An electric Ferrari Testarossa: Sacrilege or vision of the future?

Retrofitting allows beautiful neglected cars to be brought back to life with an electric powertrain. But does a Testarossa need one?

Earlier this year, our car enthusiast hearts started to bleed when we discovered the Ferrari Testarossa wrecked by Gas Monkey Garage. Removal of the roof and windshield, carnival-style LED lighting, a central driving position, and of course an electric motor. But even then, the target was missed with a 225 kW unit less powerful than the noble original V12! Not quite right, not quite wrong—but unfortunately done.

So we were criticized for criticizing this process on the grounds that it involved a chassis already stripped of its engine and therefore destined for scrap. Pardon??? A Testarossa chassis doesn’t go to the junkyard; it can be restored! But a Testarossa engine in good condition today costs nearly 80,000 euros, so fitting an electric motor makes perfect sense if it keeps an icon alive, but there’s no need to mutilate it for publicity stunts.

For all these reasons, the approach of Electric Classic Cars convinced us. The British specialist in luxury retrofitting has chosen to use original Tesla motors and batteries, which is a mark of quality. The designers have worked to maintain the same weight and performance as the original Testarossa but have also distributed the batteries between the front and rear to optimize weight distribution and address one of the Italian icon’s main flaws—a significant tendency to understeer caused by excessive rear weight. They also offer an optional active suspension borrowed from the Pagani Zonda to improve daily comfort and sporty handling.

Nothing will ever replace the sound of an Italian V12, that is certain, but one can do without it if they have in hand a car that is better than the one that lost its mechanical heart.