Ferrari Automobile 512 TR User's Manual
Contents
1. co Caer AY ee eee a ARE tos A later model Testarossa is easy to spot Here is a perfect example as the car has two side mirrors and five bolt wheels First Published May 2005 by Ferrari Life Email guides ferrarilife com Copyright 2005 2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Author William Taylor and Jeff Green Editor Andrew Naber Photos by Bob Hagendijk Testarossa 512 TR amp F512 M Buyer s Guide Introduction amp Model Information Driving Impressions Pros amp Cons Maintenance amp Reliability Buying Tips Ownership Expectations Purchasing Options Model Chart Ferrari Life 1 Ferrari Buyer s Guides by Ferrari Life Model Introduction The Testarossa was Fer raris bold statement in an era where overstatement was cel ebrated The brief for the Tes tarossa was heavily focused on addressing the perceived short comings of the understated 512 series Boxers The Testarossa would need to be able to meet emission and safety standards in all key world markets carry two passengers in comfort in clude enough luggage room for a multi day trip and deliver the expected Ferrari performance without requiring the owner to have the driving skills of Nicky Lauda It also needed to be able to stop pedestrians in there tracks and make heads swivel At the Paris Motor Show in October 1984 the brief was delivered upon with the intro duction of the Testarossa to the world Pininfarina for the first time2. 2 Get the car inspected by a Ferrari trained mechanic He will find things you miss Many Testarossa s were garage queens and lack of use can lead to long list of problems which a PPI should identify Also check the cheese grater side strakes running along the doors to make sure they are straight If they are not it is normally a sign of poorly repaired accident damage Also look for signs of a paint overstray or masking around window seals and trim 3 If the asking price is very low there is a reason for it Major work on Testarossas can exceed the purchase price of the car In fact a low priced Testarossa may be on the market specifically to avoid a looming major maintenance bill 4 Carefully check the mileage against the history file Also do not assume that a two mirror car is a 1988 1992 model Many early Testarossas were converted to 2 mirror cars in the 90 s The second added mirror on early cars will be high up on the A pillar 5 Check the suspension and wheel arches for cracking and abuse The low ride height and speed bumps can lead to unpleasant surprises Also the original 16 inches wheels fitted to early Testarossas attached via a center bolt had a reputation for occasion ally detaching themselves from the car at speed This only happened if the tires were not properly reattached after maintenance and is not due to a design flaw 6 Never buy the first car you see look and test drive several
3. An impressive 7 177 units were Testarossa produced 512 TR 1992 1994 The 512 TR was the first major evolution of the Testarossa Ma jor changes included anew stron ger gearbox which provided for much smoother shifting and bet ter durability lower ride height a revised interior with more sup portive seats and 18 inch alloys with lower profile tires The en gine was also repositioned and lowered in the chassis which im proved handling at the limits by lowering the center of gravity The front nose was softened and now shared the same layout as the 348 As part of the front end redesign the luggage compart ment was enlarged The ignition and fuel injection systems were The word Testarossa literally translate into Red Head as Ferrari often paints the engine blocks header red as seen here on the upgraded to Bosch Motronic 2 7 The result was 428 bhp at 6750 rpm and a new top speed of 191 mph F512M 1994 1995 The final evolution of the Testa rossa came in 1994 with the in troduction of the 512M Through the use of titanium connecting rods aluminum alloy pistons revised exhaust system and a lighter crank shaft the same basic 12 cylinder power plant which first powered the 365 GT4 BB in 1974 now produced 440 bhp at 7250 rpm with a new top speed of 196 mph The huge disc brakes now had ABS assistance and the pop up headlights were replaced by built in pods simi lar to those later fitted to the 550 Ma
