Translated from the
Italian, '
Testarossa' means '
redhead'. Undoubtedly intended to conjure up images of a fiery, independant spirit, the name dervies from the engine's distinctive red
cam covers - the engine is, literally, a '
redhead'.
The original Testarossa was the Ferrari 250 TR (Testa Rossa), first introduced in 1957 and produced for two years only. The 250 TR was based upon the Ferrari 250 GT. Several performance-boosting enhancements were made to the 3-litre V12 engine, such as the introduction of a seperate intake port for each cylinder, which boosted power output from 240 to 300 BHP.
The Ferrari 250 TR won the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1958.