As for the formal criticisms of the Luce’s flat surfaces and lack of emotion, Corbi says, “It’s clear that this is a product designed not by a car designer but by a product designer.”

Ferrari enlisted Marc Newson and ex-Apple designer Jony Ive from the agency LoveFrom to work on the interior and exterior of the Luce. “This gentleman came from Apple and is used to designing objects of that type. The car is something else, it’s not industrial design,” Corbi says. “A good industrial designer isn’t capable of designing a car; it’s another profession.”

“The involvement of Jony Ive and Marc Newson almost seems like a choice of boundless arrogance, as if to say, let’s not care about what our customers love and just sell this to them. The stock price has lost 8 percent. I have American friends, Ferrari owners who are members of the Ferrari Club of America, people in love with the brand, who are shocked. As is [former Ferrari chairman] Montezemolo, who yesterday publicly expressed his disappointment.”

Corbi says the design of the car lacks innovation. “From the standpoint of volume, Ferrari has designed a family soap bar: It’s the negation of everything that is a Ferrari. Then there are those little wheels. We car designers had the desire to make ever larger wheels, ever sharper, more aerodynamic shapes. Here we have returned to our grandfather’s car, without any stylistic features that hark back to the Ferrari tradition.”

On whether this change in visual language heralds a new direction for the entire Ferrari lineup, Corbi does not rule it out. “Since the language is so different, they probably intend to create a line of electric cars with their own independent philosophy.”

“People were already worried when they previewed the interiors,” Corbi says. “They aren’t exactly Ferrari-like in style, even if they appreciated the innovation, attention to detail, and materials. It’s also true that those who buy a car look at the exterior first. And those who buy a Ferrari are loyal customers, financially sound, who move from one model to another while remaining loyal to the brand.”

Corbi concedes that his judgment is probably influenced by a more traditional culture. “But those who buy a Ferrari aren’t 20-year-olds,” he says. “They’re mature people with significant financial resources. That’s their target; it’s pointless to pretend that a customer’s expectations can change just because there’s a prancing horse on the front. If I want a Ferrari, it has to meet certain precise requirements. It’s an iconic object, and there’s little to discuss.”

He also questions the very idea of ​​an electric Ferrari. “A Ferrari is a combustion engine with a body. If you remove the engine, you’re left with an empty container. Just look at Porsche’s experience, which has bet everything on electric and is finding itself in serious difficulty.”