Sneaky Ferrari EV Mule Tries to Fool Us With Fake Sounds and Faker Exhaust

Exclusive automakers like Ferrari try their best to keep their upcoming products a secret for several good reasons. One, so they can eventually make a big splash and surprise their wealthy clients. And two, they don’t want to give away any details of vehicle development to the competition. This Ferrari EV test mule caught on video cruising around Maranello is really trying to keep things secretive, but boy, it’s not doing a very good job at it.

Caught by YouTuber Acriore, a high-riding Ferrari can be seen going in and out of the company’s factory gates wearing the usual pre-production camouflage. The first thing you’ll notice is the electrical voltage warning stickers on the hood, sides, and rear of the car. This decal is reserved for vehicles with high-voltage powertrains, such as EVs. Before you fire off in the comments, yes, some plug-in hybrids with large batteries could technically be seen wearing these, but there are other dead giveaways that this is an EV and not a PHEV.

As highlighted by the spy photographer, the glue-on exhaust pipes are comical. They are squeaky clean, attached with what looks like reflective foil or heat tape, and they aren’t even set straight. Besides being misaligned and not matching the overall design of the car, an up-close shot of the pipes in this video reveals that they’re simply hollow inside and not connected to anything. A for effort, I suppose.

Then there’s the fake engine sound itself. Listen closely and you’ll hear a low growl emanating from the test mule as it drives by the YouTuber. It’s quite realistic and has a hint of V8 rumble in it. However, the fluctuations in the “exhaust” sound and the car’s driving dynamics don’t match. This sound is very likely coming from a speaker similar to that of the Fiat 500e Abarth or the newest Dodge muscle cars.

All fakeness aside, it’s safe to assume that the overall shape of the vehicle is somewhat representative of what we’ll see when Ferrari unveils its first EV. The concept’s profile looks similar to the Purosangue‘s, although it’s hard to say precisely without seeing the thing in person. From what we can tell, the EV will ride higher than the brand’s sports cars, have four doors, and with a large trunk, cater to those with active lifestyles.

The electric Ferrari is rumored to debut next year with a starting price north of $500,000.

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