Would you buy one Ferrari Luce or two used cars for half the price?

Ferrari customers have historically been willing to forgive almost anything — except a Ferrari that does not look or sound as they believe it should.

The reaction to the new Luce has therefore been particularly strong. It is Ferrari’s first fully electric production model, its first five-seater and liftback, and only its second four-door car. More troublingly for traditionalists, its styling has prompted questions over whether it looks like a Ferrari at all.

Developed with Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s LoveFrom design collective, the Luce replaces the usual curves and barely concealed aggression with smooth bodywork, a high roof and minimalist cabin.

Former Ferrari chair Luca di Montezemolo warned of “the destruction of a myth”, Italian senator Carlo Calenda called it an “aesthetic and technological insult”, and designer Maurizio Corbi likened it to a “family soap bar”. Ferrari’s share price fell by more than 8% after the car’s unveiling.

Its specifications, however, are more difficult to dismiss. Four electric motors produce a combined 772kW, with Ferrari claiming 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds and a maximum speed of more than 310km/h. A 122kWh battery provides a claimed WLTP range of 530km and it can accept DC charging at up to 350kW.

The Luce starts at €550,000 in Italy, equivalent to roughly R10.2m before any South African pricing adjustments. Ferrari’s first electric car is therefore also its most expensive regular production model.

Someone has already paid considerably more. During the 2026 Monterey Car Week, the first production Luce sold for $40m (R640.3m) through RM Sotheby’s, making it the most expensive new car ever sold at auction.

A charity auction involving the first example is not a reliable indication of what ordinary Luce models will be worth, although the phrase “ordinary Luce” may be stretching matters. The result nevertheless suggests that the criticism surrounding the car has not weakened Ferrari’s hold over its most determined collectors.

Its approximate R10.2m starting price also provides some perspective on the South African used-car market. According to the latest AutoTrader data, less than half that amount could buy an older Ferrari and a separate luxury or electric car. Here we examine three unique pairings:

The California suffered a similar, if less severe, identity crisis when it appeared in 2008. Ferrari positioned it as a more usable grand tourer, with a front-mounted V8, folding metal roof, dual-clutch transmission and two rear seats that offered limited space for adult passengers.

It was Ferrari’s first road car to combine a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with a direct-injection V8, and its first front-engined V8 production model. Early examples used a naturally aspirated 4.3 l engine producing 338 kW, while the later California T adopted a turbocharged 3.9 l unit.

Softer and heavier than the contemporary 458 Italia, the California acquired the slightly dismissive “entry-level Ferrari” description.