Ferrari CEO Gives Tesla's New Roadster a Perfect 10/10 for Tech and Presentation

Tesla's redesigned Roadster has a fan in a place you might not expect. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna scored the Roadster reveal a perfect 10 out of 10 for technology and another 10 out of 10 for presentation. It's a rare public compliment from the head of one of the world's best-known supercar makers, and it shows how much attention Tesla's halo car is getting, even with deliveries still a couple of years off.

What happened

Vigna joined an automotive conference in Milan by video from India. The event was hosted by the Italian car magazine Quattroruote, and Reuters reported his remarks. He said Tesla's reimagined Roadster proves that a mature industry still has room for big, bold ideas.

He went beyond a polite nod to a competitor. Speaking as a European, Vigna thanked Tesla for showing that an "old world" industry can still innovate and take risks. He added that there's still a lot left to do in the automotive world and that carmakers have to keep dreaming.

It's easy to see why the reveal stood out. At last week's Roadster event, Tesla showed off stunts that look more like an action movie than a product launch:

• The Roadster drove upside down on an inverted ramp.
• It did a "kickflip" over the rest of Tesla's lineup.
• It hit 0-60 mph in 0.81 seconds with help from cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX.

Why it matters

When a Ferrari CEO calls a rival's car a perfect 10, people notice. Ferrari has its own reasons to care about bold ideas right now. Its shares dropped in May after it revealed the Ferrari Luce, the brand's first fully electric vehicle, which it designed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his studio, LoveFrom. Vigna said that outside help made a real difference. In his view, Ferrari wouldn't have ended up where it did working alone, because outsiders pushed the company to rethink a lot of its assumptions.

The new Roadster is also clearly aiming at Ferrari's turf. The 2017 concept had curvy styling that matched the rest of Tesla's lineup. The production design swaps that for a low, wedge-shaped body and manual scissor doors, which puts it much closer to classic Italian supercars. Under the skin, Tesla lists 1 MW of power, active aerodynamics, and a suction fan system that creates enough downforce for the car to drive upside down.

Wall Street was more cautious. Tesla stock rose at first after the event, but analysts pointed out that customers won't get cars for a few years. The Roadster was first announced in 2017, went through years of delays and a complete redesign, and is now scheduled to start production in 2028.

What this means for EV owners

Most of us won't be lining up a 1 MW Roadster against a Ferrari anytime soon. Still, the praise is a reminder of how far EV technology has come, and a lot of that progress already shows up in the cars in our driveways. The same push for performance and efficiency that produced the Roadster also shaped today's Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck.

If the Roadster news has you thinking about your own Tesla, now is a good time to get the basics sorted:

• Charging at home: A good home setup makes daily driving easier. Browse our EV chargers collection for home and portable options.
• Charging on the road: The right adapter opens up more public stations. Our adapters collection covers the common connector types.
• Vehicle-specific upgrades: Find accessories built for your exact model in our shop-by-vehicle collection, including Highland, Juniper, and Cybertruck gear.

For quick install tips and product walkthroughs, check out our Watch and Learn page.

"As a European, thank you for showing us how that, even in an old world, you can still innovate and dare." — Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, as reported by Reuters

The bottom line

Ferrari's CEO gave Tesla's Roadster top marks for technology and presentation and openly thanked Tesla for proving that carmakers can still take big swings. Production doesn't start until 2028, so a real track battle between the Roadster and Ferrari is still a long way off. For now, Tesla has impressed one of its biggest would-be rivals, and that's a good sign for anyone who thinks the most exciting EVs are still ahead.