The new Ferrari Testarossa is already facing a wave of criticism.

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      The design of the new Ferrari Testarossa has been publicly available for around 48 hours now, and the level of excitement versus negative reactions online is astonishing. Keyboard commentators largely express disdain for the car; however, I find it to be quite impressive.

      It’s clear that any car manufacturer treads carefully when reviving a legendary nameplate. A vocal minority will always be unhappy, and there’s typically a loud group that prefers the original version. Dedicated fans of the classic model often decide in advance to dislike any new versions. Yet, in my over ten years of covering automotive topics, I can’t recall an enthusiast product receiving such widespread disapproval in online comment sections as this new Ferrari.

      The Ford Mustang Mach-E also received mixed reactions upon its release, and I know several individuals who are disappointed in how the new Chevy Blazer and Acura RSX stack up against their predecessors. However, a Ferrari—an automobile most people will only view rather than drive—invites a heightened level of design criticism.

      Our article introducing the car currently has over 80 comments. Almost all of them, aside from my own, express some version of “don’t like it.” Coverage from Road & Track and Car and Driver featured a few more favorable remarks regarding the Testarossa’s design, but even the r/Ferrari subreddit seems to primarily downvote the new look.

      Screenshots from various sources: C/D, R&T, The Drive, Reddit

      One of the most frequent critiques is that the 849 Testarossa doesn’t resemble the flat and wide Testarossa that my fellow millennials recall. This is valid, as it doesn’t. However, the ’80s icon didn’t particularly resemble the earlier 250 Testa Rossa (two words, but the same name) either.

      While the new car clearly lacks the distinctive flying afro pick side strakes, it features its own unique side vent design, represented by a vertical black line leading into an intake. The black bar at the front, a design element seen on many modern Ferraris, arguably gives off a retro-futuristic vibe that could be viewed as a subtle homage to the pop-up headlights that the Prancing Horse brand once favored.

      The rear of the new car, while missing the ultra-wide grate or buttresses, maintains a similarly dramatic appearance as the previous model, highlighted by a significant engine bulge and width accentuated by the spoilers at the outer edges of the rear sill. This latter element refers more to the 512 sports prototype from the late ’60s and early ’70s than to anything else.

      In summary, this is not a straightforward modernization of an ’80s car design. However, it’s easy to see how designers could interpret the original Testarossa’s wide and intense aesthetic in a contemporary light.

      And while the new Testarossa's front, in particular, bears a strong likeness to the new F80, I believe it is distinct enough within the Ferrari lineup.

      Now I find myself pondering whether people dislike it because they genuinely find it unattractive, or if they are simply unhappy with the Testarossa name being revived on a modern vehicle. Would your opinion change if it were called something different? The Lamborghini Countach revival from 2021 encountered a much softer reception, but it features a much more subdued design.

      As a fan, I will admit that "GTO" might have been a more storied nameplate for Ferrari to revive in this instance. The black line across the front resembles the nose of the ’80s 288 GTO. Additionally, like today’s Testarossa, that car also had a twin-turbo V8, whereas the original Testarossa famously used a V12.

      It’s understandable why fans aren’t ecstatic about the return of a classic icon with the new 849 Testarossa. But if you’ve read this far, I’d be interested in hearing what, specifically, you dislike about the car’s appearance beyond its inconsistency with the last model that wore the same name.

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