Ferrari Luce Leads The Most Controversial Car Reveals In Recent Memory

No matter which segment your budget can afford, anyone looking for a new car this decade has numerous options to choose from, and with so many automakers trying to fit into so many niches while setting their designs apart from those of others doing the same, there are bound to be cars that venture perhaps too far into the realm of strangeness and oddity as they seek individuality and the cutting edge of innovation. The results are often polarizing, but is standing out not perhaps better than being generic? In this feature, we're going to look at some of the most controversial designs of recent memory and discuss why they stand out and the pros and cons of being so unexpected.

1. Ferrari Luce

The first entry on our list is the most obvious. The Ferrari Luce is a philosophical conundrum for the Ferrari fanatic. It's all-electric, it seats five, and it looks like nothing else from the Maranello stable. On the other hand, the Luce highlights Ferrari's technological prowess, something the company has built an identity around with innovations like the Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system. Moreover, the Luce's nontraditional aesthetic intentionally places the vehicle in a separate category from the V6, V8, and V12 creations Ferrari offers (with the side effect of making "normal" combustion Ferraris more attractive by comparison and therefore more valuable). Several commentators have suggested that the Luce was intentionally designed to be undesirable and ludiscrously expensive so that Ferrari can later tell European emissions regulators that it really tried to offer an EV, the public didn't want it (at around $650,000, who can blame them?), and forcing Ferrari and others to sell nothing but EVs may decimate historic brands' chances of survival, resulting in job losses, economic instability, and the destruction of an iconography as big as the Catholic church. Whatever the reasoning behind the Luce, it's got the whole world talking.

Pros:

• Luce advances Ferrari EV technology, which may benefit future hybrid Ferraris.
• Luce enables Ferrari to enter a new niche and offer yet another experience.
• Luce controversy gets more people talking about the brand, including youths who may not yet be permanently attached to the idea of a combustion Ferrari.
• As an addition to, not a replacement for, gas-powered Ferraris, the Luce provides a contrast that makes combustion Ferraris seem even more analog and emotional.
• The Luce's interior sets a standard for other automakers, showing that tactile interfaces that avoid overuse of screens, particularly as entertainment systems, create a calmer, safer driving environment that will not age quickly.
• All-electric powertrain helps Ferrari reduce overall fleet emissions, allowing Ferrari to continue producing combustion engines without incurring fines and penalties.

Cons:

• Luce design is so unconventional (arguably ugly) that the car is not identifiable as a Ferrari without badges and branding.
• Luce alters perception of the brand built on V12 engines and motorsport.
• The price is absurd.
• If it doesn't sell in decent quantities, the Luce will be branded a failure, and journalists will say an EV was a mistake for Ferrari.
• If the Luce somehow does become a big seller, Ferrari will be encouraged to produce more EVs, which will further dilute brand perception.

Verdict:

The Luce is not pretty, not powered by a soulful engine, and far too expensive. However, any publicity is good publicity, and Ferrari's first foray into the world of EVs being so controversial softens the blow for the next Ferrari, whether gas-powered or electric. What Ferrari has learned with torque vectoring will also surely be valuable. We doubt the Luce will sell in big numbers, but perhaps that rarity will be part of its allure to some buyers. Overall, it looks like a big mistake, but we can't shake the sense that Ferrari is using the Luce as a means of justifying more combustion-powered creations, and for enthusiasts, that seems like a net win.

2. Jaguar Type 00 Concept/Type 01

Pros:

• Jaguar was struggling to compete in the premium space, and a completely new direction with fresh ideas may help the brand.
• The Type 00/Type 01 looks decent, albeit plain, even if its lack of a rear window is odd.
• As a seller of only EVs, Jaguar can get a jump on learning how best to make a luxury EV while the Land Rover and Range Rover elements of the JLR enterprise can continue to bring in cash on a day-to-day basis through popular combustion SUVs.

Cons:

• Jaguar has history in racing, and the Type 00 reflects none of that.
• The so-called "woke" ad campaign element of Jaguar's rebrand may have pushed traditional Jaguar buyers and enthusiasts away.
• Competing with the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce takes more than just a higher sticker price, and if Jaguar's quality standards fall short of those rivals, the entire move will be an embarrassing flop.
• It's arguably too early for a brand, high-end or otherwise, to survive selling only electric products; even Rolls-Royce, whose brand is built on a whisper-quiet ride and effortless power, still offers V12s.
• Producing EV systems that rival what Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, and Chinese automakers offer is a monumental and costly task that could flush Jaguar away if its creations become obsolete too quickly.

