Ferrari's design team for the new 849 Testarossa wanted to bring back pop-up headlights, but regulatory hurdles stopped them.
During the hybrid supercar's international launch, Ferrari designer Jason Furtado revealed that the idea was explored.
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It would have paid tribute to icons like the 288 GTO and F40.
However, Furtado told CarExpert that the car must meet standards in every market. Rules across different countries rule out hidden lamps entirely.
A Nod to the Past
Instead, Ferrari used slim lights set inside a black bar that stretches the width of the fascia. It's a loose reference to the old pop-up setup.
The 849 Testarossa draws strong inspiration from the 512 S and 512 M race prototypes from the 1970s.
Furtado noted this marked a shift toward boxier shapes, away from Ferrari's flowing designs.
Despite criticism over the looks, Furtado said Ferrari isn't interested in playing it safe.
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“I think it’s more important to really set a new trend rather than playing it safe,” he said.
“We have to make a new desirable object for the imagination.”
Under the skin, the 849 Testarossa is a performance beast.
It uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with new cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, and turbochargers, delivering 819 hp.
Three electric motors bring total output to 1,035 hp, sent to all four wheels.
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That power should help owners forget about any design debates.
