The long–awaited Apple Car might have never seen the light of day, but the tech giant’s vision now lives on through Ferrari’s first electric vehicle.
Dubbed the Ferrari Luce, meaning ‘light’ in Italian, this ultra–high–end sports car features a stunning interior designed by ex–iPhone design boss Sir Jony Ive.
Sir Ive is arguably one of the most influential designers of the century, having shaped the look of Apple’s most iconic products from the Mac to the iPhone.
And some of his signature features are clearly visible in the design of Ferrari’s first–ever fully electric vehicle.
Keen Apple fans might be able to spot the design legend’s unique touch in the shape and materials of the switches, steering wheel, and displays.
Sir Ive pioneered Apple’s distinctive ‘unibody’ design, in which MacBooks came to be shaped from a single piece of aluminium.
Just like a MacBook or the latest iPhone, the Ferrari Luce’s interior is carved from precision–milled chunks of anodised aluminium.
The car’s control panel and shifter are even made of the exact same glass you would find on an iPhone – a specially hardened material called Gorilla Glass.
Ferrari’s first–ever fully electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce, has been designed by ex–iPhone design boss Jony Ive and features some of his signature features
Jony Ive is the former vice president of design at Apple where he oversaw the creation of some of the worlds most iconic products, including the iPod, iPhone, and MacBook
Ferrari says that it has been collaborating with LoveFrom, a creative collective founded by designers Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson, on ‘every dimension’ of the car’s design.
Although Ferrari hasn’t yet revealed the exterior of their first EV, those design influences are clear in the company’s first sneak peek.
In a throwback to Apple’s founding design principle, Ferrari says that every detail has been designed with functionality and the user’s experience in mind.
The dashboard housing the speedometer and other instrumentation is mounted to the steering wheel so that they move together, ensuring the driver always has a clear view.
The displays look analogue but are actually extremely thin OLED displays that create bright, extremely clear graphics.
The shifter, meanwhile, is encased in clear, durable glass with a semi–matte finish that prevents smudging and fingerprints.
Apple fans might spot the similarities to some of Sir Ives boldest glass–based designs, such as the G4 Cube and Apple iSub speakers.
However, despite working with Sir Ive – dubbed the ‘father of the touchscreen era’ – Ferrari says it wants to challenge the idea that EVs ‘must be dominated by large touchscreens’.
The shifter on the Ferrari Luce is made of the same glass used on an iPhone, a hardened material called ‘Gorilla Glass’
The only touchscreen in the new sports car is an iPad–sized control panel mounted on a ball socket so that it can pivot to face the driver or passenger
Unlike many Apple products, the Ferrari Luce features large physical switches, which are designed to be less distracting for the driver
A small iPad–like display, fitted onto a ball socket so that it can pivot to face the driver or passenger, is the only touchscreen interface.
In another nod to Sir Ive’s design history, this screen is fitted with a tiny digital clock reminiscent of the Apple Watch.
Even this has been designed with Sir Ive’s signature attention to ergonomics.
The touchscreen is mounted on a small palm rest so that the driver can rest their hand on the display and tap the controls without looking.
Ferrari says that the aim is to reduce the drivers ‘cognitive load’ so that they spend less time distracted by the settings and controls and are more attentive to driving.
This is not only a nifty design choice, but also a potentially lifesaving concession to safety.
Recent studies have shown that large touch–screen interfaces can be as distracting as using a mobile phone while driving.
By pulling the drivers away from the road, screens like those in the Tesla Model Y can lead to fatal collisions.
Just like Jony Ive’s signature ‘unibody’ design for the MacBook, the Luce’s steering wheel is made of anodised aluminium
There is also an overhead panel with switches to control the lights, demister and launch settings
Ferrari, on the other hand, claims that the Luce’s small touchscreen can be used ‘effortlessly and intuitively without looking’.
Perhaps the biggest departure from Sir Ive’s Apple legacy is the number of physical controls in the Ferrari Luce.
While Apple famously ditched as many buttons as possible from their devices to create smooth, simple shapes, the Luce has moved in the opposite direction.
The steering wheel and control panel are dotted with large, metal dials, switches and buttons.
There is even a large overhead panel near the rearview mirror with switches to operate the fog lights, demisters, and launch controls.
For now, Ferrari is remaining tight–lipped about the final details of the Luce, with key details such as the engine, battery capacity, and exterior design still a mystery.
That means motoring and Apple fans alike will need to wait until May for Ferrari to reveal the finished product.
THE TRILLION DOLLAR RISE OF APPLE
1976: Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne created the company on April 1 1976 as they set about selling computer kits to hobbyists, each of which was built by Wozniak.
The first product was the Apple I.
1977: Apple released the Apple II in June, which was the first PC made for the mass market.
Steve Jobs unveils Apple Computer Corporation’s new Macintosh February 6, 1984 in California.
1981: Jobs became chairman.
1984: The Macintosh was introduced during an ad break for the Super Bowl and later officially unveiled during a launch event. It was discontinued a year later and Jobs left the firm.
1987: Apple released the Macintosh II, the first colour Mac.
1997: Apple announces it will acquire NeXT software in a $400 million deal that involves Jobs returning to Apple as interim CEO. He officially took the role in 2000.
The then Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Steve Jobs, with the iPhone
2001: Apple introduced iTunes, OS X and the first-generation iPod.
The first iPod MP3 music player was released on October 23, 2001, at an event in Cupertino and was able to hold up to 1,000 songs.
2007: Apple unveils the iPhone.
2010: The first iPad was unveiled.
2011: Jobs resigned in 2011 due to illness, handing the CEO title to Tim Cook. Jobs died in October from pancreatic cancer.
2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch. It also unveiled its first larger iPhones – the 6 and 6 Plus.
2015: After purchasing Beats from Dr Dre, Apple launched Apple Music to compete with Spotify and other music streaming services.
2016: Apple returned to its roots and announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Meanwhile, the firm is embroiled in a legal battle with the FBI, involving the agency demanding access to the locked phone used by Syed Farook, who died in a shootout after carrying out a deadly December attack in San Bernardino, California with his wife. The court order was dropped on March 28 after the FBI said a third party was able to unlock the device.
2017: Apple introduces the iPhone X, which removes the home button to make way for a futuristic edge-to-edge screen design and a new FaceID system that uses advanced sensors and lasers to unlock phones with just the owner’s face.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks at an Apple event at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
2018: In a first for the company, Apple introduces new features in its latest operating system, iOS 12, that encourage users to manage and spend less time on their devices. The move was spawned by a strongly worded letter from shareholders that urged the firm to address the growing problem of smartphone addiction among kids and teenagers.
2019: In January, Apple reports its first decline in revenues and profits in a decade. CEO Tim Cook partly blamed steep declines in revenue from China.
2020: In March, Apple closes all its bricks and mortar retail stores outside of China in response to coronavirus.
2021: In an online virtual event in April CEO Tim Cook declared Apple’s goal of becoming carbon neutral for Earth Day. Later in the year the iPhone 13 was announced.
2022: In September the iPhone 14 was announced. One of the new features included a new sensor to detect if a user had been in a car crash as well as an improved camera system.
2023: Apple brought back its ‘Home Pod’ after the first generation was discontinued. The ‘Home Pod’ can be seen as an alternative to Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home as it is powered by voice commands.
2024: Apple makes its first steps into artificial intelligence with the release of Apple Intelligence. The features are not all released at once with many delayed until the following year.
