Ferrari’s first electric car has already divided opinion long before most customers have even seen one in person. Now the Italian automaker is turning that controversy into a fundraising opportunity by auctioning off the very first production example of the Luce.

The car, identified as “Chassis 0,” will cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Car Week sale in August. Ferrari says the sale represents a unique chance to acquire the first production chassis from the Luce program, and all proceeds will go toward educational initiatives supported by The Ferrari Foundation.

Related: Ferrari Boss Was Thrilled When Fans Trashed The $640K Luce

That charitable angle could help push bidding well beyond the car’s already substantial value. RM Sotheby’s estimates the one-off EV is worth more than $1.1 million, a significant premium over the standard Luce, which costs $640,000.

RM Sotheby’s

What buyers will get in return is a Luce that’s been curated by Ferrari’s Tailor Made personalization division. The entire concept revolves around light and the way it changes the appearance of surfaces, with a color and materials package developed specifically for this example.

The exterior wears a bespoke Madreperla Semi-Gloss finish that Ferrari says incorporates a dedicated Tailor Made pigment. Depending on lighting conditions and viewing angle, the paint is designed to produce shifting reflections that move between green and violet tones. Ferrari also claims that the complexity of the finishing process means every application develops its own character.

Metallic Leather Upholstery

Inside, the cabin continues the theme with Perla Le Mans metallic leather paired with Grigio Corvara secondary trim pieces. Ferrari says the metallic leather was developed exclusively for the Tailor Made program and was selected for both its appearance and its ability to enhance the cabin’s sense of brightness. Whatever you do, don’t eat in there.

This particular Luce also receives color-coded wheels in a conventional five-spoke design, rather than the ugly disc wheels seen in some Luce launch images, and bespoke brake calipers. And there’s a unique plaque identifying it as the first production chassis of the Luce program.

Whether you view the electric Luce as a bold step into the future or an unwelcome departure from tradition, its place in Ferrari history is already secure. And the controversy could mean that for once the biggest auction price shock at Monterey isn’t how much someone paid for a vintage V12-powered 250 GT SWB or California Spider, but how much money changed hands for a modern Ferrari with no engine at all.

RM Sotheby’s

Anyone who came of age in the ’80s is living in a different world now. Back then, nobody would have guessed that the poster cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini would one day lose to a family SUV. Technology keeps chipping away at acceleration numbers, and the latest proof comes from a stunt staged by Skoda, the value brand of the VW Group.

The automaker took its quickest production model, the Skoda Elroq vRS, and lined it up against some of the most recognizable sportscars and supercars of the ’80s for a straight-line shootout. The opposition consisted of a brown Ferrari Testarossa, an orange Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, and a burgundy Porsche 944 Turbo.

Review: The 2026 Skoda Elroq Gets The Hard Stuff Right And The Easy Stuff Wrong

Back in their heyday, these machines were the undisputed kings of the road. However, ICE nostalgia is no match for the instantaneous torque of modern EVs, and the crossover won the drag race by a wide gap, leaving the legends behind.

Watching the footage closely gives a sense of what the four cars ran at the Dunsfold track. There’s no telling how gentle the drivers were with the clutches of these coveted classics, but the finishing order reflects their real-world launch performance well enough.

More: A 9,000-Lb Camera Truck Just Gapped A Ferrari And Ford GT Like They Were Parked

The Skoda Elroq vRS crossed the line at 19.19 seconds, followed by the Ferrari at 20.08 seconds, the Lamborghini at 21.22 seconds and the Porsche at the 22.10 mark.

While this particular drag race had a clear winner, it is worth noting that all three classics would easily beat the EV on a longer stretch of road. Skoda caps the Elroq’s top speed at 111 mph (179 km/h), well under the 162 mph (261 km/h) of the Porsche, the 180 mph (290 km/h) of the Ferrari, and the 188 mph (303 km/h) of the Lamborghini.

In any case, the flagship trim of the family EV with its dual-motor AWD setup produces 335 hp (250 kW / 340 PS), allowing a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.4 seconds. For comparison, the 5.2-liter V12 of the Lamborghini produced 449 hp (335 kW / 455 PS), the 4.9-liter flat-12 of the Ferrari was good for 385 hp (287 kW / 390 PS), and the turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine of the Porsche made 247 hp (184 kW / 250 PS) back when they left the factory floor.

More: Skoda Peaq Debuts As Three-Row EV Flagship With 402-Mile Range

Another advantage of the Skoda Elroq vRS over the classic models is its spacious five seater cabin and the generous boot capacity of 470 lt (16.6 cubic feet), making it significantly more practical as a daily in combination with the standard Dynamic Chassis Control system. Despite its larger body, it is also significantly more aerodynamic than the wedge-shaped supercars, with a drag coefficient of 0.26 cd.

Skoda UK

Performance is one thing, but the silent electric powertrain is no match for the glorious sound of the 12-cylinder engines from the past. Furthermore, looks might be subjective, but we seriously doubt anyone would pick the Skoda over the Ferrari, the Lamborghini, or the Porsche in a beauty contest.

