Marques Brownlee Finally Gets Behind the Wheel of Luce, Ferrari’s Most Talked-About Car

Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) waited months to share what it feels like to drive Luce, Ferrari’s first fully electric car. The footage sat under embargo after he spent a day on a private Italian track with the company’s engineers and designers, piloting a heavily camouflaged prototype of the Luce. That wait ends now, and the video on his Auto Focus channel delivers the first real sense of how this five-seat, four-motor machine actually moves.

Brownlee begins by settling into the driving position, where a steep windshield and a hood that swiftly slides away provide him with a clear view of the car’s front. Visibility seems open and beneficial, even if the overall proportions remain strange when compared to previous Ferrari models. He starts in Range mode, which keeps the car in rear-wheel drive and reduces peak power to about 320 kW while aiming for the promised 530-kilometer range. The Luce accelerates as soon as he releases the brake. It coasts like a regular automobile. A short tug on the paddle activates regenerative braking, and the gauges respond immediately. On the smooth track surface, the car remains astonishingly flat, almost as if the road has no irregularities at all.

Switching to Tour mode activates all-wheel drive and increases available power to 460 kW. The ride remains outrageously flat, thanks to Ferrari’s third-generation adaptive suspension, which is the same system used on the Purosangue and the F80. It continually strives to keep the large 23-inch front and 24-inch rear tires grounded. Brownlee compares the traction and torque-vectoring ability to that of a Lucid Air Sapphire, but with a broader range of useful performance that is still suitable for everyday roads. The car never feels like it’s straining against its own weight.

Then he switches to Performance mode, where full power arrives, more than 1,000 horsepower, or approximately 725 kW, and a claimed 2.5-second sprint to 60 mph. The steering remains light and familiar, with the same exact sensation Brownlee had experienced in previous Ferraris. The paddles are located on the steering column rather than the wheel itself. Pulling the left one causes a simulated downshift, followed by a deep, purposeful sound that Ferrari associates with the accelerometer and motor speeds. That same pull also boosts regenerative braking, pushing the weight forward and instilling confidence as the car enters a corner. The right paddle releases additional torque on the way out, as indicated by a yellow line on the display. The sound plays both inside and outside the vehicle, with a focus on feedback rather than drama. Brownlee describes the entire arrangement as a symphony of computers that nonetheless feels connected and enjoyable.

He observes that the Luce never feels heavier than a gasoline Ferrari of comparable size. The adaptive suspension adjusts hundreds of times per second, and the driver can even switch between suspension settings and power modes. Soft dampers with full performance power and sound are available upon request. In Tour mode, the interior can be absolutely silent, but the paddles still allow the driver to alter torque balance. The computerized displays are constantly updated with information about traction, steering angle, and power delivery. Brownlee’s only minor concern is that the column-mounted paddles are sometimes easy to notice when the wheel is turned firmly.