Ferrari believes the rise of ever-more-powerful electric vehicles has eroded straight-line performance as a meaningful selling point for exotic sports cars, pushing the Italian marque and its combustion-engine rivals to rethink how they keep drivers engaged as outright speed becomes commonplace.

Speaking with GoAuto in Italy, Ferrari 12Cilindri product manager Jacopo Marcon said even mainstream electric cars now offer acceleration once reserved for the most exclusive performance machines. "If we think about electric cars, there are generalist electric cars that are very, very quick, and very, very fast, but that's not the point," he said, adding that customers are realising performance alone "is not enough" and are instead seeking something "more sophisticated" from their cars.

His remarks highlight a growing problem for supercar makers, whose years of chasing bigger outputs and faster 0-100km/h times have been overtaken by cheaper, less established EV rivals. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, priced from $115,000, hits 100km/h in 3.4 seconds with 478kW. China's Xiaomi SU7 Ultra produces 1138kW and has lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:04.957, while BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme has recorded a 496km/h top speed — faster than any Ferrari. Xiaomi's SU7 was reportedly spotted at Ferrari's Maranello complex in 2025, fuelling speculation it was being benchmarked by the Italian brand.

Marcon pointed to rising demand for manual transmissions as evidence buyers increasingly value involvement over velocity. Ferrari's answer is the $1.2 million 12Cilindri Manuale, which pairs an electronically controlled six-speed gated shifter and clutch pedal with an underlying eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, deliberately slowing shifts to demand driver coordination while still allowing a 2.9-second sprint to 100km/h in automatic mode. "You can be the best pilot in the world, but you will be for sure slower than having a paddle on the steering wheel, but that's not a problem, because it adds the fun to drive," Marcon said.

Ferrari isn't ignoring EV performance altogether — its first battery-electric model, the Luce, produces 772kW across four motors and reaches 100km/h in 2.5 seconds. However, the four-door, five-seat grand tourer prioritises space and practicality over sports-coupe dynamics, according to chief development officer Gianmaria Fulgenzi. Marketing director Emanuale Carando previously told GoAuto the Luce adds to Ferrari's powertrain lineup rather than signalling a shift away from combustion.

The debate extends beyond Maranello. Maserati's engineering chief Davide Danesin has argued a true electric GT should sit no taller than 1350mm, criticising the 1544mm-tall Luce for resembling a sporty SUV and confirming Maserati's upcoming Quattroporte EV will adopt a lower, sedan-like profile.

Source: GoAuto.com.au

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