At the end of the day, it is fun knowing that a family SUV of today can outrun the coolest supercars of the ’80s. In fact, if you drive a Tesla Model Y Performance you can probably beat supercars from the ’00s. But which one would you rather have in your garage?

Skoda UK

Ferrari knew its first EV wouldn’t be universally loved. What it probably didn’t expect was for one of the enthusiasts it was actively trying to recruit as a customer to publicly torch the car in a response that’s now circulating online. The exchange offers a rare glimpse into the pushback Ferrari is facing as it prepares to bring the Luce to market.

According to screenshots shared online, Ferrari sales consultant Lee Perkins reached out to hypercar collector Jeffrey Cheng, better known on Instagram as @speedy_jeff. The email described the Luce as Ferrari’s vision for the future while assuring potential buyers that the driving experience remains faithful to the brand’s DNA.

More: Ferrari’s Luce May Not Have Sold Out In China After All, But Buyers There Love It Anyway

Perkins explained that Ferrari was contacting a select group of owners and EV enthusiasts interested in learning more about allocations and the ordering process. Cheng’s response was anything but encouraging. “You honestly have to be kidding me,” he wrote before saying he wouldn’t be “caught dead” in the vehicle. He went on to say he felt “almost embarrassed” for Ferrari sales consultants tasked with selling the car and described the Luce as an “abomination.”

The criticism wasn’t directed solely at the fact that the Luce is electric. Instead, Cheng focused heavily on the styling, arguing that the design feels disconnected from Ferrari’s heritage. “The Luce isn’t worthy of a Hyundai or Kia badge, let alone a Ferrari badge,” he wrote. “It’s an absolute joke on so many levels that it’s literally unfathomable a group of Italians—arguably some of the best automotive designers in the world—could approve something so completely un-Italian.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ghost (@speedy_jeff)

Cheng argued buyers could purchase top-tier EVs from Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid and still have enough money left over for a private-jet vacation. Perhaps the most telling part of the email came when Cheng suggested that the only people likely to buy the Luce are customers trying to improve their standing within Ferrari’s famously complex allocation system. He concluded by encouraging the consultant to share the email directly with Ferrari executives.

Read: Nissan Deletes Its Ferrari Luce Troll Post, Mazda Doubles Down

A lot of these talking points are things that automotive enthusiasts have said online. Ferrari can probably ignore those comments. Turning a blind eye to someone in its demographic, specifically one that it reached out to directly… that’ll be considerably harder.

Photos Ferrari, Ferrari China | H/T to The Supercarblog

Ferrari’s first electric car might have divided enthusiasts almost everywhere else, but China’s wealthy buyers don’t seem nearly as bothered. Despite the internet’s endless debate over the Luce’s strange styling and lack of a ‘real’ engine, Ferrari appears to be enjoying a warm reception in its second-biggest market, judging by a recent sales report.

Car News China wrote this week that the country’s allocation of 88 cars for this year sold out almost immediately after the Luce launched with a price of 3.988 million yuan, or around $586,600. That made for an eye-catching headline, particularly given the mixed reaction the EV has received in Europe and North America.

More: Ferrari Bet Big On Its First EV, Lamborghini’s Boss Says Its Buyers Want None Of It

But maybe the story isn’t quite that straightforward. According to a subsequent report in Beijing Business Today, Ferrari sales staff in Beijing dismissed claims that orders have been halted because the allocation is exhausted.

Instead, they say the Luce remains available to order ahead of its Beijing debut between July 3 and July 5. That suggests Ferrari either has additional cars earmarked for China or the original reports overstated how final that initial allocation really was.

Ferrari’s China Sales Slipping

China is certainly a key market for the Luce, as Ferrari sales have slipped in the country from 1,500 cars annually in 2022 to around 900 in 2025, an earlier Car News China story revealed. Some of that decline is due to steep taxes on luxury cars with combustion engines, and also the difficulty in gaining a license plate for an ICE car in large cities.

Photos Ferrari China

Because it’s an EV, the Luce gives easy access to a license plate and is also exempt from the country’s 40 percent consumption tax, the story explains. In fact, at $586,600, the Luce costs $53k less in China than it does in the USA.

Also:

But it still looks expensive compared with cheaper Chinese EVs, some of which are faster and more powerful, though the Luce is positioned as a five-seat grand tourer rather than an outright supercar. It’s also very likely to be more exclusive. Ferrari never divulges production numbers until after a car has been taken off sale at the end of the model’s lifespan, but industry watchers seem to be suggesting that Ferrari will make fewer than 1,000 (and maybe fewer than 800) Luce EVs each year.

Ferrari

Ferrari has spent decades perfecting the formula it uses to sell cars today. It builds fewer cars than it can sell and lets exclusivity do the rest. Now, according to a new report, the brand’s first electric vehicle is doing more than adding to overall sales. Some collectors say it’s the ticket to getting allocations of far more desirable models in the future. Whether or not the payoff happens is another conversation entirely.

According to Bloomberg, several collectors and investors familiar with Ferrari’s customer network say they’ve been told, directly or indirectly, that purchasing the €550,000 ($636,000) Luce could strengthen their relationship with the automaker. The outlet spoke with more than half a dozen buyers from Italy to China about how Ferrari reached out following the Luce’s debut.

