Ferrari's Type F110 Testarossa entered production in 1984 after its debut at that year's Paris Motor Show, and by 1986 it was in full stride — the standard factory specification unchanged, the order books full. The car that gave the 1980s supercar era its defining silhouette is now reproduced by KK Scale as a 1:18 die-cast in the colour most buyers actually specified: Rosso Corsa.
Flat-12, Side Strakes, and 180 mph
The Testarossa was built around a Tipo F113 horizontally opposed 12-cylinder engine displacing 4943 cc, producing 390 bhp at 6300 rpm and pushing the car to a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h). To cool that engine Ferrari and Pininfarina relocated the radiators to the flanks, which dictated the car's most discussed feature: five horizontal strakes on each door and sill. The resulting body, 1976 mm wide, remains one of Pininfarina's most recognisable road-car designs. Between 1984 and 1991, Ferrari built approximately 7,177 examples.
Red Head: Name, Heritage, and the 1986 Moment
The name Testarossa revives Ferrari's 1957–1961 racing pedigree — testa rossa referring to the red-painted cam covers of the competition 250 Testa Rossa. On the 1986 road car that lineage is carried forward in Rosso Corsa, the standard factory colour and the finish in which the vast majority of customers took delivery. It was this red car — not the white television prop — that defined how the Testarossa embedded itself in the decade's culture. Rosso Corsa on the F110 is not a styling choice; it is the historically correct specification.
KK Scale's Die-Cast Interpretation at 1:18
KK Scale is a German brand focused on die-cast 1:18 road car models pitched at a mid-to-premium price point, with sealed body construction as standard practice. For a subject like the Testarossa, that approach is well suited: the complex Pininfarina strake work, the wide rear haunches, and the flat Rosso Corsa panels are challenges in surface fidelity that die-cast metal handles with consistency. The 1986 specification — no major running changes from launch — means this is the purest rendition of the original design intent.
A Cornerstone of the 1980s Ferrari Road Car Shelf
The Testarossa sits chronologically and technically between the Ferrari 512 BBi it succeeded and the 512 TR that followed in 1992, making it the logical centrepiece of any Ferrari flagship road car sequence at 1:18. It pairs naturally with the F40 (introduced 1987) — Ferrari's simultaneous track-focused halo car — as well as earlier Berlinetta Boxer derivatives. The wide rear stance means it commands physical presence on any shelf, and the Rosso Corsa finish reads unmistakably from across a room.
Frequently asked questions
What engine does the real 1986 Ferrari Testarossa use?
A Tipo F113 flat-12 (horizontally opposed 12-cylinder) displacing 4943 cc, producing 390 bhp at 6300 rpm. It is mounted mid-rear and gives a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h).
Why is the Testarossa so wide?
Relocating the radiators to the flanks — required by the flat-12's cooling demands — pushed overall body width to 1976 mm. The five horizontal strakes on each door are functional air channels for those side-mounted radiators, not purely decorative.
What does the name Testarossa mean?
"Testa rossa" is Italian for "red head", referring to the red-painted cam covers on Ferrari's 1957–1961 racing 250 Testa Rossa. The name was revived for the 1984 road car to emphasise that racing lineage.
What material is the KK Scale model made from?
Die-cast metal. KK Scale produces 1:18 road car models in die-cast construction with a sealed body.
