Ferrari appears to have underestimated both the loyalty and the conservatism of its admirers. The Luce, which represents the brand's first sedan and first fully electric vehicle, was launched amid an unexpected wave of criticism, surprising the automaker.
With a price tag of US$ 640,000 (approximately R$ 3.3 million), this model diverges from many principles that characterize a Maranello sports car. It lacks the sound of combustion engines and the traditional Italian aggressive aesthetic, presenting a controversial look that resembles more of a technological device than a race car.
The Luce's design was developed by the LoveFrom studio, featuring designers Jony Ive—former head of design at Apple—and Marc Newson, in collaboration with Ferrari's design director, Flavio Manzoni. This association led critics to frequently compare the vehicle to Apple products. Emanuele Carando, Ferrari's global marketing director, confessed to the portal Edmunds that the company anticipated a divided response, but not to the extent that actually occurred.
Even the former company president, Luca di Montezemolo, made a pointed suggestion, asking Ferrari to remove the 'Cavallino Rampante' emblem from the new sedan's hood.
Despite the negative reception, the strategic decision was deliberate. According to Carando, the brand chose not only to electrify the basis of an existing model, such as the Purosangue, but also to capitalize on the benefits of electric architecture, which allows for a shorter hood and greater interior space.
The executive tried to reassure the public by drawing a parallel with the launch of the Purosangue itself, which also faced severe criticism and accusations of 'betraying the brand's history,' but which is now considered one of the manufacturer's most praised cars.
Under the body designed by LoveFrom, the Luce offers performance worthy of Ferrari, generating about 1,050 horsepower distributed across four electric motors—one in each wheel—and equipped with a 122 kWh battery. Interestingly, the interior, which incorporates physical controls in aluminum and glass, contradicting the trend of large screens seen in electric competitors, received praise even from those who criticized the exterior.
Presented in Rome in May, the Luce is also Ferrari's first five-seater model and the most expensive in the catalog, surpassing the Purosangue. Carando believes that the rejection will decrease over time, just as it happened with other controversial models in the past. For him, in terms of marketing, there is no bad advertising, as all negative attention functions as free promotion.
