The Anatomy of the Biggest Design Misfire in Ferrari’s history

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By: Sergiu Tudose

“I have yet to meet anyone quite so stubborn as myself and animated by this overpowering passion that leaves me no time for thought or anything else. I have, in fact, no interest in life outside racing cars.” - Enzo Ferrari.

The date is May 26, 2026, and Ferrari has unveiled its first-ever battery-electric vehicle, the Luce. It’s a significant moment. They even invited some the world’s most popular tech influencers and science communicators such as Marques Brownlee and Cleo Abram to the event. We also saw that Top Gear were on hand for the presentation, but the general atmosphere seems to have been the same among all participants, more or less.

They refrained from drawing any final conclusions about the car’s design – except for Top Gear editor-at-large, Jason Barlow, who was gushing over the Luce in what I can only assume was a blatant attempt to appease a brand that’s notorious for having a complicated relationship with the press. When it comes to Ferrari, you’re either friend or foe. There’s no in-between.

Anyway, let’s start from the beginning, the moment where everything went wrong.

As you might already know, the Luce wasn’t designed by the Ferrari Centro Stile team, led by Flavio Manzoni. Its design, both inside and out, was outsourced to the LoveFrom agency, founded by Jony Ive (former Apple design boss), and fellow designer Marc Newson. Before the unveiling, most of us were under the impression that LoveFrom only handled the interior design. How wrong we were.

The exterior design language of the Luce clearly reflects LoveFrom’s industrial styling DNA. They know how to do clear surfaces and appliance-like designs for luxury products. What does any of that have to do with a Ferrari? Obviously nothing, and the Luce is the result of a series of poor decisions.

I don’t need to remind anyone that designing a car exterior goes well beyond just designing an “object”. It’s a very specific discipline, with over a century of accumulated aerodynamic, emotional, mechanical, cultural, and proportion-based wherewithal. Neither Jony Ive nor Marc Newson have any sort of experience with car designs. Zero.

Yes, Ive was reportedly consulted on the Apple Car project (which failed to see the light of day), but other than that, having him and Newson design a new Ferrari is like having me in the Lakers starting lineup instead of LeBron James.

“The fact is I don’t drive just to get from A to B. I enjoy feeling the car’s reactions, becoming part of it.” - Enzo Ferrari.

Let me circle back to Newson for a moment, because he actually did design a one-off, retro-futuristic concept, unveiled by Ford at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show. It was called the Ford 021C, and what do you know, it has a similar front and rear fascia design philosophy to the Ferrari Luce. The same goes for the design of the doors. The following image says it all. 

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Dragos Chitulescu

Are you still unsure whether Gran Turismo 7's Power Pack DLC is worth buying or not? I thought this story might help you decide. I've been playing it for almost six months now, and today's story is a comprehensive list of all the events inside.

The only reason I could think of for you not to buy the DLC is if you're just a casual player who only wants a relaxing racing experience. There's plenty of that in the base game, and the Power Pack is mainly good if you need to up the ante.

You will be racing against Sophy 3.0, and it's up to you to change between three difficulty settings based on the car you'll choose for each event.

After one of the more recent updates for GT7 you can now use one of the cars you have in your garage, but that doesn't sound like a fun idea to me. We've got a total of 50 races to go through, and you can earn a lot of credits here.

It's even better with the new Power Pack Challenges that come with extra bonuses rewarding you for simply completing one, two or three races per week. I've won 33 of the 46 races I've competed in and only have the four Endurance ones left.

Category: Historic

You can start with any of the "themes" you like here, but you must work your way up the ladder to reach the more important events and the rewards. "Historic" branches out in three directions, highlighted by yellow. The Hakosuka '70s mini championship Is the starting point. With the Power Pack DLC you get the typical race weekend format with a Practice session at first, then qualifying and then the main event. You can skip straight to the race if you're confident enough.

However, I chose to go through at least one or two laps in qualifying beforehand. The old Skyline GT-R is your best bet at winning here, while the Fairlady 240ZG and the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce get the 1-Chilli and 2-Chilli difficulty ratings. After three laps in Suzuka, you're looking at four laps at Brands Hatch (GP Circuit). Given you've racked up enough stars (maximum of 20 per event), you will be able to unlock the tuned KPGC10 which is worth 700,000 credits and isn't available anywhere else.

I'd suggest you tackle the Historic Rally championship next, with two events adding up to 9-race laps (Sardegna Windmills and Lake Louise Long Track). I've won these in the 911 Turbo Rally and might be foolish enough to switch straight to the Stratos next. There's a 4-star roulette ticket waiting for you after this, and then you could either go for one of the remaining options: A Celebration of Sarthe or Group C Memories.

