Inside Ferrari's Luce EV: The Jony Ive interior is here
Source: Engadget
Source: Engadget
Apple‑Designed Ferrari Luce – A First Look Inside
Since Apple finally put its mysterious and long‑suffering Project Titan out to pasture, we’ve wondered what a Jony Ive‑designed Apple Car might have looked like. Today, we might have a clue. This, however, is not an Apple Car. It’s the Ferrari Luce (“light” in Italian) – the official name for the EV formerly known as Elettrica – and I’m fresh from a walkthrough with Sir Ive himself.
At a glance things look like you might have expected, but there are a few surprises here.
A First‑Ever All‑Electric Ferrari
Ferrari has sold hybrids in some form or another since 2013’s LaFerrari, but the Luce (née Elettrica) will be the company’s first fully electric machine. We first saw the chassis, battery pack, and other under‑body details back in October (Engadget preview), which hinted at a larger, more family‑friendly Ferrari.
Last week I got a look at the next major component: the interior, courtesy of LoveFrom.
LoveFrom – Jony Ive’s Post‑Apple Studio
LoveFrom is the design house Jony Ive founded after leaving Apple in 2019. The obsessive studio, now about 60 people strong, was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion last year. So far it has tackled a medley of projects, such as the $60,000 Linn Sondek LP12 turntable (Engadget story). The Luce could be among its biggest projects yet – at least in terms of literal dimensions.
If you’re familiar with Apple designs from the iPhone 4 era onward, you’ll feel right at home. The aesthetic is dominated by squircles and circles, all rendered with minute perfection and symmetry.
First Impressions
At first blush the cabin feels a bit clinical, but a deeper look reveals genuine charm. Small details and satisfying tactility start to surface:
- Key – A yellow panel with an e‑ink background. Insert it into the magnetized receiver in the centre console and the yellow dims, glowing through the top of the glass shifter to symbolize a “transfer of life.”
- Glass Everywhere – Roughly 40 pieces of Corning Gorilla Glass are scattered throughout the cockpit, from the shifter surround to the slightly convex lenses in the gauge cluster.
- Aluminum Trim – Anodized aluminum is available in three finishes: gray, dark gray, and rose gold.
Tactile Controls
Apple has been pruning physical controls wherever possible, but LoveFrom injects great tactility into the Luce:
- Shifter – Moves through its detents satisfyingly.
- Air Vents – Open and close with a clear “snick.”
- Steering‑Wheel Paddles – Pop with a solid feel.
Windshield‑Wiper Dial
The little dial in the upper‑right of the steering‑wheel face features a tiny lens that magnifies the current setting. It actually magnifies one of four custom OLED panels (200 ppi, Samsung‑manufactured) cut and shaped to deliver LoveFrom’s ornate style.
Instrument Cluster & Central Display
- Gauge Cluster (Binnacle) – Two stacked OLED displays with a physical needle sandwiched between them, acting as a pseudo‑tachometer for a car without an engine. The gauges morph as you switch modes.
- Centre Display – A 10.12‑inch OLED perforated with chunky toggle switches and a glass volume knob.
- Upper‑Right Clock – Can become a stopwatch or a compass, with its needles swinging depending on the mode.
- Pivoting Control Panel – The whole central console pivots; grab the large handle below and swing it wherever you need.
Even the seat rails are gently shaped and anodized to match the rest of the interior.
The People Behind It
Jony Ive was on hand to unveil the interior, visibly a little nervous about showing it for the first time. After five years of confidential work, he described himself as “enormously excited” and “completely terrified” to provide our first real glimpse of the Luce.
Marc Newson, co‑founder of LoveFrom, added:
“Jony and I share a really, really deep interest in automotive things and vehicles. Actually, I’d go so far as to say that that is probably a hobby of both of ours.”
Both Ive and Newson own many vintage machines, and Ive noted that modern cars “are missing some things that we love about our old Ferraris.” One of those things is tactility.
“It was very clear to us that we needed to figure out as many ways as possible to viscerally and physically connect to the interface,” Ive said.
Final Shot (unfinished in the original)
The original article cut off during the final image embed. Below is a placeholder for the missing visual:
[Image missing – likely another interior or exterior shot of the Ferrari Luce]
All links and images are sourced from the original Engadget article.
Ferrari Luce Interior – Designed by LoveFrom
(Note: The image URL appears truncated in the source; the placeholder above reflects the original link.)
*Ferrari Luce interior designed by LoveFrom.*
While the Luce does feature a pivoting touchscreen, it is far from the vehicle’s primary interface. **Jony Ive** hopes that the blend of physical connection and clever touches will create a uniquely charming vehicle.
> “It’s been really lovely,” Ive told me, praising Ferrari CEO **Benedetto Vigna** for his dedication to the project and its future potential.
> “Benedetto is an amazing engineer; he’s really interested in what can be learned more broadly.”
### The Biggest Challenge
Working within the automotive industry proved demanding. Design, form, and function are essential, but safety is paramount.
> “It’s very hard,” Ive said. “I’ve never worked in an area that’s so regulated. Some of it is great, because you understand why, and people’s safety is certainly important, but some of it drives you nuts.”
### A Fresh Yet Precise Interior
The Luce interior is arguably the most exciting and fresh Ive has seen outside ultra‑rare machines like the **$4 million Bugatti Tourbillon**. Its clinical precision and refinement, however, lack the rough, raw feel that typifies many classic Ferraris. Whether this is a positive or negative will be debated endlessly, but it may help Ferrari attract a new clientele with the Luce.
*Ferrari Luce interior designed by LoveFrom.*
### Looking Ahead
Ultimately, whether anyone will want a Luce depends heavily on the rest of the car’s design and its price—questions that won’t be answered until **May**, when CEO Vigna promises a full reveal.
For Ive, the journey doesn’t end here:
> “At the end of a project, there are two products. There’s what you’ve made, and there’s what you’ve learned. I’ve always been fascinated by what you’ve learned,” he told me.
> “And honestly, we’ve learned so much.”