It was hot at the Balocco Circuit, even though the calendar said it was late April. The date itself was top secret, but the location was significant. Years earlier, it was here that I attended the official launch of the Alfa Romeo 4C.
This day, however, would be even more historic. I was about to get my first look at the new Ferrari Luce—a rare opportunity considering the car’s official debut was still about 30 days away.
This story originally appeared on Motor1 Italy
That’s right. The Luce was scheduled to be unveiled on May 25, 2026, the same day Ferrari celebrated the anniversary of its first victory at the Rome Grand Prix at the Baths of Caracalla 79 years earlier. I stood quietly off to the side as the video production team filmed the emotional launch video with Ferrari’s drivers.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton had yet to see the finished car, but they had already climbed behind the wheel of the prototype to put it through its paces. As they headed out, Ferrari chief test driver Raffaele De Simone—a man who, as he likes to say, grew up on “bread and gasoline”—turned to me and asked what I thought about an electric Ferrari.
And no, I don’t have any photographic evidence from that day. Naturally, my smartphone had stickers covering every camera. No photos. No video. And there was always a diligent—but very polite—police officer nearby making sure it stayed that way.
All that remains are the memories, filtered through words.
I’ll admit it: I was open to the idea. I was fascinated by the thought that Maranello—the Prancing Horse itself—was trying to capture, reinterpret, and translate the analog emotions we associate with Ferrari into an increasingly digital world.
Charles Leclerc And Lewis Hamilton Unveiling The Ferrari Luce
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
Fast forward.
The Ferrari Luce has now been unveiled, and there’s no doubt it has become one of the most talked-about cars—and, in some ways, one of the most divisive—in recent memory.
The styling. The design philosophy (we’ve already explained why it was created this way). The concept. The ideas behind it. Everything surrounding the car has sparked debate—from Ferrari’s decision to work with Jony Ive and Marc Newson to the goal of creating a five-seat model, and even the idea of an electric vehicle wearing the Prancing Horse badge.
But there’s one fundamental point that has been overlooked: The Ferrari Luce still hasn’t been seen in action. No one has seen it on the road. No one has experienced how it drives, how fast it feels, or, more simply, how its design comes alive when it’s moving.
In other words, we’re still missing the final piece of the puzzle. Visually, technically, dynamically. The most important element of any car—the driving experience—has yet to be witnessed by both those who praise it and those who criticize it. Yet everyone has already formed an opinion.
And sure, people who have already made up their minds probably won’t change them. Still… I saw something that day. And I had someone explain it to me firsthand.
Behind The Scenes At Maranello: A First Look With Marc Newson
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
Hidden behind a tent at Balocco, covered by a red sheet, sat the Ferrari Luce.
Standing beside me was Marc Newson. There were only a handful of people there, and the excitement was impossible to ignore. When the cover finally came off, I’ll admit it: I was surprised. Because the Luce, as we all know now, is something completely different.
Beautiful? Ugly? I don’t want to make that judgment. But that first look definitely caught me off guard. The car’s “full” proportions immediately bring to mind some of Carrozzeria Bertone’s experimental concepts from the 1970s—those kinds of designs that leave behind impressions and flashes of memory.
The lines are certainly softer, while Newson—who also spoke to me about his passion for vintage cars—explained some of the key ideas behind the design that we now know today.
Beautiful? Ugly? I don’t want to make that judgment. But that first look definitely caught me off guard.
There’s the 0.254 drag coefficient achieved without active aerodynamics, a deliberate choice to avoid adding weight or compromising the purity of the bodywork. There’s the black, teardrop-shaped cabin, separated from the aluminum body to create the front wing effect. There are redesigned and patented windshield wipers that generate micro-vortices along the pillars. There are 23- and 24-inch wheels, the largest ever fitted as standard to a Ferrari. And, of course, there are the round headlights.
The Luce looks like a crouching beast.
And I can confirm this: in person, it feels much larger and more planted than it appears in photos or videos. The rear three-quarter view is where the biggest debate will likely happen. I understood that immediately.
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
Inside, however, beyond any personal opinion about the styling, I appreciated the things you actually touch — and the idea of translating analog mechanical elements into digital form. The weight and feel of the levers, instruments, glass, and steering wheel were all details I appreciated without hesitation.
And you know what? When I returned to the newsroom the following day, almost everyone asked me the same question: what did I see?
I remember giving only one answer: “Think of every sketch and every rendering that tried to imagine this car. None of them came close.”
Behind The Wheel With The Drivers
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
The hot day at Balocco wasn’t just about revealing the finished car. There was also the prototype—covered in cameras and action cams—being used to capture the reactions of Ferrari’s drivers and engineers.
Yes, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were driving it that day. And ultimately, that’s what matters most with any car.
Watching the video crew work behind the scenes was an experience in itself. Anyone in this industry knows what goes into producing this kind of content. At Motor1.com Italia, we have talented professionals who shoot, edit, and create videos every day. But this was on another level—a much larger production, closer in scale to a movie set.
Enough talking. Let’s see what happens.
