Ferrari Testarossa Hot Rod on Cheese Grater Wheels Moves Flat-Twelve Up Front in Artist’s Dream

It took Enzo Ferrari a long while to agree with his engineers on relocating the engine to a middle position. However, back in the 1980s when the Testarossa came around that was already the norm. Not for this example, thoughโ€”an artist has dreamt up a Testarossa hot rod that sees the flat-twelve motor of the iconic Fezza sitting in front of the passenger cell!

If you’ve ever looked at a Testarossa (who hasn’t?) and wondered why there’s a dome on the engine cover, that’s related to the rather high positioning of the motor, which sits on top of the gearbox. The layout was change for the 512TR that reinvented the Testarossa in 1991, but, as mentioned, this dreamy Prancing Horse has a totally different solution to the issue.

Of course, concealing the flat-12 would defeat the hot rodding point, which is why the masterpiece that is this Italian motor can now be easily admired. This required the front wheels to be relocated outside the vehicle, which only adds to the main theme.

Michael Gillett, the name behind this hand-drawn project, is an automotive designer and engineer. Currently based in the UK, the enthusiast was previously an interior engineer for Singer Vehicle Design, having worked on seven-figure marvel that is the Californian Porsche 911 specialist’s DLS (Dynamic and Lightweighting Study).

Extra cheese graters and side pipes

And while Japanese tuners like to remove the famous side strakes of the Testarossa for a clean-not-clean look, Michael added extra cheese graters on the wheels. The move was inspired by some real-life custom turbofan-style wheel covers modeled on the Fezza’s singature decoration. As for how the aficionado links the result to the real world, he explains it all in the Instagram post below.

With all the redersign work up front and those side exhausts with modern classic Ferrari exits, one may not observe the shortened posterior at first. Of course, if we add this to the said front track extension, it makes us wonder how the Testarossa would look from other angles.

Speaking of the actual car, the Testarossa’s spectacular styling was mixed with a reasonably comfortable driving experience, at least compared to how the vehicle’s nemesis, the Lamborghini Countach (here’s a barn find one), would make its driver sweat. And while some owners install custom exhaust systems to spice it all up, this transformation makes such mods seem like child’s play.

A real-world version is not impossible

Of course, you may believe that such a build could never make the transition from pencil to metal. However, we’ll remind you of a real Lamborghini Espada that’s been given the full hot rod treatment by French builder Alexandre Danton a couple of years ago. Sure, that was a front-engined grand tourer from the factory, but it still makes for one of the wildest Italian exotic transformations ever.

Now, that contraption was signed by company founder Ferruccio Lamborghiniโ€™s nephew, Fabio. But we’re pretty sure Ferrari wouldn’t be as happy with somebody hot rodding a Testarossa, which some eccentric builders might just see as a challenge.

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