The new, all-electric Ferrari Luce has spent the past week since its launch as the internet’s favorite target. Keyboard critics have torn into the styling, AI renders have circulated to demonstrate how trivially the design could be fixed, and even the share price took a brief tumble.

Not even Toblerone could help itself in poking fun at Ferrari. Heck, even Ferrari’s legendary former boss, Luca di Montezemolo, suggested the Luce is so horrible that not even the Chinese would dare copy it. Both Mazda and Nissan have since jumped on the bandwagon, having their say on the controversial EV.

Read: The Swiss Are Supposed To Be Neutral, But Even Toblerone’s Trolling Ferrari

Mazda came first, simply posting a photo of the original Mazda Luce SS that it introduced back in the 1960s. It appears Ferrari quietly snagged the international trademark for Luce earlier this year after Mazda let it lapse. While the Japanese brand can no longer use the name, there’s no denying the original Luce looks much better than the new Ferrari. The top comment? “Mazda making fun of Ferrari before GTA6,” with more than 4,500 likes.

Ferrari Leaf?

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Soon after, Nissan Ireland jumped onto Instagram. Immediately after the Luce was unveiled, some online pundits began comparing it to the new Nissan Leaf, posting side-by-side photos of the two.

Nissan re-posted one of these images, showing the side profile of the Leaf compared to the Luce, writing “We admit, we’re flattered,” and adding “They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so thank you Ferrari.”

The most obvious similarity between the duo is the two-tone black-and-blue paint schemes they were presented in. You could also argue that the rear hatch of the Luce is similar to the Leaf, as are the black rocker panels, but in general, we don’t think the Luce and Leaf look that much alike. Nevertheless, Nissan Ireland took down the post shortly after it was shared, perhaps because the social media intern received a call from their boss.

Perhaps the funniest meme we’ve seen of the Ferrari Luce is an AI rendering comparing it to an Apple computer mouse. But if the Luce somehow sells well, Ferrari could end up getting the last laugh.

POV: You’re charging your new Ferrari Luce pic.twitter.com/L86GfLVzSV

— Apple Design (@TheAppleDesign) May 25, 2026

Mazda’s standing in the performance world right now is pretty thin, especially when you weigh it against a back catalog that includes the Mazdaspeed3 and 6, plus the RX-7 and RX-8. The MX-5 Miata still earns its keep with the purists, but beyond the roadster you have to rewind to the Mazdaspeed era and the days when the rotary ruled the roost to find anything that really mattered.

See: Jaguar’s 1,000-HP Answer To Bentley Looks Nothing Like The Jaguar You Knew

That got us thinking. What if Hiroshima’s quietly revived performance arm, Mazda Spirit Racing (MSR), turned its attention to the all-electric Mazda 6e and sharpened its claws? While there’s no indication that such a model is in development, we’ve envisioned what it could look like and explored its performance potential.

Subtle, But Sharp 

Mazda’s design team worked wonders reskinning the Deepal-based base 6e/EZ6, earning it the World Car of the Year Design award for 2026. Rather than ripping up the blueprints, we’ve taken a more restrained approach by giving it a lower, wider stance and aero-focused elements.

Up front, a closed-off grille sports a red-accented honeycomb pattern, while the bumper is reworked with deeper corner intakes and a pronounced splitter to aid front-end handling. In profile, the MSR’s pumped haunches wear larger, dark-finish alloys with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 rubber, while sculpted side skirts add visual aggression.

Around the back, our study sports a larger deployable spoiler, smoked taillights, and a diffuser that actually looks like it does something.

Luxury Focus

Inside, we’ve overhauled the cabin that’s more sport luxury than tarmac racer. The Nappa leather seats have been upgraded with deeper bolstering and RS-style honeycomb inserts. A thick-rim steering wheel, alloy pedals and unique graphics reinforce the performance brief.

