Ferrari only revealed the interior of the Luce – its first electric vehicle – today, but it seems like the battery-powered grand tourer might share an unexpected link to some of its hero cars.
While most of the features seem to be carried over from Ferrari’s existing fleet of road cars, such as its ‘Tour’ drive mode and ‘Dry’ driver assistance system calibration, a simple four-letter word on the Luce’s touchscreen suggests there is something more looming.
Under the Ferrari logo in press shots is a red block of text which reads “Enzo” – not only the name of the brand’s founder, but also its supercar of the early 2000s.
Powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine, the Ferrari Enzo launched at a time when the company was dominating in Formula 1, and is looked back on as one of its high points.
It’s not yet been confirmed what this “Enzo” inclusion means, however Ferrari’s executives have previously told the media the brand’s first EV wouldn’t be silent, saying sound is a critical element of its products.
Prototypes of the Luce have been captured emitting sound from fake exhaust pipes, while the automotive industry has tried to follow in the footsteps of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which became the first EV to incorporate simulated engine noises and gear shifts.
In the Hyundai, drivers can choose from three faux engine sounds to have piped into the cabin and played outside the car, with one being a simulated turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
BMW too has recently teased its electric M3 – which could adopt the iM3 name – could feature fake engine noises, borrowed from a number of historic M cars.
So far, Ferrari has only officially confirmed the Luce will use a sensor which amplifies the frequencies of the rear motors’ inverter casing, meaning the sounds are “amplified and projected into the surroundings as with an electric guitar”, providing feedback to the driver.
Previously, Ferrari announced the Luca will be powered by four electric motors – one for each wheel – with the front pair of motors lifted from the flagship Ferrari F80 hypercar, while two new rear motors drive the back wheels.
Combined, the Luce will be able to produce 735kW in its boost mode, leading to a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.5 seconds.
The Ferrari Luce will be revealed in full this May.
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