4. option Prices at Independent s should be 5 20 less than Official Dealers In most countries pur chasing from either an Official Ferrari Dealer or an Indepen dent Specialist will provide you with the strongest legal rights should anything go wrong Private Sellers Caveat Emptor Buying from a private seller is both the lowest cost and highest risk option In all Ferrari purchases a Pre Pur chase Inspection PPI by a spe cialist is recommended in the case of a private purchase it is critical Purchasing well private ly is both a matter of form and substance First the form which is mostly related to general ap pearance and presentation check the condition of the in terior is the leather conditioned and cleaned pull up the mats check the con DISEGNO DI dition of the under carpet spray water on the car make sure it beads up immediately look in the engine bay is the owner a member of the local Ferrari Owner s Club Positives on the above are an initial indication of a careful owner but could also be the result of a pre sale clean up Then move onto the substance review the service records a comprehensive file is always a good sign check the history of the car make sure it has always been well cared for always check that the mileage on the odometer matches the other records confirm that the seller is the car s owner and that the title is clear spend time
5. both designed and built the body The reaction to the new car was anything but muted and it broke new design ground with its overstated aggressive lines This was the car that would adorn millions of boy s bedroom walls for the next decade In 1985 it was the fastest road car on the planet and the first to be powered by a four valve flat 12 cylinder engine This was the second product from Marranel lo to carry the Testarossa name the first being the 250 Testa Ros sa race cars from the 50s The name came from the color of the valve covers usually black but in these two cases red paint was used instead In many ways the Testa rossa design was a direct result of addressing weaknesses of the 512 Boxers The signature cheese grater side strakes run ning along the doors into the rear engine compartment actually covered the huge scoops needed to funnel air into the rear mount ed radiators On the 365 GT4 BB amp 512 BB the radiators were front mounted which resulted in the water pipes running un der the passenger cabin to reach the mid mounted engine In the Below The F512 M had a redesigned rear with round lights and no grille covering them Opposite page The Testarossa top had a more square front end and lights compared to the newer 512 TR middle whereas the F512 M bottom was completely different _and did not have the pop up lights of the earlier models _ Testarossa 512 TR amp F512M su
6. both test driving the car and talking to the owner No car is perfect does the owner point out both the good points of the car and the issues needing attention Buying from a private seller will provide both the low est cost of acquisition and the highest risk should any major undisclosed issue emerge post purchase Doing your home work properly is critical and in many cases it is a rewarding and enjoyable experience for both parties Auctions As a very broad guideline cars that appear at auction are either very high value recent models example Enzo or models no longer carried in the Official Dealer network As per pur chasing from a private seller it is critical to do you homework ahead of time All auction hous es provide for pre sale viewing but it is very unlikely that a PPI or test drive will be permitted Both need to be included in the buyers purchase risk consider ation Auction Houses act as agents on behalf of the sellers so your legal protection in many countries is not much greater than in the case of a private sale On the positive side auctions provide both the opportunity to acquire very rare unique cars with important histories and other models at a potentially outstanding value Many Inde pendent Specialist attend auc tions it is critical that a private buyer understand the environ ment that he is competing in Fee schedules differ significantly between the auction houses so it
7. for a top speed of 182 mph The chassis is welded tu bular steel with aluminum body panels except for the doors and roof which are steel Suspension Ferrari Life 3 Specifications General Brakes Number Made Chassis Transmission Engine Type Displacement Bore amp Stroke Compression Ratio Valve Train Power Torque Suspension Front Rear Dimensions Length Width Height Wheelbase Front Rear Track Weight Performance Acceleration Top Speed Ferrari Life s Rating 4 Ferrari Life Disc servo assist Testarossa 7 177 512 TR 2 280 F512 M 500 Tubular Steel Dry single plate clutch 5 speed reverse Longitudinal mid mounted flat 12 180 de gree V light alloy cylinder block and head 4 942 cc 82 x 78 mm Testarossa 9 3 1 512 TR 10 0 1 F512 M 10 4 1 DOHC 4 valves cylinder Testarossa 390 bhp 6 800 rpm 512 TR 428 bhp 6 750 rpm F512 M 440 bhp 6 750 rpm Testarossa 361 lb ft 512 TR 491 lb ft F512 M 500 Ib ft Independent unequal length A arms coil springs Independent unequal length A arms coil springs 4 500 mm 1 710 mm 1 210 mm 2 550 mm 1 460 1 460 mm 1 455 kg 6 5 250 KM H Testarossa 2 5 Stars 512 TR 3 Stars F512 M 4 Stars Ferrari Buyer s Guides by Ferrari Life is independent unequal length A arms front amp rear Steering via unassisted direct rack and pin ion and brakes are
