WHAT EVERYONE GOT WRONG ABOUT FERRARI'S ELECTRIC CAR

THE UNVEILING OF THE LUCE SPARKED OUTRAGE. THAT KNEE-JERK REACTION MISSES THE POINT OF THIS GROUND-BREAKING CAR

- DANIEL BENNETT

When the invite for the launch of the new electric Ferrari landed on my desk a couple of weeks ago, it felt significant. Momentous, even. But boy, did I underestimate just how important the Luce would be.

Because when the first images of it appeared online, people (well, those who inhabit the comment sections of national newspapers, at least) lost their minds. The outrage was palpable. The Luce’s design was derided, and those who liked it were vilified.

Since the unveiling, Ferrari has lost eight per cent of its share value (the company’s market cap dropped by around €7bn).

That alone shows the Luce is a car that holds huge significance (as if its formal introduction to the Pope didn’t – his reaction to it: inscrutable).

WHAT WENT WRONG?

The Luce doesn’t look like a Ferrari. It also won’t sound like a Ferrari, and it probably won’t move like a Ferrari (no one’s actually driven it yet). So naturally, Ferrari fans are extremely disappointed.

But the press loved it. Why the dissonance?

Well, novelty most likely. When you spend every day scrutinising new products, it tickles your brain when something unexpected turns up, whether it’s a phone, a speaker or a new car. And that’s what we have here: there’s just so much about the Luce that, on close inspection, will set a new standard for Ferraris, electric cars and even the way we think about design in general.