1986 - Ferrari Testarossa on 2040-cars

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Miami Vice Ferrari Testarossa headed to auction

Push up the sleeves on your suit jacket, get your favorite pastel T-shirt out of the closet and put on those Wayfarers for a trip to Monterey Car Week on the California coast. One of the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa hero cars from the hit '80s show Miami Vice is heading across the auction block there on Aug. 15. Even if you have no interest looking like Sonny Crockett, this is still a beautiful Prancing Horse. The story behind the Ferraris on Miami Vice is just as entertaining as the show. For the first two seasons, Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett drove a black Daytona Spyder, but in reality it was a C3 Corvette underneath. Ferrari reportedly threatened to sue the replica maker, and a compromise was worked out to cease production in exchange for two Testarossas. Originally black, they were repainted in white to pop better in night scenes. Mecum's example is part of that duo. Beyond the TV connection, this Testarossa is one of the early examples with the side mirror on a stalk that's perched high on the A-pillar. It still packs a 4.9-liter, 390-horsepower flat-12 engine paired with a five-speed, gated manual gearbox with a recent $8,000-engine-out service. Inside, there's cream leather and even a car phone that's period correct. This example is quoted with just 16,124 miles and authentication by Ferrari North America and Ferrari Classiche. Late last year, another white Testarossa showed up on eBay claiming to be one of the Miami Vice hero cars. The seller was asking for a $1.75-million Buy-It-Now for that one. It will be interesting to see how Mecum's Ferrari performs on the auction block in Monterey. "MIAMI VICE" HERO CAR SPEEDS INTO MECUM AUCTIONS MONTEREY 2015 Iconic 1986 Ferrari Testarossa to be offered at The Mecum Daytime Auction Aug. 15 WALWORTH, Wis. – July 7, 2015 – The star of the '80s-era television series "Miami Vice" is coming to the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey this Aug. 13-15. No, not Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs—the flashy detectives played by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas who fought episode-after-episode against the seedy underworld of Miami—but their 1986 Ferrari Testarossa. This iconic supercar with its signature side strakes was one of the quintessential poster cars that found itself plastered on many a teenager's bedroom wall in the 1980s, and it will now be offered for sale at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa – Del Monte Golf Course this Aug. 15.

Ferrari testing 458 Challenge Evoluzione at Mugello

Ferrari makes road cars, it makes racecars, and it makes road cars into racecars. The 458 Challenge falls into the latter category, transforming the 458 Italia into the basis for Maranello's one-make spec racing series. It replaced the F430 Challenge in 2011, which in turn followed the 360 Challenge, F355 Challenge and 348 Challenge that started it all in the mid-90s.
Now the Prancing Horse marque is set to move the game forward again with the revised 458 Challenge Evoluzione. Seen here undergoing testing at what could be any tree-lined circuit but is likely Mugello (which Ferrari just happens to own in addition to the Fiorano test track at the factory), the 458 Challenge Evoluzione takes a step further with a new aerodynamics package.
Other changes will likely be nominal, and Ferrari will probably offer existing customer racers the option of upgrading to stay at the front of the pack instead of replacing their $300k racers entirely. One way or another, Ferrari is set to unveil the 458 Challenge Evoluzione, also at Mugello, after the conclusion this year's Finali Mondiali, the event that ties up the end of Ferrari Challenge series from around the world next week.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossas assemble by the shore at Pebble Beach

Seeing one Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people because so few exist, and those that do generally trade hands for tens of millions of dollars. At this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, there are 20 of these amazing rarities lined up next to each other.
Situated right on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, you can actually hear the waves lapping against the rocks during the quiet moments. Just a few feet away these thoroughbred Prancing Horses are on display and being polished to perfection. The Testa Rossas represent some of the most important historic racers in the world, and the mix here include a prototype, a Le Mans winner and models that counted drivers like Phil Hill and Dan Gurney behind the wheel.
Not all Testa Rossas were created equal, though. Ferrari built both factory racing and customer versions, and they came with curvaceous bodies from Scaglietti and a bit more angular look with dual snouts from Fantuzzi. Many of them also had further modifications from there to make each one about as unique as a snowflake. Check out our fabulous gallery of all 20 of these beautiful red heads on display together.