AutoDriving the Ferrari Testa Rossa J Pacco Gara is the most fun you can have in an EVNew race pack brings more power, adjustable suspension and brake bias, roll hoop and spotlights to three-quarter scale FerrariWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoDriving the Ferrari Testa Rossa J Pacco Gara is the most fun you can have in an EVNew race pack brings more power, adjustable suspension and brake bias, roll hoop and spotlights to three-quarter scale FerrariWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
New race pack brings more power, adjustable suspension and brake bias, roll hoop and spotlights to three-quarter scale Ferrari
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
Around every corner and through every door there is something new to surprise and delight, from miniature Bugattis and Ferraris, to anAston Martin DB5withworking James Bond gadgets, a full-size Tamiya Wild One off-road buggy and a new car I can’t talk about just yet.
I’m here to see The Little Car Company’s latest creation, an upgrade package for the Testa Rossa J called the Pacco Gara – or ‘race pack’ in Italian.
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
There’s also a removable roll bar and leather tonneau cover for when the passenger seat isn’t being used, four-point Sabelt harnesses, a driver’s side mirror and a pair of spotlights ahead of the front grille. For the night stint of a 24 hour race, naturally.
The body sits on a tubular steel spaceframe chassis exactly like that of the full-size 250 Testa Rossa, only with extra strength owing to the doors not opening. Swappable battery packs sit under the bonnet and a single motor drives the rear wheels.
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Ferrari was involved with developing the car to ensure it drives, rides and feels just like the real thing, with final sign-off coming from Ferrari test drivers after a stint on the company’s Fiorano test track in Maranello.
Lower yourself into the Pacco Gara, switch to Race mode, floor the accelerator and the extra power is immediately apparent. With fully-charged batteries the car sprints off the line with what feels like a lot more than 19bhp. This turn of pace subsides a little after a few minutes of hard driving, but remains entertainingly quick.
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
I turn into the first corner of the small test track at Bicester Heritage and the quicker steering is just as obvious as the extra power. It makes the car feel agile, lighter on its feet and more eager to hit the apex of every corner. The quicker ratio also makes it easier to catch slides with some opposite lock – and there are plenty of slides to catch, not necessarily due to power-oversteer, especially in the dry, but from lift-off oversteer. Turn into the apex, lift off the accelerator and the rear swings around nicely. It’s all hugely entertaining.
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
(Image credit: The Little Car Company)
Intended for drivers aged 14 and over (a legal restriction due to voltage), the car has four driving modes, each with different power levels to help novices get to grips with the car before satisfying their need for speed. There’s also a remote kill switch to stop children venturing too far.
I spent about half an hour in the car, including a battery swap to sample full power, and I simply did not want to get out.
It’s only a small track at Bicester Heritage, similar to a karting circuit, but the range of corners is still enough to make every lap slightly different. The Testa Rossa J is the sort of car you never tire of experimenting with, as you saw at the wooden, unassisted steering wheel from Nardi, feeling every bit the 1950s racing driver.
The most fun you can have in an electric car? Absolutely.
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