2026 Ferrari 849 Testarossa Spider review: International first drive

Here’s a game to play at your next barbecue. Ask everyone if they had a million dollars to build their perfect garage, what would they buy? You would no doubt end up with lists that comprised a weekend car, a track car, something for long trips and maybe an efficient city runabout or something classic and iconic.

Now change the rules. Same budget, same question, but you can only have one car for everything. One key to rule them all, so to speak.

This is a much more challenging conundrum, but with the 2026 Ferrari 849 Testarossa Spider, you may have found the answer.

Ferrari unashamedly refers to this as two cars in one, but we feel you could go even further than that, as the open-top hybrid hypercar largely answers every question you can throw at it.

Conveniently, at $1,015,589 before options and on-road costs, it specifically clarifies the million-dollar challenge too.

The 849 Testarossa Spider is an evolutionary development of the Ferrari SF90 Spider, arriving with significant technical improvements and a bold, neo-classical new look. It is, in technical shorthand, the SF90’s spiritual successor that has been re-engineered, restyled, and given a name that conveys an emotional connection to Ferraris of the past.

Powered by the same twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 and 7.5kWh plug-in hybrid system as the 849 coupe, the 849 Spider punches the tarmac with a combined output of 772kW and 842Nm. This gives you a 0-100km/h time of just 2.3 seconds, with 200km/h passed in just 6.5 seconds.

This is 37kW and 42Nm more than the car’s previous iteration as the SF90, so, you know, better trade that one in...

MORE: 2026 Ferrari 849 Testarossa review: International first drive
MORE: Ferrari Testarossa name revived for SF90 successor

The retractable hardtop roof can open or close in around 14 seconds at speeds of up to 45km/h and also offers a rear window that can be raised or lowered whether the roof is up or down. The mechanism adds about 80kg to the car’s overall mass (over the coupe – 1857 kg vs 1777 kg)  and necessitates a minor change to the in-cabin ‘sound amplification’ pipes that enhance the V8’s exhaust note for the benefit of the occupants.

Other than that, the 849 Coupe and Spider are technically identical, which is an important consideration.

In terms of driveline, the twin-turbocharged V8 with its crackle-red cylinder head covers visible deep in the engine bay (the literal reason the car is called 'Testarossa') produces 611kW, and works in concert with dual front-mounted electric motors that provide a combined 162kW to the front axle alone.

A third electric motor (an F1-inspired MGU-K – Motor Generator Unit Kinetic) is placed between the petrol engine and eight-speed transmission to manage regenerative braking and help reduce turbo-lag and improve gear-shift response.

In its electric mode (either as pure electric or when running silently in hybrid setting), the car is front-drive only, and the 7.5kWh battery delivers up to 25km of claimed range. In practice, though, 25km is somewhat ambitious. When driving in hybrid mode, we found the battery depleted very quickly, which is fine as it is enough for you to legitimately access urban low-emission zones on the way to the superyacht marina, and it charges very rapidly once the petrol engine kicks in.

Basically, the 849 is a plug-in hybrid that may never need to be plugged in, as once you start driving it the way a Ferrari hypercar really should be driven, the Spider’s battery swiftly recaptures energy and will be ready for the next cheeky low-emission zone green light before you can say “tax haven”.

That said, Ferrari does recommend you keep the 849 Testarossa’s high-voltage battery plugged in when not in use to maintain a healthy chemistry, and, unlike many other electrified vehicles, the 849 will use the big battery to keep its 12-volt battery charged, so your supercar is always ready to roll at a moment’s notice.

In terms of design, the 849 Spider is, without qualification, a beautiful Ferrari. The launch cars are all particularly stunning in Argento Nurburgring over Rosso Giudecca, with the black ‘monobrow’ and rear intake cowls further enhancing their appearance.

