Growing up, I always expected Ferraris of the future would look like, well, the Prancing Horses I knew and loved, not realizing that brands need to evolve. As for how the latter part impacts the design of contemporary Fezzas, welcome to the topic of a hot debate, one that we’ll save for some other time, though. For today, let’s focus on the retro side of modern Maranello design. And while the Italian automaker is showcasing this via its Icona series, which welcomed the Daytona SP3 last month, the unofficial Testarossa concept sitting on our screens now has our undivided attention.
I’ve been putting the stunning work of Al Yasid (aka yasiddesign) into words since 2014—meanwhile, the digital artist has moved from 2D to 3D and I have to admit that this Testarossa homage feels like he simply read my mind.
You see, when Ferrari announced the said Daytona SP3, I was naturally drawn to the stylistic references to a host of racing prototypes such as the 330 P3/P4, the 312 P, the 512 S and the 350 Can-Am.
However, alongside those glorious 1960s gifts, Enzo made to both himself and the world, there’s a piece of 1980s street flamboyance the Italians embedded in the Daytona SP3, even though they don’t officially mention this—just look at those cheese graters, I’m obviously referring to the Testarossa here.
And, as much as I enjoy gazing at the said Icona machine, I’ve been eager to see the Testarossa translated into cyberpunk language ever since.
Heck, one month of waiting isn’t that much, especially since the Concept zero_three, as Yasid has dubbed the project (see, dear Ferrari lawyers? no direct link here!) goes extremely deep in its attempt to pay tribute to the legendary V12 model.
Even the wheels were reinterpreted, so they stand out in a sea of also-magnetic elements such as the overall angular take and the still-present, brutishly rear-biased proportions of the original—that rear end is so massive, you can basically see it even when you don’t.
PS: The nickname in the title is my doing and, while we’re talking twists on the ’80s Miami Vice TV series that gave the Testarossa quite a bit of attention, here‘s a recent short film dubbed Italian Vice.