8. is strongly advised that these be reviewed ahead of time Cur rently the most famous Ferrari Auction is Bonhams December Auction in Gstaad Swtizerland Other well know auction houses include Christies R amp M North America Barlett Jackson North America Barons UK H amp H UK Coys UK and Artcurial France Ferrari Life 11 Ferrari Buyer s Guides by Ferrari Life Judgments from The Ferrari Life Team The following is nothing more than our opinions and should be taken as such The ratings are meant to provide some guidance but please remember that markets have a logic unto themselves and every Ferrari is a great car in the eyes of its current owner Rating are Poor 0 Excellent 5 Appreciation Potential is based on Market Prices as of June 2005 i Ratings Chart Main Appre cee 9 tenance ciation 3 Engine Use ond Cost Comments Poten Sound ability tial Low to High pes Will always be in demand gorgeous one of Pininfarina s best A reteat drive soseta ef te Beautifulunderthe skin ee e aa great carb soundtrack C ee Entry level favorite performance a bit strangled sosgv ttl Thebestofthe308s sp One ofthe best potential classic hoteh Jf ooo pense PP The Mondial to have and the price will reflect this So A good buy at current prices love it or hate it ee finest 360 Modena f e Even better than the F355 365 GT4 BB eaii lita seers Best s
9. massive ven tilated discs with vacuum servo operating on all four wheels The steering and suspension set up is heavy at first and handling very linear with a slight under steer It lightens up with speed The gear change requires the usual firm hand to slot prop erly The leather clad interior de tailing and quality is outstanding and significantly more luxuri ous than its predecessor The dashboard layout is logical and the dials easy to read at a quick glance Seats are manually ad justable but a dignified entry exit does require a fair amount of dexterity Unlike the 512 BBi the front luggage compartment is adequate for a multi day trip The fuel cap is mounted on the left rear quarter panel and feeds a 115 liter tank Throughout its run the Testarossa was the ultimate Grand Touring car It was able to carry two passengers very comfortable over great distances at high speeds An impressive 9 957 units were produced over the 12 year model life Testarossa 1984 1991 Launched in 1984 the Testarossa underwent only a couple of mi nor changes in the first 8 years In mid 1988 2 door mounted rear view mirrors replaced the original single A post driver side mounted mirror 5 bolt wheels replaced the original single cen ter bolt setup and a third brake light was added to the rear deck lid Remarkably for Ferrari there was only one factory recall dur ing this long run It was related to problems with the seat belts
10. Horse badged au tomobile In almost all cases the car will come with some sort of warranty a comprehensive ser vice history and a clean bill of health All of this comes with a cost and you will likely pay a 10 20 premium vs other op tions One other limitation is that dealers normally only stock the current plus 1 2 generations of prior models As a result dealers are really only an option for the modern 1990 s model enthusiast Independent Specialist Independent Specialist can pro vide both outstanding service and a wide range of models to Ferrari Buyer s Guides by Ferrari Life choose from covering all price ranges Reputation is critical and so is doing your research on an Independent Specialist be fore writing out a check Infor mation and insights on different Specialists can be obtained both through your local Ferrari Own ers Club members and via posts on the Ferrari Life Like official dealers many specialist can pro vide warranties via 3rd parties and on going maintenance fa cilities The quality of the main tenance for modern models can be on par with the official deal ers as many independents em ployee Ferrari trained mechan ics For modern models though it is critical to confirm that the service center has the neces sary diagnostic equipment and software SD1 or SD2 for your model For Classic and Vintage Ferrari s independents many be your only or best for more re cent models
