Something entirely different—especially on the inside

By Gary S. Vasilash

What’s interesting about the Ferrari Luce, the first-ever five-seat Ferrari as it is (1) based on an all-new platform and (2) happens to be an electric vehicle (according to Ferrari, its conventional setup with a front-mid engine and a rear gearbox doesn’t allow that center rear seating position), is that it doesn’t look like a Ferrari.

Which is probably a good thing for a new generation of buyers who don’t even remember the reboot of Magnum PI, to say nothing of the original.

The primary reason why it looks un-Maranello is because it wasn’t designed in the Ferrari Design Studio but by LoveFrom, “a creative collective of designers, architects musicians, film makers, writers, engineers and artists.”

Which was established by Sir Jony Ive of Apple fame. Who has been joined by Marc Newson, who has designed everything from furniture to table wear to the Ford 021C concept car of 1999 which, incidentally, he designed at the Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, Italy.

Small world. (Maranello is about 190 miles from Turin.)

Ive may have developed a car, too, the one that Apple worked on, but at the moment that’s not apparent to the outside world.

In the description of the 021C proffered by Newson’s studio it says:

“The car interior is a primary focus, relating strongly to Marc’s signature furniture designs.”

And arguably the interior of the Luce says “This wasn’t designed by typical automotive interior designers” far more forcefully than the exterior says “This wasn’t designed. . . .”

There are mechanical buttons. Dials. Toggles. Switches. Aluminum. Gorilla Glass (a nod to the iPhone?).

The analog clock looks remarkably like the classic Braun alarm.

Yes, yes, there is digital tech, too.

But the interior design is something that the driver tactually engages with.

And that is what I think Ive brings to it. He knows there is a difference between staring at a screen and directing a vehicle with a reported 0 to 100 km/h time of 2.5 seconds.

That’s the difference between a guy who spent his career designing for the leading consumer digital products company and someone who works in the auto industry and wishes they were in Cupertino.