Ferrari has never been a company afraid to stir emotions, but the new Luce EV may be the boldest gamble Maranello has taken in decades. Long before the first customer delivery, the all-electric five-door liftback has already become one of the most polarizing vehicles the brand has ever revealed. From its unconventional proportions to the simple fact that it carries no combustion engine, the Luce has ignited fierce debate among enthusiasts who traditionally associate Ferrari with screaming V12s and exotic styling that ages like fine wine. At an eye-opening price of roughly $640,000, Ferrari is clearly betting that exclusivity and innovation will outweigh the criticism.

Naturally, Ferrari turned to Formula 1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to help shape the narrative around the Luce. That strategy makes perfect sense from a marketing perspective, but watching both drivers discuss the EV almost feels like a delicate balancing act. Neither driver was ever going to publicly tear apart a product wearing the Prancing Horse badge, especially while representing Ferrari on the world stage. Still, there were moments where their comments subtly acknowledged just how different this car is from anything Ferrari has attempted before. Leclerc perhaps summed it up best when he admitted that “the design is very-very different to whatever we’ve seen from Ferrari in the past.” That may be the safest and most accurate description anyone can give the Luce right now.

To Ferrari’s credit, there are details about the Luce that genuinely deserve praise. Leclerc pointed out the return of more physical buttons inside the cabin, something enthusiasts have been asking automakers to embrace again after years of touchscreen overload. Hamilton, meanwhile, focused more on the driving experience itself, praising the way the EV delivers power and maintains composure through corners. According to the seven-time world champion, the Luce feels planted and controlled in a way that still carries Ferrari DNA despite the absence of a combustion soundtrack. That feedback may matter more than styling opinions because Ferrari knows performance credibility is the one thing it cannot afford to lose.

Still, the reaction online has been brutal. Ferrari’s own promotional videos quickly filled with comments ranging from disappointment to outright disbelief. Some viewers even questioned whether the company had drifted too far from its roots in pursuit of electrification and modern luxury trends. Others defended Ferrari for trying something radically different instead of building another predictable supercar silhouette. The divide almost mirrors what happened when brands like Porsche introduced the Cayenne years ago. Purists revolted initially, only for those controversial models to become financial lifelines for their respective companies. Ferrari is undoubtedly hoping history repeats itself.

Whether the Luce ultimately sinks or swims remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in the luxury EV world. Ferrari executives surely anticipated the backlash long before the reveal, and the company likely spent years gathering customer feedback from ultra-wealthy buyers willing to spend more than half a million dollars on something this unconventional. Even Ferrari’s Head of Global Product Marketing, Emanuele Carando, acknowledged the inevitable controversy by admitting there would be “great lovers” and “a lot of haters.” Right now, it certainly appears the haters are louder. But if Ferrari has proven anything over the decades, it’s that betting against Maranello can sometimes look foolish in hindsight.