chassis an other components.
Aluminium body with fine interior
The paint colors for the 53 paint finishes and 14 historic liveries come from the current Ferrari model range, as do the logos. The bodies are created from hand-beaten aluminium parts. Steering and chassis geometry correspond to the original. Together with the Ferrari styling department, the interior was created with a single seat wide enough for an adult and a small child. The seat features the same piping and high-quality leather as the sports seats in the original race car. Nardi downsized the three-spoke sport steering wheel with quick release. New dials are used on the circular instruments to adapt them for use in the electric vehicle. Pedals from the F8 Tributo sit in the footwell. The tires on the hand-built 12-inch spoked wheels are from Pirelli, the disc brakes from Brembo and the spring/damper elements from Bilstein. Like all Ferrari sports cars, the Testa Rossa J was tuned on the in-house test track in Fiorano.
Four driving modes on the Manettino
A total of just 299 examples of the Testa Rossa J (J for Junior) will be built. They are designed for children up to 14 years of age and aren’t approved for use on public roads. The three batteries are housed above the front axle. They allow a range of up to 90 kilometers. To charge the car, there is a charging point under the fuel filler cap. Four driving modes can be selected on the dashboard via a Manettino switch. In “Novice” mode, the Testa Rossa J can reach up to 20 kph with 1 kW of engine power. In addition, the car can be stopped at any time in this mode by an external key. The “Comfort” mode provides 4 kW of power for up to 45 kph. The “Sport” and “Race” modes improve acceleration and again increase the topspeed to over 60 kph. Ferrari asks for at least € 93,000 plus taxes and delivery. A rollbar bolted to the chassis is available at extra cost.
Images: Ferrari
