In the 1983 comedy classic National Lampoon’s Vacation, a suburban dad played by Chevy Chase tries to keep up with a Ferrari driven by superstar model Christie Brinkley.
The newest Ferrari, the $640,000 all-electric Luce, looks more appropriate for Brinkley now, aged 72.
The introduction of the car, co-designed by former Apple design guru Jony Ive, got widely panned on social media and drew unfavorable comparisons to Nissan’s Leaf, which has a list price around $30,000.
It was panned by the stock market as well, with Ferrari RACE shares opening 7% lower in Milan.
Industry publications gave a more charitable review of the new car. One reviewer allowed that the exterior was “controversial” but praised the interior and other elements of the vehicle.
In launching the EV, Ferrari does have to meet European carbon emissions rules, though they’re less strict for boutique makers than mass producers like Toyota or Volkswagen.
That said, the Luce will be of limited compliance utility if the car doesn’t sell.
“We stick to our view that an electric model with a high price, despite being a ‘range’ model, will not generate high volumes,” said Martino de Ambroggi, an analyst at Italian brokerage Equita.
“We do not believe that the volumes of this model are decisive in influencing the group’s results, but since it is the first model with a new engine, it is important to preserve the image of quality and performance.”