11. If possible drive both a Testarossa and a 512 TR Make sure the car starts fairly easily If throttle pumping and other dramatic efforts are needed to start the car run 7 Make sure the car has all the original books tools and records These are very expensive to replace later 8 Talk to other owners join the Ferrari Life 9 Talk to the Mechanics that have historical ly serviced the car If possible also contact prior owners Ferrari Life 9 Ownership Expectations When you purchase a Ferrari you are not buying a car but rather a work of engineer ing art and a piece of history A Ferrari has a soul and character unique in the automotive world A Ferrari comes filled with Ital ian passion for both better and occasionally worse Driving a Ferrari is never boring It is engaging You are always in volved and interacting with the car across a multitude of senses While driving this includes the constantly changing sound track as the engine moves through the rpm range the heavy but exact clutch and the metallic click with every gear change There really is nothing else on the road that sounds like a Ferrari Until you have driven one it is impossible to appreciate the to tality of the experience It is this emotional link between car and owner that sets Ferrari s apart from other sports cars Two other cars that many first time Ferrari owners consid er are Lamborghini and Porsche Lamborghini has similar roo
12. arket for one of these cars and have questions There are also a number of articles and information related to these models Buying your first Ferrari can be a daunting task and we hope this will help you along the way Following this chart you will find the 13 chapters related to each of the model highlighted in dark red We wish you the best of luck in your search and hope to see you on Ferrari Life after a successful purchase Best Wishes The Ferrari Life Team Model Guide Seats amp Engine 2 Seats Dino 206 Dino 246 Not available 6 Cylinders 2 Seats Not available 308 348 8 Cylinders 328 F355 360 Modena F430 2 Seats 250 GT 365 GT4 BB 512 TR 12 Cylinders 275 GTB GTS 512 BB BBi F512 M 330 GTC GTS Testarossa 550 Maranello 365 GTC GTS 575 Maranello 365 GTB 4 Daytona 365 GTS 4 Daytona Spider 4 Seats 2 2 Not available Dino 308 GT4 Mondial t 8 Cylinders Mondial 8 QV amp 3 2 4 Seats 2 2 250 GTE 365 GT4 2 2 456 GT 12 Cylinder 330 GT 2 2 400 456M GT 365 GT 2 2 412 612 Scagletti 365 GTC 4 250 GTO 288 GTO F50 Enzo F40 Ferrari Life 13
13. d Never the less the brakes will stop the car without fade or pulling The shifter is on the notchy side and takes practice to get smooth gear changes Like many Ferraris when the car is cold 2nd gear can be difficult Many Ferrari owners simply skip 2nd gear until things warm up a bit The engine seems to have unlimited torque and pulls smoothly from very low rpms all the way up to redline with power really coming on around 4000rpm Acceleration is very impressive by any stan dard The sound of the engine is intoxicating and you may find yourself pushing it just to hear that twelve cylinder music A stereo is simply not needed You do need to mind your speed because the car seems happy to continually go faster The han dling at higher speeds is good but remember the car is tail heavy and if you are pushing the car near its limits the rear end can slide out with little warning Before you play Mario Andretti you should practice driving the Testarossa 512 TR amp F512M car at a track or closed course The Testarossa is very forgiving up to a point but when it does get out of shape it is difficult to get back under control Here is some advice based on experience with a Tes tarossas 1 Do NOT do hard power launches by dropping the clutch There will be many people who will push you to drop the ham mer but do not give in to their pressure The gearbox is not designed for this type of abuse Breaking a transmi
