- Independent designer Khyzyl Saleem created a Ferrari Testarossa concept.
- Exterior design blends retro elements with modern Ferrari proportions.
- The project, based on the 849 Testarossa, was largely praised by fans.
Ferrari brought back the Testarossa name for the SF90’s successor, but plenty of fans wanted the new car to lean harder into the ’80s original, and the resemblance was never quite there. Digital artist Khyzyl Saleem built his own version to close that gap, handing the car the retro styling cues many people think Maranello should have committed to.
The digital study starts with the Ferrari 849 Testarossa and reskins almost every panel. The pieces that survive the redesign come down to two: the greenhouse and the rear window that doubles as an engine cover.
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Up front, the Kyza brought back the pop-up headlights that Maranello’s own designers chased for the 849 before homologation rules killed the idea. The cutouts sit cleanly in the fenders on either side of a flat, vented hood. The wide nose has slim bumper intakes above a pronounced carbon fiber splitter, and the whole face reads pure ’80s.
Khyzyl Saleem / Facebook
The profile is a clear homage to the original Testarossa with a significantly deeper and more dramatic reinterpretation of the signature side strakes. The designer opted for a set of vintage HRE 505 alloy wheels with a star-spoke design. Another cool detail is that the supercar has a single mirror on the driver’s side, just like its source of inspiration.
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The tail is our personal favorite, blending modern and retro about as well as it can be done. Slim LED taillights run inside full-width black louvers, framed by ultra-wide rear shoulders. A large but simple carbon fiber diffuser wraps two round exhaust outlets.
Since the underpinnings would theoretically be shared with the roadgoing 849 Testarossa, the concept would be powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 and a trio of electric motors, delivering a combined 1,035 horsepower (772 kW) through all four wheels.
Khyzyl Saleem / Facebook
Saleem said he respects how aggressive the factory car looks but couldn’t resist pulling it toward something more tied to its own legacy. He also added that the death of electronic music producer Kavinsky was an emotional trigger for the project.
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Response across Facebook and Instagram has been heavily positive, with fans latching onto the retro cues. Saleem’s concept will almost certainly stay digital, though Ferrari’s Special Projects division has never been shy about building a coachbuilt one-off when a client’s pockets run deep enough to ask.
Ferrari 849 Testarossa
