Ferrari revealed the Luce on May 26, 2026, presenting the model as the company’s first battery-electric vehicle. The launch carried unusual visibility. Celebrities, influencers, and public figures attended the event, including Margrethe von der Groeben and Cleo Abram. Top Gear also appeared during the presentation, though reactions surrounding the unveiling felt mixed from the beginning.
One exception stood out. Jason Barlow praised the Luce enthusiastically, though the article describes his position as tied to Ferrari’s relationship with the media. Beyond those reactions, the editorial argues that the project drifted away from Ferrari’s traditional identity long before the public reveal even happened.
The Luce originated under Ferrari Centro Stile and Flavio Manzoni, while both exterior and interior styling work went to LoveFrom, the design studio founded by Jony Ive and fellow former Apple executive Marc Newson. Early impressions from the unveiling apparently suggested LoveFrom handled only the cabin work. The article disputes that assumption directly and links the entire exterior language to LoveFrom’s industrial design background.
“The fact is I don’t drive just to get from A to B. I enjoy feeling the car’s reactions, becoming part of it.”
Enzo Ferrari.
According to the editorial, Ferrari styling historically revolved around emotional surfaces, aggression, sensuality, and aerodynamic tension. The Luce receives the opposite criticism. Its shape gets compared to industrial consumer electronics and even to the BMW Vision iNext design philosophy. Another comparison appears later, this time involving the Mercedes EQ range and Jaguar’s failed I-PACE formula.
The text also references the 1999 Ford 021C concept by Marc Newson, arguing that several visual themes visible there later resurfaced on the Ferrari Luce. Door design similarities and front-and-rear fascia treatment receive specific mention.
The criticism grows sharper from there. The article argues that Ferrari leadership accepted the flawed idea that an electric Ferrari required an entirely new emotional identity because EVs lack traditional engine sound, vibration, and exhaust character. That decision, according to the writer, abandoned decades of Ferrari design language built around emotion and mechanical drama.
Another issue raised concerns the overall approval chain inside Ferrari. The editorial claims multiple stages existed where executives could have redirected the project before reaching the full-scale clay model phase, though reversing direction becomes harder once engineering packaging gets finalized.
The piece also mentions an interview involving Flavio Manzoni and Cleo Abram. During that discussion, Manzoni explained how the electric architecture permitted a more forward passenger compartment and different aerodynamic proportions. The article rejects those arguments entirely and describes them as ideas already explored unsuccessfully by Mercedes-Benz.
Near the end, the editorial argues again that Ferrari buyers pursue heritage, engineering precision, and performance rather than radical reinvention. Cool matters more than different, according to the writer.
Ferrari Luce – Photo Gallery
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