14. mmer this setup could lead to the cockpit turning into a sauna given the effectiveness of the poor air conditioning Moving the radiators to the sides behind the cabin also allowed for the creation of a reasonable size lug gage compartment in the front of the Testarossa The simple cabin of the 512 BB was replaced with leather soaked luxury on the Testarossa and outfitting the flat 12 engine with quat trovalvoles allowed it to meet emission standards everywhere The wider wheelbase more ad vanced lower profile tires and better weight distribution with more weight hung between the axles improved high speed han dling therefore safely opening more of the cars performance to a wider range of potential own ers The Testarossa went through two major updates dur ing its long 12 year run These will be covered in detail in the next section The most signifi cant change was the update to the 512 TR in 1992 The basic mechanicals of the Testarossa are a mid engine configuration using a 180 de gree 12 cylinder dual overhead cam 4943cc engine mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox with a dry double plate clutch Like the 308 OV the Testarossa uses 4 valves per cylinder The Tes tarossa shares the same basic en gine block with the 512 BBi but through revisions to the timing and cooling systems new cyl inder heads updated Marelli Multiplex ignition system and Bosch K Jetronic fuel injection it develops 50 more bhp
15. ors and where the A and B pillars meet e Water pumps and pump chains on pre 1989 cars These should have been updated e Dry seals gaskets and O rings especially if the car has been sitting e Hoses degrade must be replaced over time e Paint chips easily e Leather on front dash tray susceptible to shrinkage along the front corners e Testarossa clutches can be weak and wear quickly and should be checked for abuse 512TR units are stronger ge i The interior of the car is classic 80s with large orange dials in the dash The interior pictured here is a Testarossa the later 512 TR and F512 M both had minor updates to modernize the car 8 Ferrari Life e Warped discs and calipers seizing e Weakness on 2nd gear synchromesh Other potential issues e Cables for hood and trunk release stretch over time and need replacement e All electrical items check air conditioning power windows wipers stereo lights etc e Check that all warning lights come on when starting e High running temperatures due to clogged air intake vents or blocked radiators e Rust on the battery tray e CV joints e Hot starting on 512 TR s due to problems with the solenoid e Flat spotted tires on cars that have been sit ting Buying Tips 1 Demand to see the service book and maintenance history file Make sure you have solid answers to any major holes in the history If not move on Look specifically for missed cambelt changes
16. ounding Ferrari period Very raw and a handful 512 BB SES m Ea Still raw Skilled drivers only please 512 BBi AERE HEEE ES More civilized than the 512 BB but still a handful Testarossa a a me 80s wide loud and fast ea e eoe S F512 M a EPK A aks sua H Last mid engined 12 cylinder Dated 80s car in the mid 90s meee jet Close to the perfect driving machine Ex pense to run Ee el a We think the 550 is better Sa a Cheap to buy expense to run Rust prone 456 GT a N eens The best 2 2 to ever come from Maranello Very expense to run 456M GT o C Even better Very complex 12 Ferrari Life Testarossa 512 TR amp F512M Comments on the Model Guide from The Ferrari Life Team Below is a model guide chart to help you better understand what models are available and in what configuration This chart shows a number of cars that are not included in this current book However we do have information related to each of the models and to make is more understandable we have color coded the text The models marked in red are also available at www FerrariLife com library guides php or online at Amazon com Any questions related to these Guides should be directed to guides ferrarilife com e The models marked in black do not currently have Guides available but will be made available on a case by case basis Like the Vintage models we would like to encourage you to visit Ferrari Life if you are in the m
17. ranellono Changes to the t body included the replacement of the rear strakes and rectan gular tail lights with the round classic Ferrari lamps the addi tion of two NACA ducts on the hood and a slight reshaping of the front nose Interior changes included a new steering wheel aluminum gear shift knob alu minum sports pedals and up graded climate control system By Jeff Green One of the first things you notice about the Testarossa is that there are not any exposed door han dles They are hidden under the top lip of the side strakes a very stylish solution that preserves Ferrari Life 5 Ferrari Buyer s Guides by Ferrari Life Share Be a i s53 The air intake above is what gives the Testarossa its wide body and classic look It was not until the F512 M that the rear grille became less prevalent in exchange for round lamps 6 Ferrari Life the car s clean appearance Once the door is open you will see that the cockpit is very low the door sill is wide and requires some finess to enter egress smoothly Once you are seated the vis ibility is quite good even to the rear which is unusual for a mid engined sportscar The seats have the usual adjustments to suit most people unless you are taller than 6 4 at which point headroom becomes scarce The steering wheel is adjustable up and down but does not have a telescoping feature The driv ing position is classic Italian where long arms and sho