On our drive around north-western Tenerife, the Testarossa stopped strangers mid-sentence on public roads. The man in the tip-up truck who just kept tooting in approval. The family that crossed the road for a better look and to have a memorable group photo taken with the car. Across the demographic spectrum, the question was never what car, but which Ferrari, underscoring the recognisable but modern design.

It’s not just the Testarossa moniker that draws upon Ferrari history either.

The black strip across the nose (colloquially known as the ‘monobrow’) is a deliberate nod to the Daytona. The canard wings on the front bumper, there for both aerodynamics and pedestrian safety compliance, also give a subtle nod to the US-market DOT-style bumper extensions seen during the 1970s and ‘80s.

And those twin aerodynamic tails at the rear, which extend beyond the main bodywork and serve both as downforce aids and as a homage to racing legends like the Ferrari 512 S, are engineered to cleanly break away in the event of an accident so they don’t become a hazard. In typical Ferrari fashion, these are beautiful, purposeful, and thoughtful.

From behind the wheel, all your controls are within easy reach. Select Wet, Sport, Race, or TC-off then ESC-off (yeah… no) on the familiar steering-wheel Manettino dial, then eDrive, Hybrid, Performance or the full-commitment Qualifying mode on the eManettino touch-panel and the party blasts into full swing.

Well… it does as soon as you tap the performance mode selector, as otherwise the car will default into a silent hybrid startup. Handy for early starts in the garage.

The 16-inch digital instrument cluster has been genuinely well thought out, offering a detailed view with all manner of key data points that can switch to a simplified performance readout or a near full-screen smartphone projection display. This worked well for our time with the car, and was very easy to operate and change while on the hop.

There’s a screen for the passenger too, akin to the digital speed readout in a Shinkansen bullet train, where they can see how close to warp speed the car is travelling and yet are unable to do anything about it.

Like all modern cars, there is a suite of safety technology that includes adaptive cruise control, AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and a bunch of other familiar acronyms. More importantly, though, the majority of these ADAS warning systems can be easily turned off, which is something Ferrari should be commended for - as nobody needs lane-keep assist in a car like this.

Buttons and functions are a mere formality, though, as once you ease the 849 onto an empty road, the only thing that has any importance are the perfectly sized and positioned paddle shifters…

We initially ran the car in hybrid mode, where, unsurprisingly, it pottered around quite happily. The 849 is wide (2304mm), so some tighter streets may cause sweat to bead on your brow, but other than that, this is a very easy car to drive.

In fact, we weren’t joking about using this as a zero-emission urban runner, as the big Ferrari is quite happy silently gliding about. Should you need the motor, a slightly more enthusiastic stab at the throttle will kick the V8 into life, with things returning to a far quieter state when you slow down again.

With the roof up, you will notice two things if you’re above average height (I am 6’4”).

First, Ferraris are not specifically designed for people who are over six-foot. Yes, there is headroom, but it is finite, and the cockpit reminds you of this frequently. Second, the seat occasionally generates a creak as carbon contacts carbon against the rear bulkhead. It is not a structural concern, but it is a very expensive sound, and a reminder that a car this light and this stiff has been built to tolerances that don’t prioritise silence above all other things.

Room aside, the hard-top insulates the wind well, and for all intents, you have a car as ready to run in all weather as you have with the coupe. In fact, in the Spider you have the added advantage of the powered rear window so that you can stay dry and still hear the car’s rorty exhaust note.

However, Tenerife offered expansive blue skies and summer temperatures, so the question begs, why not run topless?

As noted earlier, the retractable hard top takes 14 seconds to open or close, initiating a process where the rear canopy rises, the folding panel descends into the bodywork, and the world floods in above you. To be honest, I feel that in a car like this, the roof movement could be a bit faster. It isn’t slow in any absolute sense, but the McLaren 720S can do it in 11 seconds. Just saying…

It’s also worth noting that the 849 Spider’s air conditioning with the roof down is not the car’s strongest point, even with the windows up. For a vehicle that positions itself as a grand tourer that can whisk you along at great pace under the summer sun, the lack of appropriately chilled air is a bit of a shortcoming. Best wear light clothes, and pack your sunscreen.

