Ferrari’s New EV Makes Drivers Prove They Deserve Race Mode

A More Advanced Traction Control System

Traction control used to be a hindrance for many advanced drivers seeking the perfect slip angle to attack corners. With the driver aid on, you could say that you're leaving a lot of speed on the table, especially if you're chasing a particular lap time on track.

Having the option to turn traction control off might be fun at first, but it can quickly turn into a code brown when faced with a situation that you're too inexperienced to recover from. That's why the Ferrari Luce's traction control system is kind of awesome, because it actually learns your driving habits, and if you're good enough, it will dial things back and let you experience more of the car.

La Manettinos

Ferrari places its driving mode selectors on the steering wheel, which the brand calls Manettinos. The Luce has two dials. The one on the left controls the vehicle's power delivery, while the one on the right controls the vehicle's dynamics.

On the left-hand side, drivers can choose among Range, Tour, and Performance, with Range being the most economical, Tour the most balanced, and Performance the most all-out.

On the right-hand side, the Ferrari Luce has Ice, Wet, Tour, Sport, and ESC off positions. Yes, you can still turn off traction control in the Luce, but it's probably not the best idea if you don't know what you're doing. However, one mode that you can find on other Ferraris is "Race," and while it's not available on the right-side mode selector on the Luce's steering wheel, it's still there, but buried in sport mode and must be earned, not bought. I don't know about you, but that's a very Ferrari thing to do in my book, with the car deeming you worthy of it.

A Different Software

The traction control system in most other high-end sports cars allows its operators to access several modes, which may also be tied to the driving modes. For other brands like Hyundai, the Ioniq 5 N's driving modes offer certain parameters, but you still have to tell the car what you're going to do, and it's a one-size-fits-all solution. You get it right away, but in the case of the Luce, you have to earn the most extreme driving mode.

Ferrari's software in the Luce actually learns how you drive. Think of it as a tailor-made sport mode of sorts. The latest generation of the Ferrari Side Slip Control (SSC-X) estimates grip and driver ability. The system judges its pilot, studying how the operator brakes, modulates the throttle, and turns the wheel.

"My Sport is not your Sport, is not your Sport," Raffaele de Simone, Ferrari's development test drivers manager, told Drive.

Better Drivers Get Less Intervention

If you drive with two left feet, two right hands, and perhaps your head down, the system will remain on. However, if you get better with your inputs, the system will dial back the traction control and allow for a bit more slip and a much more exciting drive.

According to Ferrari, a skilled driver can achieve traction control parameters similar to those found in Ferrari's more exciting cars. Race mode is a totally different animal and may punish inexperienced drivers, but by putting this adaptive traction control system in the Luce, it incentivizes owners to improve behind the wheel, slowly but surely.

You could also say that Luce owners who are alive and well are more likely to buy better Ferraris in the future\; hence, this system kinda makes sense from a rather "accessible" EV from the Prancing Horse. Statistically speaking, dead drivers are 100% unlikely to buy another Ferrari, so perhaps this is the brand's way of ensuring that its waitlist remains padded for years to come – at least that's one (morbid) way of looking at it.

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