18. rt legs are a plus A twist of the key a whirring of the starter and the boxer twelve fires up and settles to a purring idle of about 1000 rpms The engine is very smooth with no vibrations at all It is standard procedure to let the engine run for 30 to 60 seconds to circulate the oil and then drive the car conservatively until the coolant and oil temps are in their operating range The clutch requires medium effort to operate and is very smooth The steering is not power assist ed and at slow speeds can be a bit of a work out Parallel park ing is a real challenge testing your arm strength and judge ment of distance It is only rec ommended once you are very familiar with the car or enjoy replacing body panels Driving in traffic is rea sonably easy once you get used to being stared at from everyone around you The car attracts a lot of attention You must be keenly aware of others around you as they may be looking at the Tes tarossa instead of watching the road At slow speeds the car is a bit heavy and exhibits slight un dersteer Get above 30mph and the car seems much lighter and responds very well to steering input For a car of its size the brakes work well and easily slow the car from any speed They H Pros will not hold up under race track conditions but for street use they are more than adequate Anti lock brakes were not available on the Testarossa until the 1993 512 TR was introduce
19. ssion main shaft can be a 20 000 mistake or in the best case just burning a clutch at about 2 000 2 Also be careful when going over speed bumps and drive ways it is easy to scrape the nose or bottom out And since the rear track is wider than the front it is easy to scuff a rear wheel going through any areas with tight width restrictions Overall it is a pleasure to drive the Testarossa Once you get smooth and familiar with the car it will reward you And a Ferrari can be a great stress re liever after a hard day of work E Cons e It s a Testarossa an icon the dream car of a generation e Will not be mistaken for anything but a Ferrari e Great Drivers car capable of cross conti nent journeys truly a grand GT e Reliable bullet proof engine overall a strong well built Ferrari e Decent trunk space e Has a very passionate following e Great value at current market prices e Its girth this is a very wide car e Handling is not exactly nimble e High service costs and frequent intervals e Repairing or replacing major components can be amazingly expensive e Unlikely to appreciate in the near term e Not exactly understated Ferrari Life 7 Maintenance amp Reliability So Build quality on the Testarossa was out standing by Ferrari standards and the number of recalls during its long life was few and far between Several issues that have emerged over time are e Rust on the bottom of the do
20. ts in the Modena area It however does not have the racing heri tage or for the majority of its life the single minded guidance of a brilliant owner Lamborghi nis ownership history has in cluded everyone from Chrysler an Indonesian Conglomerate to Audi This is reflected in the his tory of the models Lamborghi nis tend to be overly flamboy ant difficult to drive and highly temperamental Porsche on the other hand is efficient reliable and an engineering masterpiece It is also highly predictable and after a time can be construed as boring A Porsche does every thing with extreme competence 10 Ferrari Life to the extent that you begin to wonder if you the driver are re ally needed The fact is Ferrari s are expensive to maintain and less reliable than many other cars This is simply a small part of the deal that comes with be ing a member of the small and special club of Ferrari owners The Porsche is a cold rationale machine a Lamborghini is pure emotion and a Ferrari gives you both Purchasing Options In general most Ferrari Buyers purchase their cars at one of four channels Official Ferrari Dealers Independent Specialist Dealers Private Sellers Auctions Each has it s own strengthens and weaknesses In summary Official Ferrari Dealers Purchasing through an official dealer will provide the most piece of mind when making the rather considerable investment in a Prancing
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