Apple’s former design chief, Sir Jony Ive, is back in the spotlight with a project that feels like a fascinating “what if” moment for both car lovers and Apple fans. After years shaping the look and feel of the iPhone and other iconic products, Ive has now reportedly crafted a richly tactile, skeuomorphic cabin for Ferrari’s first fully electric car—an EV said to be called the Ferrari Luce. And if you’ve ever wondered what an “Apple Car” might have felt like from the inside, this concept offers an intriguing clue.
Ive built his reputation on a simple but powerful idea: the best technology feels instantly familiar. Instead of forcing people to learn a new interface, great design borrows cues from the physical world—textures, shapes, and controls that communicate purpose at a glance. That philosophy appears to be at the heart of the Luce interior, a design effort said to have taken five years in the making.
The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Over the past few years, many automakers have rushed toward ultra-minimal dashboards dominated by a single large touchscreen—often stripping away physical knobs and buttons in the process. Ive isn’t impressed by that direction. He has criticized the all-screen, button-less approach as “easy and lazy,” arguing that what once looked futuristic now often reads like a cost-cutting move rather than true innovation.
His concern goes deeper than aesthetics. Touchscreens are powerful tools, but he suggests they require thoughtful structure—clear frameworks that help people use them responsibly and effortlessly, especially in an environment as safety-critical as a car. In his view, the industry moved fast, and the design discipline needed to make screen-first interiors truly intuitive didn’t always keep up.
Ferrari’s reported decision to bring in Ive signals a different strategy for the electric era: evolve without losing identity. Rather than turning its first electric supercar into just another rolling tablet, the Luce interior aims to preserve Ferrari’s emotional connection to driving—where interaction matters, and the cabin feels like a cockpit, not a living room TV.
The standout detail is how the interface is said to blend old and new. Instead of relying solely on a central touchscreen for everything, the Luce uses precision-engineered mechanical buttons, dials, toggles, and switches for key inputs, paired with multifunction digital displays for output. The result is described as decidedly retro in look, but modern in capability—bringing back tactile feedback while still delivering the flexibility of digital information.
That balance is increasingly appealing to drivers who miss the simplicity of grabbing a knob without taking their eyes off the road. It also fits Ferrari’s brand legacy, where craftsmanship and sensation have always been part of the product, not an afterthought. By leaning into physical controls—done with purpose, not nostalgia—this interior concept is positioned as a rethink of what “modern” should mean inside an EV.
Ferrari is expected to unveil the Luce in May, which should reveal not only more of the cabin’s design details, but also what Ive’s studio may have influenced in the vehicle’s overall styling. Until then, the Luce stands as a compelling reminder that the future of car interiors doesn’t have to be flat, sterile, and screen-only. It can be digital and still feel human.
