The 75% Scale Ferrari Testa Rossa J is the Ideal Present

It might be a bit early for thinking about Christmas, but after seeing this 75% scale Ferrari Testa Rossa J you might want to start saving. Courtesy of the aptly Little Car Company, this detailed electric mini-Ferrari replica might be just the ticket.

I must confess that I had not heard of the Little Car Company before, but the Bicester-based company makes what they call replica ‘junior cars’ at slightly smaller sizes than the real thing. All the automobiles are officially licenced products at an intriguing size; too big for what we may have traditionally grown up thinking of as a ‘toy car’, but not too small for an adult to just about squeeze inside.

This 250 Testa Rossa scale replica is quite stunning – from first sight you can see that a lot of care and attention has gone into replicating the little Ferrari sports car. The car is even based on a chassis constructed directly from the original Ferrari design drawings which can be found in the Ferrari Classiche Department, an area dedicated to restoration and certification of Ferrari models throughout the ages and protecting brand heritage.

The Ferrari Testarossa originally began life in 1984 with, throughout its lifetime, nearly 10,000 of the sports cars being produced – quite a big run for Ferrari. The Little Car Company will be building significantly less than that, with only 299 Testa Rossa J cars being built.

The Ferrari Testa Rossa J runs on electric power courtesy of three front-mounted batteries which will get you a 55-mile range on one full charge – the car also features regenerative braking to aid charging. The car has four different driving modes: Novice, Comfort, Sport and Race and a top speed of 37mph; which in a scale car this size, it’s probably going to feel a lot faster. At this point you begin to realise that this car is not a toy – it’s a scale replica, and safety is a high priority for the Little Car Company. The Ferrari Testa Rossa J has reinforced metal side panels and there is also an optional anti-roll bar available. A hydraulic brake along with Brembo discs make sure things come to a safe and reliable halt, while Bilstein coil-overs keep things running smoothly. The body itself has been created by the traditional hand-beating of aluminium panels, just like the original Ferrari Testarossa.

Authentic Pirelli tyres cover the 12-inch scale alloys, while inside is a Nardi steering wheel – Enrico Nardi supplied the original steering wheel for the Ferrari Testarossa, and full-size Nardis can retail for upwards of £300-400 alone. Of course, being a high-class Ferrari replica it goes without saying that the seats are coated in a lovely leather upholstery. On the dash, all the dials may look like classic Ferrari, but on closer inspection you will see that they provide useful information on the state of the battery and the temperature of the car’s motor. A scaled down replica of the Ferrari Manettino dial allows the driver to switch between drive modes.

The Testa Rossa J allows you to choose between a huge range of 14 different authentic historical liveries along with a choice of 53 different colours and includes the nice option of being able to include your own personalised liveries.

While you’re not likely to ever repeat the Testarossa’s famous 24-Hour Le Mans victories in 1958 and then three times consecutively from 1960 to 1962, if you’ve got the space available to do it justice the Ferrari Testa Rossa J sounds like a lot of fun for those over 14 years old. With only 299 of these scaled down replica Ferraris available at a cost starting at 93,000 euros, I should let you know that there are as I write, 137 days till Christmas…

Images: autocar.co.uk