A powerboat designed 25 years ago is being compared to the Tesla Cybertruck, even though it came decades earlier.

At the time, it looked too strange to fit in.

Now, it’s coming back…  and suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Because the world around it has finally caught up.

Code X didn’t just resemble something futuristic – it was built that way from the start.

Created by Italian engineer Fabio Buzzi around 25 years ago, the catamaran came out of a collaboration with Swiss entrepreneur Peter Grauer

He wanted a boat built around renewable energy ideas long before they were part of the mainstream conversation.

Because of that brief, Buzzi pushed the design in a completely different direction.

Instead of the slim, purely performance-focused hulls typical of high-speed boats, Code X used wide, angular forms that prioritized both stability and interior space.

The result was something that looked engineered rather than styled.

All sharp edges and flat surfaces.

Which is exactly why the Tesla Cybertruck comparison is being made today.

But the similarities go deeper than looks.

The deck was lined with solar panels feeding lithium-ion batteries, supporting onboard systems and hinting at hybrid thinking long before that language became standard. 

Underneath, a triple-flap system manipulated airflow to increase lift and stability, allowing the boat to exceed 60 knots while still maintaining efficiency and comfort.

So while it looked unusual at the time, it wasn’t built to follow trends.

It was built ahead of them.

And yet, despite all of that, Code X didn’t stick around.

After its initial debut, it disappeared into storage, largely forgotten for years.

Not because it failed, but because it arrived at a moment when its ideas didn’t quite land.

Now, that context has shifted.

The powerboat has been restored and returned to the water, and it’s set to appear at the Venice International Boat Show from May 27 to 31.

And according to the team behind its return, the timing finally makes sense.

“The ideas Buzzi explored 25 years ago are still relevant today,” the Code X team told Supercar Blondie.

“Its design and features match what modern customers expect.”

That shift in perspective is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

At the same time, the Cybertruck comparison hasn’t hurt.

The team believes it ‘fuels public awareness and sparks new curiosity’.

So instead of feeling like a strange relic from another era, Code X is suddenly being seen in a completely different light.

Design language like sharp angles and exposed geometry is no longer unfamiliar, and conversations around solar power, battery tech, and cleaner energy have moved from the margins into the mainstream. 

What once felt experimental no longer is.

Ahead of its time, no more.