An official video shows Pope Francis examining and sitting in Ferrari's new electric Luce supercar, but a cut to the car driving leaves the driver unknown. Ferrari's refusal to confirm or deny that the Pope drove the vehicle, coupled with its description of the event as historically significant, has sparked widespread curiosity about whether the Pontiff took the wheel of the high-performance electric car.
The possibility that Pope Francis may have test-driven Ferrari's new all-electric Luce supercar has emerged following an official Ferrari video that stops short of denying the event.
The footage, which runs five minutes, captures Ferrari executives, including CEO John Elkann, presenting the £500,000 vehicle to the Pontiff at his Castel Gandolfo residence. Pope Leo is shown examining the car, entering the driver's seat, and receiving a tutorial from chief test driver Raffaela de Simone. Notably, the video then abruptly transitions to a shot of the car moving down a road, leaving uncertainty about who is behind the wheel.
When questioned by DailyMail.com, Ferrari issued a carefully worded statement: 'We do not confirm whether the Pope has actually driven the Ferrari Luce or not.
' This non-denial has intensified speculation, particularly as Ferrari acknowledged that this was the first media inquiry on the matter. The Luce, a five-seater, four-door battery electric supercar producing 1036 horsepower, accelerates from 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 193mph, with a range of 329 miles. Its unveiling sparked controversy over its radical design, conceived with Jony Ive's LoveFrom studio. While former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo criticized it, others like James May defended it.
Ferrari executives have embraced the divided reaction, stating that both lovers and haters are expected. The meeting included the symbolic donation of the car's steering wheel to the Pope
Pope Francis Ferrari Luce Electric Supercar Test Drive Vatican Castel Gandolfo John Elkann Raffaela De Simone Jony Ive Lovefrom Automotive Controversy Papal Motorcade Popemobile Ferrari Design Electric Vehicle
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