Skip to main content

Roll up your white Armani jacket sleeves: Ferrari Testarossa from Miami Vice hits eBay

It’s time to roll up the sleeves of your white Armani jacket and log into eBay because an authentic 1986 Ferrari Testarossa used in the show Miami Vice is up for grabs.

The car was made famous by appearing in the third season of the hit 1980s action series, becoming the ride of choice for undercover detective James “Sonny” Crockett, played by Don Johnson.

Recommended Videos

The story goes that in the earlier seasons, the “hero” car of the show was Crockett’s ’72 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4, which in reality was a replica built for production on a Corvette chassis. Ferrari themselves caught wind of this, going so far as to file lawsuits against the replica carmakers who worked with the production, demanding they cease making knock-offs. The silver lining is that Ferrari offered two brand new Testarossas to be featured in the show instead.

mvtestarossa1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now, you’re probably thinking that you’ve seen this car go through seasons of chases, gunfights, and jumps so it can’t be in that great of a condition. You’ll be pleased to hear that the car has a mere 16,000 miles on it. The stunt cars that took all the abuse were re-bodied De Tomaso Panteras, so the Ferrari on the auction block was the princess on the set used for beauty shots and close-ups.

The Ferrari itself houses a 4.9-liter 12-cylinder engine that was capable of producing up to 390 horsepower in its heyday. Power was sent to the rear via a five-seed manual transmission. The sports car’s now-iconic design was born out of Ferrari mounting twin radiators to the side, focusing on crafting a efficient aerodynamic vehicle that produced downforce without the need for large wings.

As it stands, the car is currently available with a “buy it now” price of a cool $1,750,000, so those wanting to take this prize home might want to plan some yacht-themed drug caper in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, dust off your copy of Don Johnson’s Heartbeat, lather on some Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil, and remember the outrageous eighties.

Alexander Kalogianni
Former Automotive Editor
Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…
This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern
Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

Read more
Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride
A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis. 

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

Read more
The week in EV tech: 900 miles, 12 minutes—EV charging just hit warp speed
byd 900 miles 12 minutes seal

Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the revolutionary technology powering, connecting, and now driving next-gen electric vehicles. 
If you’re hesitant about electric vehicles (EV), it’s likely that your top concerns include how far you can drive in a single charge, how long it takes to charge the battery, and how much this advanced tech will cost you. And you're not alone.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study, nearly half of U.S. consumers (49%) still say that available battery driving range is their biggest worry about EVs. That’s followed closely by the time required to charge (46%) and the lingering cost premium (44%) associated with battery electric vehicles.
But that narrative may finally be flipping. Just this past week, two developments showcase how much EV technology has evolved over the past decade: China’s BYD is breaking new grounds on just how far you can drive an EV on a single 12-minute charge. Meanwhile, the Nissan Leaf, seen as the first mass-market EV in 2010, is getting an impressive upgrade even as it remains one of the most affordable options on the market.

BYD’s bold battery bet
Chinese auto giant BYD, already the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer, may have just redrawn the limits of battery performance. According to Chinese media, and other reports, the company is testing a new solid-state battery that can add 900 miles of range in just 12 minutes of charging.
Let that sink in. That’s nearly four times the range of many current EVs—enough to drive from New York to Chicago —and charging that’s as fast as a coffee stop.

Read more