That's a total of six more races, including a 24-Hours battle at Le Mans. It's your chance to drive some of the most expensive and exciting cars in Gran Turismo 7: the Porsche 917K, the Ferrari 330 P4, the Ford GT40 Mark I, and five different Group C machines. If you want to talk rewards, then know this: you're in for two 6-Star Roulette Tickets (one for a car), a 5-Star ticket and 750,000 credits "cash". And this is all just from one branch in the Power Pack.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Cristian Agatie

We've known for a long time that Ferrari was working on an electric supercar, with the first rumors dating back to 2017, when Sergio Marchionne reigned supreme at FCA. After the outspoken CEO vowed in 2016 that Ferrari would never make an EV, calling it "an obscene concept," he told journalists at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show that Ferrari would be the first to build an electric supercar.

We'd forgive Marchionne for speaking so strongly against EVs, especially as he had similarly strong feelings about SUVs. Well, he was right about one thing, though, and that was when he said that Ferrari would build an electric supercar before Tesla. With the Tesla Roadster 2.0 still missing in action, we can say that the just-announced Ferrari Luce took the limelight.

Of course, we can't call the Luce an electric supercar without sending people rolling on the floor laughing so hard that their jaws would fracture. Ferrari's first electric car is hardly menacing, let alone impressing anyone. With its cartoonish appearance, we can admit that it's at least "approachable and more egalitarian," as Ive said, even if that was probably never a goal in Maranello. 

To say that the Ferrari Luce's design is "a conversation starter" would be a serious understatement. The unveiling caused a deluge of criticism on the internet and social media, with everyone feeling the urge to give their five cents. Just by looking at how many articles have Ferrari Luce as the newstag here at autoevolution, I'd say it's one of the most talked-about car launches in history. 

People likened the Luce to a Honda concept, while others couldn't help but notice similarities with the late Apple Car's renderings. Probably the most critical were Italians, which is understandable, considering that they don't want a Brit thrashing one of their most beloved brands. 

Ferrari's former CEO, Luca di Montezemolo, was blunt: "I just hope someone removes the Prancing Horse from that car. We risk destroying a legend, which saddens me greatly. At least this is a car the Chinese won’t copy." 

However, before criticizing the Luce too much, think for a while of the old wisdom that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." And recognize that Ferrari wasn't designing this car for the Western customers. The Ferrari Luce is built with the Chinese market in mind, and I can see how the design might actually turn from a liability into an asset in this case.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Florin Amariei

Nowadays, anyone can go anywhere if they have eyes, an internet connection, and some sort of connected device that can access free navigation apps. Having a car is nice, but not required since adventures can happen on a scooter, a bicycle, or even a skateboard. While we might have gotten used to the ease of traveling unfamiliar roads, some taxi drivers cannot rely solely on technology to take passengers from A to B.

They need to know the map of one of the world’s largest cities by heart, while also being capable of driving quickly from one street to another or from a monument to a restaurant without receiving instructions from passengers, using Google Maps, or asking for directions. That’s because Transport for London (TfL) wants people driving the iconic London black cabs to be as knowledgeable as humanly possible.

That’s, in part, suggested by the name of the test prospective London taxi drivers must take. It’s called “The Knowledge,” it's been around since 1865, and it consists of 320 routes drivers must memorize. But applicants must first pass a character test and obtain a clean bill of health from a doctor before being considered for the test.

After they clear the first hurdle, prospective London cabbies will have to learn all the routes that are within six miles of Charing Cross and all the roads and landmarks that are within a quarter mile of the end point of each route.

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Well, that’s not the end of it! The test itself is split into no less than six stages.

First, applicants get six months to learn the first 80 of the 320 routes and must test their knowledge via tests that can be done in the comfort of their own homes because these assessments do not count toward their final score. However, they are mandatory.

Second, when applicants feel like they are ready, they can take the written multiple-choice exam consisting of 30 questions. It must be taken within two years after passing the initial health and character checks.

Third, if they pass the written exam that requires at least 18 correct answers, they get to meet with examiners face to face… On three separate occasions!

Each time, they get four questions about the shortest route between two places in the UK’s capital city and must answer at least two of them correctly. Applicants get grades ranging from A to D. If they receive more Ds than Cs, Bs, or As, they will have to repeat the oral examination.

Keep in mind that there are over 6,000 points of interest in London, and street names are not necessarily a part of them. 

