Custom electric Ferrari Testarossa roadster unveiled in the US

A US workshop has unveiled a wild Ferrari Testarossa supercar – with no roof or windscreen, three seats, a centrally-mounted steering wheel, and electric power – at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas.

The one-off vehicle – nicknamed the ‘Testa’, likely a play on ‘Tesla’ and ‘Testarossa’ – was produced by Texas-based vehicle customiser, Gas Monkey Garage.

It ditches the standard Ferrari’s 4.9-litre ‘flat’ 12-cylinder engine for a 225kW electric motor and custom 84.6kWh battery pack, for a claimed driving range of between 274 and 362km (170-225 miles), and AC charging at 6.6kW on a 220-volt power socket.

Finished in white – with LEDs in the grille, LED headlamps and a central driving position, not unlike a McLaren F1 – it has no roof, and no full-sized windscreen, instead a small wind deflector and a roll hoop.

The electric driveline reportedly maintains the front-to-rear 40:60 weight distribution of the petrol original, and while mildly down on the twelve-cylinder engine’s power (225kW electric vs 272kW petrol), the electric motor offers 500Nm, up from the 451Nm of the 1989 Testarossa.

While the finished product is undoubtedly a conversation starter, the back story of how the Testa came to be is just as interesting.

The team from Gas Monkey Garage, headed up by Richard Rawlings, produced 16 seasons of ‘Fast and Loud’ on the Discovery Channel.

The show, a reality documentary-drama hybrid, showcased the workshop’s skills at restoring and customising cars.

To commence the ‘Testa’ project though, Mr Rawlings sourced not one, but five examples of the Ferrari that were used as screen ‘props’ in the 2021 film Infinite, starring Mark Wahlberg.

Mr Rawlings and Gas Monkey Garage have documented the purchase of the Testarossa(s) and the build of the ‘Testa’ on their YouTube channel.

Are you a fan of the Testa? Does it look like the future of performance driving or a bit like a race-car bed for kids? Let us know in the comments below.