Ferrari took its electric future to one of Italy’s most symbolic venues on Tuesday, when a company delegation led by chairman John Elkann and chief executive Benedetto Vigna presented the new Ferrari Luce to Pope Leo XIV at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.
The meeting, confirmed by Ferrari in a statement, turned a corporate product launch into a moment rich in symbolism. Elkann said it had been an immense honour to meet the pontiff alongside Ferrari colleagues, describing the occasion as one of extraordinary human and symbolic value for the Maranello marque. During the visit, he presented the Pope with the steering wheel of the new car as a tribute.
The Luce is a landmark model for Ferrari. Unveiled this week, it is the company’s first fully electric production vehicle and also its first five-seater, marking a notable break from the low-slung, petrol-powered sports cars that built the brand’s reputation. Ferrari has positioned the car not as a replacement for its traditional line-up, but as an expansion of it, arguing that electrification can sit alongside hybrid and combustion models rather than displace them.
That significance is reflected in the numbers. Ferrari says the Luce produces more than 1,000 horsepower, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in about 2.5 seconds and offers a range of more than 530 km, placing it firmly in the upper tier of the luxury EV market. Reports in the motoring press have put the European list price at about €550,000, underlining that this is less a mass-market electric car than a statement of intent from one of the world’s most closely watched automotive brands.
The setting added further resonance. Castel Gandolfo, overlooking Lake Albano south of Rome, has long served as a summer retreat for popes and remains one of the most recognisable residences associated with the papacy. Presenting Ferrari’s newest model there gave the event a distinctly Italian character, bringing together two institutions whose identities are closely tied to national heritage, craftsmanship and global visibility.
The debut also comes at a delicate moment for the wider luxury car sector, where manufacturers are pressing ahead with electrification while facing mixed consumer sentiment and investor caution. Early reaction to the Luce has been divided, with some observers praising Ferrari’s willingness to take a bold design and engineering step, while others have questioned whether an electric, family-sized Ferrari can carry the same emotional pull as the company’s celebrated V8 and V12 models. Even so, the appearance at Castel Gandolfo suggests Ferrari is determined to frame the Luce not simply as a new car, but as a defining chapter in its modern history.
Staff Writer
Reporting from the front lines of the automotive industry, delivering expert analysis and the technical updates that drive the South African motor sector forward.