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Mircea Panait

Having captured a 1-2 finish in the FIA Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally, the Defender OCTA-based D7X-R racer appears to be Land Rover's inspiration for the next iteration of the Defender OCTA. While not a copy-paste job, the D7X-R influences are very noticeable, beginning with the dual A-pillar intakes of this dynamic testing prototype.

Faired into the pillars, the intakes are joined by a 35-inch tire package. Said all-terrain rubber fills out heavily extended wheel arches. Look even closer, and you will further notice a wider stance than you get with the standard mode. Combined with revised bodywork and trimmed sills, the Land Rover Defender OCTA Dakar sure ticks all the right boxes.

Blending rally-raid engineering lessons with series-production realities, the newcomer could be a limited-run bruiser with a noticeably higher starting price than the regular model's base MSRP. Speaking of the Defender OCTA, the $158,300 sport utility vehicle with incredibly clever 6D Dynamics air suspension is rocking a BMW twin-turbo V8 that puts out 626 horsepower and up to 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) when engaging launch control.

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While many automakers do their best to deliver exciting vehicles that keep internal combustion alive despite tightening emissions, the one and only Enzo Ferrari is likely spinning in his grave to recharge the battery of the Italian automaker's worst-looking production vehicle to date. And while "worst-looking" may be subjective, there is no denying that the Luce is a different stylistic breed from any Fezza that money can buy for the 2027 model year.

Penned with an intentional detour from the Prancing Horse's traditional styling cues by two guys who had never designed a production vehicle before, the Luce was overseen by Flavio Manzoni and his Ferrari Centro Stile team. Be that as it may, a number of pixel meisters did a better job than all of them by deleting two doors, lowering the roof, and stretching the front end to deliver a much sportier and more elegant silhouette.

In both cases, the philosophy is that the Luce must be instantly recognizable through proportions alone. It's a return-to-tradition argument, if you will. The rendering artist known as "ildar_project" on social media completely reverses the Luce's foundational premise.

Moving the cabin backward to make room for a longer and more downward nose. The greenhouse gives off 296 and 488 vibes, and in combination with five-spoke alloys, the resulting two-seat affair is much easier on the eyes. Furthermore, the mid-engine aesthetic is far more exotic than Ferrari's idea of an electric vehicle as well.

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Sugar Chow went one step further, deleting the rear-haunch intakes to create a much cleaner profile. His choice of alloy wheels also makes a lot of sense due to the narrower spokes that emphasize refinement.

Said artist reimagined the rear end of the Luce as well, giving it a short deck and noticeably prettier taillights. In combination with a massive aerodynamic diffuser and subtle aero trickery in the area of the rear lights, the Sugar Chow rendition is pretty darn cool.

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"boring.cars" on Instagram came up with his very own CGI updates for the Luce, but as opposed to the other two artists, he started off by mounting a set of cheap-looking steel wheels on the car. The poverty-spec theme continues with the front end of the Prius, which is badly outsold by the more affordable Corolla Hybrid despite being the best-looking Prius to date.

A different version of the "boring.cars" rendering swaps the 'Yota face in favor of a Rivian, and curiously enough, the hyper-minimalist and geometric arrangement works marvelously as well.

As a final point, it does not matter whether you like or hate what Jony Ive and Mark Newson delivered with the highly controversial Luce. What matters is that everyone and their dog reacted as they saw fit. And from a business standpoint, it also matters how Ferrari will interpret our thoughts on the Luce as the Italian automaker expects battery-electric vehicles to account for 20 percent of its sales mix by 2030.

By: Bogdan Popa

With I/O now in the rear-view mirror, it's time for Google to start working on the big Android Auto it promised at the show. An unannounced feature is already rolling out, as the first users are now seeing an updated media card that provides access to multiple apps from the Coolwalk screen.

Meanwhile, Gemini is still feeling like a painful downgrade on Android Auto. The AI-powered chatbot can't even show the correct weather forecast, so here's how to set up everything properly to get the right information in your car.

The Google Maps and Waze teams have been busy for different reasons.

Google Maps has received an update courtesy of Dua Lipa, with a new Pegman that appears in several locations, such as Los Angeles. For devs working on Waze, this week witnessed the struggle with another major bug on CarPlay, with the app failing to load the map correctly unless users reboot their iPhones.

Eventually, CarPlay received an update that makes some people wonder if these apps should be allowed behind the wheel in the first place. Live lyrics are now available on CarPlay, even while you drive, thanks to the Live Activities integration. 

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