Ferrari is giving owners of some of its newer models a chance to undo one of the automaker's more controversial design choices. According to a post from Ferrari of Atlanta, the dealership can now retrofit the steering wheels on the Purosangue and 12Cilindri with physical buttons, swapping out the capacitive touch panels that drivers have complained about for years.

The issue dates back to the SF90, when Ferrari packed the hybrid supercar's steering wheel with touch-sensitive controls instead of traditional tactile switches, chasing a more futuristic look and feel. Owners weren't fans. The flat touch surfaces made it harder to operate controls like the menu, phone, and cruise command without taking your eyes off the road, and the backlash was strong enough that Ferrari reversed course on its newest car, the Amalfi, bringing back real buttons on its steering wheel.

Now that shift is extending backward to existing models. Ferrari of Atlanta says the retrofit only requires replacing the control section of the steering wheel, not the entire unit, and it can be done at the dealership without shipping the car back to Italy. The airbag cover stays the same, and visually the new piece looks nearly identical to the original setup. The key difference is underneath: the menu, phone, and cruise control functions get actual physical switches instead of touch-sensitive panels. Other controls, including traction control, wipers, and lights, remain unchanged since those weren't part of the touch-capacitive complaint in the first place.

Ferrari isn't alone in walking back touch controls — plenty of mainstream and luxury automakers have acknowledged that ditching physical buttons for touchscreens or capacitive panels hurt usability more than it helped style, and many are reintroducing tactile controls in upcoming models. What sets Ferrari apart, at least for now, is that it's the first to offer a fix for cars already on the road rather than just correcting the issue going forward.

It's a notable move for a supercar maker, since retrofitting older vehicles to address a design misstep isn't something automakers typically bother doing. The fact that Ferrari is offering this upgrade suggests owner feedback on the touch controls was significant enough to warrant the extra engineering and dealer support. For Purosangue and 12Cilindri owners annoyed by fumbling for touch-sensitive buttons mid-drive, it's a straightforward correction — and a rare admission turned into real, actionable service.

Source: Motor1.com

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