Upgrading Testarossa to 512M levels of power?

A 512TR isn't 450hp so to get that from a Testarossa you would need to start with a fresh rebuild and more air flow than a TR engine. Bye Bye CIS, porting, cams, its only money.

Or put a turbo on it.

 

To Paul's point, I would think going the naturally aspirated route would be a bit of effort and cost. Lots of internal work, then dealing with how to control it (eg, replacing CIS with EFI). I'm in the process of doing something similar with my BBi. There is an EFI conversion thread for a Testarossa on the forum that included dyno results. IIRC, they didn't get to 450HP. Carobu has an article claiming they got 470HP out of a modified 2v BB engine, and the BBLM engines had more than 450HP, so it's definitely doable.

I can't speak from experience here, but it does seem once you cross the 400HP+ threshold, you're starting to roll the dice on your diff carrier and transmission...

 

only 1?

 

You're more wanting more torque rather than more hp if you want more low-end grunt -- even more difficult to do N.A., and I don't see how the gearboxes/diff of these turbo TR survive long-term. (I went to a completely different make/model car to solve this riddle )

 

I think this problem will start when more than 500 hp, but even with original hp you have problems with the diff and with the "propeller shaft"

but even if you would have some more power after a while you want more and more and more. when you can repair all by yourself, have no family to care about and have some money left then you can do this "playing". but then just do it right:
other pistons, 2 turbos with intercoolers, EFI combined with ignition, 3 stronger shafts in the gearbox, sintermetal 2 disk clutch, other gearbox oilpump and oilcooler for gearbox oil, larger water coolers
but then also needed:
better brakes, other suspension and of course wheels

and when you then have money left an additional second testarossa for driving because the tuned one is mostly in the garage to get repaired or updated for some better things.

don´t ask me how I know

 

Why? A Testarossa is an amazing machine for so many reasons - and very few of those are speed and power. Enjoy it as Enzo wanted you to!

(Or send yours to Switzerland with a bag on the passenger seat containing £750,000)

 

https://www.amarisupercars.com/stock/details/ferrari-testarossa-lhd-489bhp-upgrades/39919

 

Looks like it was done at Halfords. As bad as Khan designs if you ask me!! Each to their own though, but I can hear first gear and that rear diff exploding right now! Enjoy it whilst you can I suppose.

 

Hi Ryan, we should chat.

As mentioned the differential is a weak link before doing anything. Next are the brakes. You can buy a set of F50 brakes still direct from Brembo. Between the new brakes and better tires, the car is transformed and much much better. Brakes do need larger 18in wheels.

Purists will have a heart attack but (IMHO) if your OEM+ / period correct who cares.

 

Those 18s look phenomenal

 

Feature

 

All upgraded. Bet it's just fine.

Looks like it's done about 15k kms on the upgrades.

 

Buy a different car. The look really silly with big wheels and low profile tires. Leave that to the hat on backward crowd with Japanese cars.

The transaxle is an ice cube. The most powerful TR I have seen on a dyno had a factory muffler. This is my exhaust system. No noticeable HP difference.

You want a usable, noticeable power increase it will be major engine work and to attach that to a TR transmission is lunacy.

Get a Camaro or Corvette and go crazy. A TR is at its best pretty much the way Ferrari built it.

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I dont know Brian

I don't know...that posted photo looks amazing/wonderful to me. I doubt most Ferrari owners would be able to tell to be honest.

I do have lots of thoughts on the exhausts as well but generally agree...any modification should more be considered for personal taste and to a lesser extent weight. Most make the same or less power.

 

The entire transmission is a grenade with the pin out. I have been fixing stuff like this for decades. The transmission was designed for 365s with less weight, no torque and skinny tires.
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True, an isolated upgrade just moves the weak line to the next part. This is why I didn't advocate any over power mods..

 

The problem with F50 brake kit (I have driven many) is it is the fronts only. In the rear Ferrari has go kart brakes. Martin at Giro Disc used to use me to help try parts for fit function etc. We talked extensively about TR brakes. They used off the shelf parts, basically Daytona brakes. Daytona was front engine. TR drastically under utilizes the rear of the car where the weight and big tires are to stop the thing and F50 brakes are just more of the same. There is not enough tire or weight on the front to expect 75% of the stopping power to come from there. Look at 512 TR brakes. The rear is much bigger.
No car made with the TR weight distribution that stops well ignores the rear axle the way it was done on the TR.

 

I didn't re

I agree fronts only is a very dumb move but your information is out of date.
Brembo offers F50 brakes front and rear both in 355mm for the Testarossa. This is true for both the early and later 4 bolt cars. I would never advocate for just fronts (though in select cases you can get away with correcting/upgrading just the rears...that is beyond the scope of this discussion)
The Brembo upgrade rear brakes also have accommodations for the factory parking brake.

I have not calculated the brake bias on regular Testarossas, but Brembo's calculations were correct for my 512TR (factory is around 58% front, Brembo is around 58.5% front when controlling for pedal force/pad thickness; for context my 6.0 Diablo which also uses F50 brakes from factory/OEM also has a 58% front bias)

 

A bet you'd surely lose.

Those 18's are about as good as 18's can look on a TR though.

 

Your local Ferrari owners are very different then mine then.... anything older than 2000 becomes a mystery quick.

 

I had looked them up just prior to writing that and every set I saw was still front only. I did not look at the current Brembo catalog. I do see however after years of hawking a terrible brake kit they have finally rectified it. It just takes wheels that in the opinion of many look terrible on the car.

My position however is no different. Its a great GT car as is and trying to make it into something it isn't is not an improvement. There are a great many cars far better suited to modify.

 

Each how own, as mentioned I find my 512TR much, much more rewarding to drive after I upgraded the brakes, tires, and exhaust. Not to mention much more secure/larger safety margins with modern GT rubber. Ironically the GT kit didn't cost much more than replacing the ATE rotors/pads given Ferrari wants (or was wanting at the time, maybe it was pandemic related) over 1,000 a rotor.

I should add if I could do it again the only part I would change is I would likely keep the Tubi and not switch to the Capristo as the later is a bit too loud and I can't hear the intakes as well. I likely will be switching back to the Tubi come summer/selling the capristo (but instead I am stuck inside watching it snow again, sigh)