Ferrari’s all-electric Luce has been attracting significant criticism since its launch on May 25, as car enthusiasts were not able to get their heads around the brand’s offbeat creation, which marked a sharp departure from Ferrari’s heritage.
The dislike even spilled onto Ferrari’s stocks, which dropped over 6% overnight, wiping out nearly $5 billion. Clearly, there were more critics than supporters of the Luce.
While the hate added to the brand’s PR campaign because now even non-car people know what the Luce really is, it remains to be seen if Ferrari has a damage control trick up its sleeve to cool things down.
However, Ferrari purists and automotive lovers have not only bashed the Maranello-based company but also those who liked the Luce.
Captain Slow Comes Under Fire on Instagram
Renowned car presenter James May, known for his work in The Grand Tour and BBC Top Gear, came under fire from fans on Instagram for a video where he said he loved the Luce and praised the car’s looks.
May held a different opinion from common belief, and his liking of the Luce comes as no surprise. What has really irked supercar lovers is the fact that the Luce does not look like a car that hits 60 mph in under three seconds and reaches speeds of over 180 mph.
While it meets those performance expectations, a non-aggressive look and the absence of large exhaust pipes, spoilers, and splitters do not make it look ‘special’ like other Ferrari supercars and hypercars.
Functionality and simplicity are what define the Luce, two features on a car that May would absolutely adore. Revealing his opinion on Ferrari’s first EV, May said in a video posted by BBC Radio 4 on Instagram:
“I like it. I think it is interesting that Ferrari have done something very contemporary, very, very modern, which I think has been part of the definition of Ferrari styling over the years.
“They’ve always been very much of their time, which is why their cars turn into the great classics that they do. It was about four or five years ago. I was at Ferrari, and one of their senior bosses said to me quite emphatically when I asked him [about electric cars], ‘We are not interested in making the electric car.’
“And here we are. I sort of thought they would eventually, to be honest. How could they not? I think it is a genuine demand. I think people are becoming interested in electric cars, and some people will want an electric Ferrari.
“Now the interesting thing about Ferraris, if you go back 20 years or so, you would always find some enthusiast would say, ‘when you buy a Ferrari, really you’re buying the engine, and the rest of the car comes free.’
“That was something that people used to love to say because Ferrari’s heritage in racing and therefore in engines and in extracting the maximum power from them through clever engineering. That made them make nice noises and have nice vibrations; they were a pleasure to operate.
“So all that goes with an electric Ferrari. It’s more of a car than a supercar.”
View this post on Instagram
Luce Haters Disagree With May and Troll Him in the Comments
People in the comments section strongly disagree with some of May’s views. Some reactions are below:
One user wrote that the Luce does not carry Ferrari DNA:
“The Ferrari DNA is definitely not there” [sic]
Another user wrote:
“Sounds like someone’s trying to secure a build slot for a limited run Ferrari.”
Has May lost them?
“James May has finally lost his marbles.”
The Luce looks more like a Honda, according to one user:
“If someone told me it’s the next Honda civic, I would have believed it before I even blink.”
The computer mouse analogy is a new one:
“It looks more like a computer mouse than a car” [sic]
Another user wrote:
“Oh how good, the marketing team can say that “this Ferrari is endorsed by captain slow” …”