Ferrari chairman John Elkann and senior company executives met the pontiff before unveiling the vehicle under a red cover. The Pope inspected the car closely, sat in the driver’s seat and listened as Ferrari test driver Raffaele De Simone explained the vehicle’s controls and driving modes.

Images from the Vatican meeting showed the Pope holding a Ferrari steering wheel and posing with engineers and technical staff from the Italian manufacturer.

Ferrari said the Luce uses four electric motors, one on each wheel, and delivers up to 1,040 horsepower. The company estimates a driving range of 530 kilometres, while acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 2.5 seconds. The model was designed with LoveFrom, the creative agency founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive.

Ferrari expects the electric supercar to go on sale for about €550,000, marking a major step for the Italian brand as luxury carmakers expand their electric line-ups worldwide.