“We are convinced that a company demonstrates its leadership when it has the courage to dare and to take on the challenge of new technologies. The Ferrari Luce is the result of more than 60 of our new patents and lies at the heart of an ecosystem of collaborations with outstanding technology partners. We have created a car that combines unique driving emotions with extraordinary performance, driving pleasure, and comfort for the Ferraristi of today and tomorrow."

So says Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna, as the company unveils a car that takes electrification and technical innovation to new levels. Intriguing in its own right, the story deepens when you factor in the decision to approach the design in an unconventional way, intended to underline its uniqueness on a technological level as well. Hence the idea of entrusting the project to a designer from outside the Ferrari Design Studio, headed by Flavio Manzoni. The creative collective LoveFrom was in fact brought on board and tasked with bringing an innovative experience of the luxury sector to enable cross-fertilization and inspire new design languages.

Ferrari Chairman, John Elkann, has known its co-founders, Sir Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson, for some time, and the result is described as an “unconventional, multidisciplinary perspective.”

But while the Ferrari Luce is brave, bold, and fascinating, it’s also every millimetre a Ferrari in terms of engineering excellence and innovation. The headlines are as follows: it is powered by four electric engines, one on each wheel, has a power output of 1,050 cv, can accelerate to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds, has a top speed of 310 km/h, and has a range of 530km fully charged. It uses a 122 kWh battery pack, has an 800V architecture, and weighs 2,260kg.

However, this really is a different sort of Ferrari for a different sort of Ferrari client. Indeed, for many the Luce may be their first Ferrari, persuaded by the zero emissions powertrain and seamless high performance, but also by its versatility; there is room on-board for five and a capacious hatchback.

It’s also a car that has an immediate and powerful visual impact. The Ferrari Luce is highly aerodynamic, has a passenger cell that sits almost self-contained within the body, and rear-hinged doors. The windscreen flows directly into the bonnet, and ends under a flowing, floating front wing. Its shutlines are millimetrically precise, particularly where the trailing edge of the bonnet meets the windscreen. The wipers park at either side rather than in the middle. It’s a truly compelling piece of design, one that imports subtle cues from Ferraris past.

It’s also a technical triumph. The Ferrari Luce enjoys unprecedented control of each wheel in all three axis – lateral, longitudinal and vertical – with particular emphasis on the lateral body dynamic. A new ‘vehicle control unit’ (VCU) networks all the systems and updates targets 200 times per second. The front engines deliver 210kW at the axle, the rears 620KW, and there’s mammoth torque – a total of 7750Nm at the wheels. Efficiency, energy density and thermal management have all been prioritised. The front engines can spin at up to 30,000rpm, and can go from zero to maximum in less than a second. And while the Ferrari Luce itself is zero emissions at the ‘tail-pipe’, Ferrari has also achieved a 70 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions during the production phase thanks to clever use of secondary aluminium alloys.

Other technical highlights include the use of a separate, elastically mounted subframe – for the first time on a Ferrari – which helps minimise unwanted vibrations. The sound a Ferrari makes is obviously a core attribute, and the Ferrari Luce uses a precision accelerometer at the centre of the rear axle to capture the natural frequencies of the rotating components. These are then equalised and amplified in a manner similar to an electric guitar. This is all part of creating a truly engaging EV, a mission taken further with the Torque Shift Engagement system, which increases driving pleasure by delivering torque demand progressively during cornering. An e-manettino joins the traditional Ferrari chassis one, and oversees power, the torque curve, traction, and performance via ‘Range’, ‘Tour’ and ‘Performance’ settings.

There’s a virtual diff, torque vectoring on all four wheels, and active suspension. Ferrari’s Side Slip Control system reaches v.X here, and is part of a wider armoury of chassis software technology that enables the Ferrari Luce to handle and perform like no other electric car. Regenerative braking is also critical here, but physical carbon ceramic brakes (390mm up front, 372mm at the rear) ensure that the blend between electric and friction braking is seamless.

LoveFrom has also completely reimagined the interior. Open all four doors and every surface is meticulously engineered. Even the door hinges have a sculptural quality. The three-spoke steering wheel is made of recycled aluminium and contains 19 separate CNCed parts. An aluminium substrate spans the length of the dashboard, which is punctuated by elegant air vents whose aluminium shields flip with a satisfying tactility. The instruments ahead of the driver feature OLED technology; they use convex lenses with a parallax effect for magnification and clarity. Their colour changes depending on which chassis mode is selected. The needle in the speedometer is made of aluminium and polycarbonates, and is back-lit. The launch control lever is in the panel above, inspired by the instruments you’d find in a helicopter. The overall effect blends analogue and digital, automotive and aeronautic.

The center console is another functional masterpiece which makes extensive use of glass. That’s been developed by Corning®, whose work on the Gorilla® glass has enabled them to create something both visually and practically robust inside the Ferrari Luce. The key lives in a special recess and uses E ink so that the yellow in the Ferrari logo transfers to the drive selector when the key is docked. The clock top right on the central screen, which pivots on a ball-and-socket joint, takes its inspiration from mechanical chronographs, and also doubles as a stopwatch and compass. Even the seat runners have been reimagined, such is the attention to detail. There’s a new audio system, with 21 speakers, a 3000-watt output, and processing done by proprietary Ferrari software. There’s also a phenomenal amount of room in the rear compartment, where three full-size adults can sit side-by-seat in total comfort.

In line with the principle of technological neutrality, Ferrari Luce enables the Company to expand its portfolio in terms of design and engineering into a new and exciting field.