Read: Nissan Deletes Its Ferrari Luce Troll Post, Mazda Doubles Down

Ferrari has long rewarded repeat buyers with access to its most exclusive vehicles, including halo cars such as the LaFerrari Aperta. In many ways, that’s nothing new. Jay Leno famously doesn’t own any because he finds the rigamarole too much of a hassle. Collector-car adviser Max Girardo compared the process to securing a table at an impossible-to-book restaurant, saying frequent customers eventually receive preferential treatment.

The Rolex Playbook, Applied to Cars

Notably, Ferrari wouldn’t be the first luxury brand to operate this way. Rolex, Hermes, and others have built businesses around rewarding loyal customers with access to highly sought-after products. A buyer who regularly purchases watches from a Rolex dealer may eventually get the call for a hard-to-find steel Daytona. Hermes has famously used a similar approach with Birkin bags. The difference here is that the Luce itself appears to be the stepping stone rather than the prize.

Ferrari told Bloomberg that it prioritizes customers with long-standing relationships when allocating highly desirable vehicles. It denied encouraging buyers to purchase cars simply to improve their ranking. The company said customers should choose vehicles based on their own tastes and preferences rather than any perceived advantage in future allocations.

The Signal Is Getting Through

Still, several collectors interviewed by Bloomberg said the signal is being received loud and clear. One buyer claimed Ferrari emphasized that taking the Luce mattered if he wanted to remain among the company’s top-tier clients. Others suggested that newer customers may view the EV as one route toward future one-off or limited-production Ferraris.

“Most people seem to hate the car and say it’s ugly,” said Paul Welch, founder of luxury-assets platform MillionPlus. The styling isn’t the draw, though. “Some people are thinking about buying it just to get access for future cars and go higher up the waiting list – a lot of people play that game.”

Also: The New Luce EV Looks So Un-Ferrari We Tried It With Five Other Badges

Ultimately, both sides could be playing a losing game here. The Luce didn’t exactly arrive to fanfare and cheers. Collectors desperate for a low-volume halo car could end up with it and be less than pleased if they don’t get on the list after picking the Luce up. In that future, what’s to say that the Luce doesn’t build a reputation for letting both sides down?

Image Credits: Ferrari

Ferrari has spent decades perfecting the formula it uses to sell cars today. It builds fewer cars than it can sell and lets exclusivity do the rest. Now, according to a new report, the brand’s first electric vehicle is doing more than adding to overall sales. Some collectors say it’s the ticket to getting allocations of far more desirable models in the future. Whether or not the payoff happens is another conversation entirely.

According to Bloomberg, several collectors and investors familiar with Ferrari’s customer network say they’ve been told, directly or indirectly, that purchasing the €550,000 ($636,000) Luce could strengthen their relationship with the automaker. The outlet spoke with more than half a dozen buyers from Italy to China about how Ferrari reached out following the Luce’s debut.

Read: Nissan Deletes Its Ferrari Luce Troll Post, Mazda Doubles Down

Ferrari has long rewarded repeat buyers with access to its most exclusive vehicles, including halo cars such as the LaFerrari Aperta. In many ways, that’s nothing new. Jay Leno famously doesn’t own any because he finds the rigamarole too much of a hassle. Collector-car adviser Max Girardo compared the process to securing a table at an impossible-to-book restaurant, saying frequent customers eventually receive preferential treatment.

The Rolex Playbook, Applied to Cars

Notably, Ferrari wouldn’t be the first luxury brand to operate this way. Rolex, Hermes, and others have built businesses around rewarding loyal customers with access to highly sought-after products. A buyer who regularly purchases watches from a Rolex dealer may eventually get the call for a hard-to-find steel Daytona. Hermes has famously used a similar approach with Birkin bags. The difference here is that the Luce itself appears to be the stepping stone rather than the prize.

Ferrari told Bloomberg that it prioritizes customers with long-standing relationships when allocating highly desirable vehicles. It denied encouraging buyers to purchase cars simply to improve their ranking. The company said customers should choose vehicles based on their own tastes and preferences rather than any perceived advantage in future allocations.

The Signal Is Getting Through

Still, several collectors interviewed by Bloomberg said the signal is being received loud and clear. One buyer claimed Ferrari emphasized that taking the Luce mattered if he wanted to remain among the company’s top-tier clients. Others suggested that newer customers may view the EV as one route toward future one-off or limited-production Ferraris.

“Most people seem to hate the car and say it’s ugly,” said Paul Welch, founder of luxury-assets platform MillionPlus. The styling isn’t the draw, though. “Some people are thinking about buying it just to get access for future cars and go higher up the waiting list – a lot of people play that game.”

Also: The New Luce EV Looks So Un-Ferrari We Tried It With Five Other Badges

Ultimately, both sides could be playing a losing game here. The Luce didn’t exactly arrive to fanfare and cheers. Collectors desperate for a low-volume halo car could end up with it and be less than pleased if they don’t get on the list after picking the Luce up. In that future, what’s to say that the Luce doesn’t build a reputation for letting both sides down?

Image Credits: Ferrari