The Prince of Monaco is the first to take the driver’s seat. The Luce launches away, and I manage to watch it carve through a few sweeping corners in the distance before returning a few minutes later. Lewis, sitting in the passenger seat, steps out with one of his trademark smiles—although there’s a hint of tension behind it.
Apparently, that promise drivers make to each other—“we won’t push too hard”—is just a suggestion. Charles has no idea what’s waiting for him.
While the prototype is out on track, I spend some time speaking with the engineers. Then I spot Raffaele De Simone, who turns to me and asks the question that started it all: “What do you think about electric power?”
The Engineering: Weight Is The Enemy
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
“I grew up on bread and gasoline, so naturally I had my doubts about what we were doing. Then I realized the prototypes were showing enormous potential.”
Those are the words of Raffaele De Simone, Ferrari’s chief test driver. And if the person responsible for driving every new Ferrari before anyone else was initially skeptical—then changed his mind—that’s worth paying attention to.
At Maranello, the Luce project was built around five key “generators of emotion:” longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, braking, changes in revs, and sound. The challenge was integrating all of them into a single experience.
Because creating a car that’s fast in a straight line is easy. Anyone can do that. Creating an electric car that translates digital sensations into something that feels analog is much harder.
‘I grew up on bread and gasoline, so naturally I had my doubts about what we were doing.’
“In a sports car, weight is the enemy,” says Gianmaria Fulgenzi. “We look at the size and wheelbase, and we let ourselves be fooled. The Luce completely overturns that expectation. It rewrites the dynamic proportions of the car, and that was only possible through electrification.”
The Luce’s 800-volt, 122.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack was designed and assembled in Maranello. It also serves as a structural element of the chassis, lowering the center of gravity by nearly 3.7 inches compared with the Purosangue.
Ferrari says the result should deliver a dynamic feeling equivalent to reducing the car’s weight by roughly 882 pounds.
With torque vectoring through four independent motors, active suspension, rear-wheel steering, and Side Slip Control in its X configuration, the comparison being discussed inside Maranello is an ambitious one: handling close to that of the 296 GTB. All while carrying five occupants and weighing 4,982 pounds.
Braking And Paddles: Keeping The Analog Connection
Photo by: Ferrari
Braking is one of the areas where the Luce aims to challenge traditional EVs.
Regenerative braking works seamlessly alongside the 15.4-inch and 14.6-inch carbon-ceramic brakes, creating a dual braking system that combines electric and mechanical forces. Ferrari says it is unlike anything currently offered by other electric vehicles.
But the most interesting detail sits directly behind the steering wheel; the paddles remain.
An iconic Ferrari feature, they survive even without a traditional gearbox. Ferrari calls the system Torque Shift Engagement, a completely new concept designed to give drivers more control over the delivery of electric power.
Photo by: Ferrari
The right paddle controls five levels of torque delivery, while the left manages five levels of engine-braking effect. On corner entry, negative torque can be adjusted. On corner exit, power delivery is optimized based on grip and corner radius.
Everything serves one larger goal: creating a sound experience that doesn’t feel artificial.
On the Luce, the pickup system uses an accelerometer to capture the real vibrations of the powertrain and rear subframe. An algorithm then filters out unwanted frequencies and reproduces only the most desirable elements inside and outside the cabin.
No samples. No synthesized sounds. And ultimately, the decision remains with the driver: active in certain driving modes, disabled in others.
The Missing Piece
Photo by: Courtesy of Ferrari
Weeks have passed since that day, and the Ferrari Luce has sparked a debate unlike almost any car before it.
It has divided Ferrari purists and those curious enough to embrace something new. It has separated those who see it as a betrayal of the brand’s heritage from those who see it as a necessary gamble for the future.
Every opinion is valid. And by now, they’ve all been heard. But two things from that late April day still stay with me.
The first is my conversation with Raffaele De Simone. He openly admitted that he had doubts at first, but those doubts changed after experiencing the prototypes. The Luce, he explained, isn’t simply another new Ferrari. It represents new development paths, a different way of thinking about the dynamics of a sports car.
And when the man responsible for testing Ferraris before anyone else changes his mind, that means something. The second is this: even today, no one has truly seen the Luce in motion.
People have judged a photograph, a rendering, an idea, even a video. But all of it has been static. The real verdict—the one made with hands on the steering wheel, not thumbs scrolling on a smartphone—has yet to arrive.
Maybe it won’t change many opinions. Maybe some minds are already made up. But the principle remains. Judge the design if you want. Debate the philosophy. Question the technology. But cars are meant to be driven.
That day, I got a preview. Actually, even less than that. I only saw the car attack a few corners from a distance.
But I also heard something else—the reactions of the people behind the wheel, captured in that moment of silence and anticipation.
And yes, I haven’t forgotten the final detail.
The prototype returns to the pits. Hamilton steps out with a half-smile—this time far less tense than before. Leclerc gets out smiling too, although he’s sweaty, slightly pale, and immediately asks for a glass of water.
Never trust a driver when they say, “Let’s take it easy.”
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