Is Ferrari Luce the Apple Car and is it really wrong?

Ferrari Luce

It seems that for the last two days, no one has been talking about anything else, and indeed, it's a bit like that, but it's certainly not a coincidence. The paradigm shift that the Cavallino (Prancing Horse) has introduced with this car goes beyond discussions about design and technical specifications. It starts from the presentation.

An "unusual" event for Ferrari, which, in addition to the most reputable automotive publications, was attended by figures from the lifestyle, fashion, and tech worlds, as well as various influencers and communicators. So implicitly, the people from Maranello were already telling us: Luce is a new, different approach.

And this is also why, two days after the launch, we still find the new Ferrari practically everywhere, because with this move, Ferrari has invaded the web in every sector, even those far from the world of four wheels. But why undertake such an operation? Automotive enthusiasts, in the most traditional sense of the term, are starting to dwindle, and time is advancing. The younger generation may have less "pure" passion, but they are attentive to other details, to another type of specifications, and Ferrari, like every company, must also think about its future, even that future when historical enthusiasts will no longer walk this earth.

And this last point perhaps allows us to connect to the much-discussed design. Because those who are now teenagers, and in a few years may become wealthy Ferrari clients, might not know the names of Giugiaro, Pininfarina, or any other significant figures from the past and present. They may not even remember who Jony Ive is, but to explain it to them, you just need to say "iPhone," and in a second, they understand.

It is undeniable that in the interiors of the Luce, the lines of the iPhone 4 can be seen everywhere, the model that was a pivotal moment in the world of telephony, and it is equally undeniable that the bodywork, in terms of proportions and concepts, is very different from other Ferraris, even the more recent ones. However, we must remember that Ferrari Luce does not replace the other thermal or hybrid Ferraris, and this is a message that has been very poorly conveyed in these two days. It is certainly a different Ferrari, which can just as certainly not appeal to everyone's taste, but it is above all an additional, alternative choice that does not remove or erase the rest of Maranello's lineup.

Rather, it seems more appropriate to discuss the technical side, where it seems that Luce concedes a bit too much to the competition, even though the comparisons made are decidedly older projects. In these hours, social media is filled with comparisons to the Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Motor Air, or even supercars like Rimac Nevera. The electric Ferrari shows some vulnerability regarding acceleration, aerodynamics, overall efficiency, range, and even top speed. Despite having plenty of time and interesting ideas—such as the battery ready to be upgraded in the future—the engineers from Motor Valley failed to create the best electric car on the market, at least in one of the aforementioned specifications.

However, it is still true that driving dynamics and vehicle response can make a difference and put simple technical specification tables in the background, but for that, we will have to wait for the first test drives and initial feedback.