See: BMW’s i3 Sedan Divided The Internet, So We Drew The i4 Coupe Instead

Customers have been vocal about the standard car’s reliance on the touchscreen, so our version brings physical controls back to the base of the infotainment display. The UX gains performance telemetry and driver-configurable drive modes.

Canyon Carving

The standard European market Mazda 6e.

The 6e’s Changan-derived, rear-drive setup hasn’t exactly blown critics away with its uninspiring handling and middling performance. We believe this could be overcome by improved hardware, such as stiffer bushings, lower ride height, and recalibrated electric power steering.

Other upgrades could include adaptive damping, thicker anti-roll bars, and larger brakes with 8-piston calipers. Electric motor torque vectoring would go beyond Mazda’s current G-Vectoring Control software, offering improved turn-in and exit speeds.

Variable drive modes would span from comfort to track, featuring aggressive regen mapping, simulated gear shifts, boost mode, and a stability control system that allows some rear-end slip to aid rotation.

Double Trouble

Unlike the donor car, we envisage the Spirit Racing 6e to be a dual-motor affair with up to 536 horsepower (400 kW). It would be all-wheel-drive, with adjustable rear bias. Performance metrics? Realistically, the 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint should be completed within the low 3-second mark.

Also: Nissan’s New Skyline Is Coming To America As The Q50, And It May Bring Back The Manual

Battery-wise, it’ll employ the same 78kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery as standard, delivering a WLTP-rated range of up to 430 miles (550km). DC fast charging will enable 10–80% top ups in 24 minutes.

Amped Rivals

While proposed as a performance-handling EV, the 6e MSR would square against the Tesla Model 3 Performance and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, rather than BMW’s insane upcoming quad-motor iM3. Other rivals could include the Polestar 2, the BYD Seal Performance, and the MG IM5 Performance.

Should the spirit of Mazdaspeed be revived with the 6e? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Mazda has officially joined the growing list of automakers backing away from aggressive EV plans. The difference is that while rivals like Ford, GM, and Stellantis are swallowing enormous losses after changing course, Mazda claims its own retreat won’t cost the company anything at all. Mostly because it barely started.

The Japanese automaker confirmed this week that its first dedicated electric vehicle has been delayed from 2027 until at least 2029. Instead, Mazda says it’ll shift focus toward hybrids and combustion-powered models while continuing to watch global EV demand carefully.

Related: Mazda Already Has Five SUVs In America. It Just Trademarked A Sixth

That cautious approach, which could have made Mazda look like it was miles behind the curve, suddenly looks pretty well timed. EV growth has slowed noticeably in key markets, including the United States, where hybrids are currently enjoying a surge in popularity. Mazda says hybrid versions of its CX-50 (seen below) already account for roughly 35 to 40 percent of sales, giving the company more reason to prioritize gasoline-electric models instead of fully electric ones.

“We made the decision before we started,” Moro said during an earnings presentation of the decision to delay, according to Automotive News. “For battery EVs we were always careful.”

Bigger, rival brands must be wishing they’d been equally circumspect. Over the past two years, several major automakers have delayed or canceled EV projects after investing billions into factories, battery plants, and production tooling based on overly optimistic demand forecasts. Ford, GM, Honda, Stellantis, and others have also adjusted plans as market conditions changed, and it’s cost them billions.

Mazda, meanwhile, essentially kept its wallet closed. The company now plans to cut planned electrification spending through 2030 almost in half, dropping from roughly $12.5 billion to around $7.5 billion. Moro said there were no write-downs or impairment costs because Mazda hadn’t yet committed major assets to production.

Focusing On Hybrids

Instead, the company will focus heavily on hybrids powered by its upcoming Skyactiv-Z engine family. Several new hybrid models are planned before the decade ends, including a redesigned CX-5 hybrid using Mazda’s own in-house system rather than Toyota technology.

Mazda isn’t abandoning EVs completely, though. The automaker will continue selling electric models like the 6e and CX-6e (seen below), developed alongside Chinese partner Changan in overseas markets, including Europe and Australia.

Mazda