But enough of semantics, there are roads to be driven.

Twist the Manettino dial to Race, tap the Performance icon on the steering wheel, slide the aluminium transmission lever to M, and explore what 772kW of hybrid technology can really do.

Commit to a heavy throttle and the 849 Spider launches with such urge and ferocity that the rear squats and the nose lifts.

The onset of speed is brutal. Not fast, not brisk, just plain brutal.

Noise from the V8 changes from a throbbing hum, interspersed with turbine whistle and atmosphere venting exhalations, to a roar, then a rasp as you approach 8000rpm. Is it the loudest or most sonorous Ferrari exhaust note? No, but it is still sharp enough to thoroughly enjoy, and its highest point even invokes the timbre of older naturally aspirated Ferrari V8s. Tap a paddle to feel the ratios change in an instant; there’s a shove in your back, and the process begins anew, only faster and ever faster.

Wind noise is superficial at this rate of increase, as when the Ferrari builds pace, all your senses dial in to vision and symbiosis with the car’s mechanical anatomy.

There is no sensation of reaching the limit of the Testarossa’s performance, especially on public roads, as the accelerative joy of riding a rocket is occasionally interrupted by a corner or a tractor coming the other way.

In fact, there’s no way to really describe the ultimate capability of the 849 in this environment. Tenerife’s roads are scenic, narrow, and populated by drivers who have not been briefed on the silver Ferrari’s approach schedule. The previous evening, the Italian engineers spoke of improvements to the Side-Slip Control function and corner exit grip, but these are experiences that need to be understood at the track. The way the 849 Spider devoured the winding island roads was a mere hint of its true capability, and sadly, all we could assess.

Even so, you do carry more speed into corners than you think. The brakes, 410mm front and 372mm rear carbon ceramics, are prodigious once you’ve committed to them; they require a proper push to deploy effectively, and continually wash off speed with authority once engaged.

The gear changes are exceptional.

Downshift blips are remarkably crisp, and the upshifts happen at a pace that defies comprehension.

This is what a hybrid system does to a performance car in the modern age. There is no moment of hesitation, no gap between intention and response, the electric motors fill every space the performance of the V8 might otherwise leave. At higher speeds, the acceleration is rapid rather than shocking, but at lower speeds - third gear, public roads, partial throttle - the sensation of pick-up is genuinely astonishing.

Pair this with an endless sky above, and the decision as to whether it will be the coupe or convertible when choices are made in the showroom is answered in an instant.

Better yet, when empty roads subside, the Spider returns to being the docile yet flashy cruiser from the start of the day. Two distinctly different, yet totally aligned songs from the same artist.

So it is here we return to the barbecue game.

If you have a spare $1,015,589 - plus whatever options your Ferrari configurator journey encourages you to choose -  and you have space for exactly one car that needs to do more than one thing, the answer presented itself somewhere around the second corner in Tenerife.

It is gorgeous. It is fast beyond the relevance of public roads. It is calm and quiet and genuinely easy to live with in its hybrid cruising mode. And when you want it to be the other thing - the thing that lifts its nose and fires you down a straight in a state of loud, turbocharged, electrically-assisted Italian aggression - it does that too, on the same tank, in the same afternoon.

Ferrari says that the 849 Spider is two cars in one, but in reality, they are underselling it. You've got at least three cars here, possibly four, and it excels at all of them in a way that very few vehicles at any price manage to pull off.

The wind-blown Testarossa is equal parts hypercar coupe, open-top grand tourer, flashy commuter and urban-friendly EV – with an iconic nameplate thrown in for good measure.

This is the ultimate all-rounder for today's choice-conscious squillionaire. Not that any owner will have just one car, mind you, but this thing should save you at least one car spot in the garage for something else. Perhaps a mid-80s Testarossa so that you can have your hybrid-hypercar cake and eat your pop-up lights and side strakes too...