Miguel Sánchez
PHOTOS FERRARI TESTAROSSA: NORMAL GUY SUPERCAR
During the last F1 Grand Prix held in the United States there was a lot of talk about a power problem. Specifically, the loss of power that the Ferrari cars experienced compared to previous races. This caused the Scuderia to end their streak of six consecutive poles., giving first place to a Mercedes driven by the Finnish Valtteri Bottas. A somewhat strange event, which was justified from Maranello arguing a failed experiment with engine adjustments.
However, the truth is that just in this race the FIA introduced a new regulation on the use of fuel. A point on which teams such as Honda or Mercedes suspected abuse by Ferrari. Rumorologies and tricks aside, the truth is that the Ferraris SF90 They seem to have lost, since that weekend in Austin, their particular point of decisive speed.
Something that logically leads us to think about a key point in the maintenance of any vehicle: the loss of power. And is that In this, machines resemble people, their ability to generate and transmit pure physical force diminishes with age.. It's like when a cyclist is over 35; with the permission of Alejandro Valverde and his incombustible pedaling. However, in cases like that of this spectacular Ferrari Testarossa, time does not seem to make much of a dent.
FERRARI TESTAROSSA WITH LITTLE POWER LOSS
The reasons why power loss may occur in a car they are numerous. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with a turbocharger, its obstruction can cause not enough air to reach the cylinder. Outcome? A mixture that is less explosive than it should be, making the force generated by the engine inevitably less than what it was just leaving the factory. Something that with this Ferrari Testarossa we can rule out the first time, since Its engine is a canonical 12-cylinder naturally-aspirated 4-liter. Of course, at 180 degrees.
With the turbo blast failure ruled out, there are many other reasons for the loss of power. Without going any further, a failure in the tightness of the cylinder, which would cause some of the power goes where it shouldn't instead of pushing the piston. And that's not to mention simpler faults to repair like simple dirt on the air filter.
In short, situations derived from wear and tear and time that, in cases like this Ferrari Testarossa, make howl loud but not the same as after you left the assembly line. An event that, in the case of this unit, occurred in 1987. Just 33 years ago. Three after the presentation of the model in 1984. After all this time it is time to intervene on this Ferrari Testarossa for its perfect set-up, something that its owner has started by taking it to a power bank.
A TESTAROSSA ON THE POWER BANK. ARE THERE SURPRISES?
The original power of a Testarossa is marked in a not inconsiderable 385CV, giving 15-18% less to the wheel. It is one of the most mythical horse of the brand, occupying a special place within the most specialized fans but also within the more general public. Something that may be explained by its aesthetics, although perhaps also by being inserted in the golden age of supercars.
Will there be power loss? Well, the truth is that very little, it remains at 321 hp at the wheels, around 370 on the mechanics, 19 hp less than originally. After 33 years, and although it only has (we believe) 42000 kilometers, it is a good figure. What's more, it's quite a sight to see him howl on the power bank. A sound that, according to Ferrari is introducing more hybrid models such as the SF90 Stradale, will be only the memory of the time when Ferrari was almost synonymous with naturally aspirated 12-cylinder engines.
Finally, if you like these dishes, we invite you to read our comparative 512BB - Testarossa.
