Controversial, sinful and outrageous, Ferrari Luce was designed for a moneyed audience on the other side of the world
Design is like football. We may not understand in depth. But he always sees himself as having the right to give a hint, a guess, convinced opinions about what is right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. It’s great that it’s like that, by the way.
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Like you, I found the Ferrari Luce a real mockery. The first opinion I saw about Luce was from an automotive journalist I respect a lot, now a content producer, João Anacleto, from the A Roda channel. He said more or less the following: “perhaps it is the first product of bad taste created in the history of Ferrari”. I tend to agree with him. Me and the fans of Palmeiras and Flamengo, united.
We live in the same bubble. Think about it. We, Brazilians, have historically consumed the same cars, we have more or less the same aesthetic standard, we were formed in the same school with the same cultural and artistic influences. It is normal that his entire circle of friends, acquaintances, WhatsApp groups and the like have decreed that this Ferrari is horrible.
But calm down. Not quite.
When you look for real information about the repercussion of this first appearance, and interpret it, Ferrari’s first 100% electric model divided the world into two irreducible blocks. Let’s talk about them.
On the one hand, enthusiasts and shareholders digest the weight of a five-seater crossover silhouette, designed by British designer Jony Ive, who had worked at Apple. Former president Luca di Montezemolo would have exclaimed something like “get the Cavallino Rampante out of the hood of this car”. Very Italian. On the Milan Stock Exchange, Ferrari shares plunged 8.3% after the first criticism.
Many critics accused the model of looking like an iPhone, clean and minimalist, devoid of that passionate aggressiveness that makes the heart race just by looking at it and that is a characteristic feature of the Ferrari and Pininfarina marriage over the last few decades.
The interior features three circular digital displays inspired by the 1970s. However, the central multimedia center stands out like a generic tablet leaning on a rod. For those who grew up worshipping the sculptural contours of Maranello’s models, Luce lacks, in fact, more elaborate strokes.
With a very low aerodynamic drag coefficient (Cx of 0.254), striving for efficiency, the first Ferrari in history with 100% electric propulsion and a body for 5 people, in fact, pleased few. Few among those who live with us, it must be said.
On the other hand, engineering delivered overwhelming numbers supported by partnerships even with NASA, which allowed a set of only 2,260 kg after largely using aerospace aluminum in the construction of the body. There are four electric motors, one per wheel, which total 1,050 hp of power in boost mode. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. The 800-volt architecture supports fast charging of up to 350 kW and guarantees a range of 530 km in the European cycle. On paper, Luce rewrites the rules of efficiency.
Ah… when I said that there were few defenders of Luce, who knows, maybe I can add it to this account… like… 1.4 billion people?
Here follows only an assumption. But I believe there must be a few thousand Chinese millionaires who rubbed their hands in ecstasy when they met Luce. Yes, I see a lot of the Chinese school of design in this Ferrari. More than that: I just got back from there, in April. I saw many cars on the streets of Beijing with exactly this stylistic proposal: futuristic crossover with organic and minimalist lines. This is not new to them. It may be for us, but for them it’s pinuts.
And then I pose the question: was Luce conceived for me, for you, for Montezemolo, or for the Chinese?
I give a relatively similar and recent example. I was already working as an automotive journalist and I saw this happen: when Porsche launched the Panamera in 2009, there was a very harsh reaction from traditional enthusiasts. One of the main reasons was precisely the perception that Porsche would be “giving in” to the demands of emerging markets and the Middle East, as well as China, in search of volume and profit.
At the time, many purists saw the Stuttgart-based manufacturer as an almost “sacred” manufacturer of two-seater or compact 2+2 sports cars, especially because of the legacy of the Porsche 911. A large, four-door sedan with a focus on comfort seemed, for this audience, a betrayal of the essence of the brand.
After 400 or 450 thousand units sold… Who was right? Porsche or enthusiasts?
Or I ask another question, even in a certain way rude, but which injects a huge dose of pragmatism into those who have not woken up from the magic of playing with cars on the living room carpet: “who pays the bills: legacy or new sales?”
I’m not defending Luce. I’m just taking a more corporate look at Ferrari’s decision to launch it with this final proposal.
I only proposed this thought so that we don’t always have this arbitrary feeling of thinking that our taste should prevail over reason. And the reason today, my friend, is that China consumes 30 million automobiles a year, including thousands of Ferraris. Anyone who wants to remain healthy on the board of the world automotive market WILL NEED to make a car that pleases the Chinese. Punto and enough.
