An exclusive behind-the-scenes report from the secretive launch of Ferrari's first electric car, the £500,000 Luce, in Rome, detailing extreme security measures, polarising design reactions, and the revelation of an early preview for the Pope.
Mamma Mia! What a week. And it's not over yet. I've spent the past few days in Rome at the launch of Ferrari's first and controversial new £500,000 electric car - Luce (Italian for light).
My report in Tuesday's Daily Mail and on DailyMail.com sparked a massive reaction, revealing that the Pope was granted an early peek at the car, and may even have driven it. But the bald facts barely scratch the surface - so here's a rare peek behind the scenes amid the most intense secrecy and security I have experienced in more than 30 years as the Mail's longest serving motoring editor.
Firstly, it was clear at first sight that this radical car was going to divide opinion. The backlash has been huge, including parody renderings on social media. Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo was scathing, saying it should not carry the brand's famous 'prancing horse' badge - but at least it was one car the Chinese wouldn't want to copy.
Supporters, such as former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter James May, a Ferrari fan and owner, rallied to its defence. But the car is at best Marmite - a taste some love and others hate. Ferrari were braced for that. It's why the design challenge to 'think outside the box' was out-sourced to San Francisco-based company LoveFrom, headed by British design guru Sir Jony Ive, who created the first iPhone.
But how to launch it on an unsuspecting world? First: secrecy and security. Journalists invited to the unveiling - held the weekend before details went public on Monday - had to sign a non-disclosure agreement threatening legal action and 'damages' of at least half a million euros if the terms were breached and photographs leaked early.
Camera lenses on all mobile phones, iPads and laptop computers were sealed with stickers for the two-day lockdown held at Rome's spectacular and cavernous Vela di Calatrava complex. These seals were rigorously and repeatedly checked. But the highlight was being transported through Rome at rush hour in a presidential-style cavalcade with police cars and motorbikes stopping three lanes of motorway traffic and blocking slip roads. It felt only fitting to play the theme from The Italian Job as accompaniment.
Then followed detailed presentations from engineers, designers, dynamic experts and even test drivers, with 30 minutes of exclusive 'one-to-one' time with a car. The climax was a gala dinner after which Ferrari bosses did the glitzy (if interminable) main presentation, including five cars driving around the giant arena.
Luce - Ferrari's first five-seater, four-door, 1036hp battery-powered car - accelerates from rest to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds and 124mph in 6.8 seconds, with a top speed of 193mph and a range of 329 miles. The clever interior with plenty of physical buttons will likely continue in later Ferraris. But negative responses to the exterior styling echo the backlash against Jaguar's controversial 'woke' rebrand, accompanying their Type01 electric coupe.
My reporting of that own goal upset them so much that Jaguar Land Rover has not spoken to me since. Will I now be similarly shunned by Ferrari? Hopefully not. After all, they really do deal with things differently in Italy
Ferrari Luce Electric Car Launch Rome Event Design Controversy Jony Ive Pope Preview Automotive Secrecy Ferrari Electric Vehicle
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