Verdict:

Jaguar had little choice but to try a new strategy, and the rebrand doubtless put the Jaguar name in front of far more eyes worldwide than in the years prior, but convincing smart, wealthy buyers that Jaguar is on an even keel with Bentley will take years, if it ever happens. In the meantime, EV tech is constantly improving, forcing Jaguar to invest in further innovation, and the Type 00's design does not convey the sense of beauty and brawn that the E-Type and F-Type did. It feels like Jaguar has bet it all on red when most of the pockets on the roulette wheel are still black.

3. Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe

Yes, there are plenty of EVs on this list, and the third is the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, which has dropped its 4.0-liter twin-turbo hybridized V8 and sports car-aping design in favor of an all-electric powertrain wrapped in a Cyberpunk new look that, from the rear, is funky in a weird way and, from the front, looks like it's mimicking some sort of bottom-feeding aquarian creature. Like the other EVs we've discussed so far, the pricing is astronomical, with the GT 63 starting at around $230,000. That's easily supercar money. We don't have too much bad to say about this because the AMG GT 4-Door was already filling a small niche in V8 form, but it makes the list because, while it doesn't have the oversized waist of many other four-door EVs and generally looks sleek in profile, the front and rear ends are simply too strange. Hopefully, Mercedes will give the car a refresh that brings it closer to the AMG GT XX concept.

Pros:

• AMG GT 4-Door Coupe produces 1,153 hp, which is even more than the 1,035-hp Luce and less than the AMG.EA platform is capable of (1,300 hp).
• Its shape is good, so improving its styling with new front and rear fascias won't be difficult.
• Technology from this car will undoubtedly filter down to other, more affordable AMGs.
• The knurled switches on the center console provide physical ways of interacting with how the car behaves and feels.
• The numerous settings altered by those switches suggest that this is a real AMG EV, not just an EV with some AMG flavor sprinkled on top.

Cons:

• It looks like a catfish from the front, and the rear is too fussy.
• The MSRP is ridiculous, though the old GT 63 S E Performance was similarly priced.
• Fake V8 noises remind us that another V8 four-door has been taken from us.
• Massive screens dominate the dash, even if they integrate air vents in a stylish way.

Verdict:

The AMG GT 4-Door Coupe is a technological showcase of what Affalterbach can do when it focuses on EVs and not V8s, and the results are sure to be exhilarating. This genuinely appears to be a true AMG product, but as with many of the other six-figure EVs on this list, we question whether it has enough of a market to justify its existence, and we can't get over how much better this might have looked with a more conventional aesthetic, or how much more loved it might have been with a V8. Overall, it's not indefensible as a product, but it certainly is questionable.

4. Dodge Charger Daytona

Another EV that seems to have been launched ahead of its time is the Dodge Charger Daytona, and what makes this one controversial is not its styling - the car looks epic - but the fact that it exists as an EV at all. This isn't a new car that dredges up an old name. Instead, this was launched as the replacement for two cars, Challenger and Charger, that were both available with monstrous supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engines. The fanbase for Hellcats, Redeyes, and Demons was huge, and that was evident by Dodge's numerous Last Call special editions. Creating the new Charger as a vehicle that could be either hybrid or electric was relatively smart, but now that Stellantis is bringing V8s back, the Charger Daytona exists as a cautionary tale. Give people what they want while slowly introducing change. Don't yank the rug out from under them, tell them they have only a few more shots at owning a new HEMI muscle car, and then go back on your word because everybody got cold feet over the bad initial decision. That costs a fortune, erodes trust in the brand, and makes rivals (like the Mustang) look good. To be fair, the EV space race automakers were involved in at the turn of the decade started at a time when widespread EV adoption appeared to be imminent, and Stellantis was trying to get an edge while also avoiding the ire of regulatory bodies, who seemed destined to demand we all drive ever-cleaner cars.

Pros:

• The Charger Daytona looks fantastic.
• The Charger's platform can accommodate combustion power.
• The Charger has no direct rivals.
• Charger is available as both two-door and four-door.
• Hatchback rear end is practical, interior is spacious.
• AWD means all-weather fun.

Cons:

• Driving range is weak (Scat Pack claims 241 miles per charge).
• Cheap interior trim is an improvement over the aging last-gen, but still not good enough.
• Ford still offers a V8 Mustang, and it now owns the segment.
• Priced at around $60,000 before options, you could buy an EcoBoost Mustang and a Coyote V8 Mustang for the price of one well-specced Charger Daytona.

Verdict:

An electric muscle car is not necessarily a bad idea in principle, and the Charger Daytona looks great, but again, this is an EV that seems to be a few years ahead of its time. What made this car particularly controversial was the contrast between what Dodge buyers had access to just a few years ago, compared to now; a pricy, electric, AWD hatchback muscle car just didn't gel with buyers accustomed to cheap, RWD, supercharged V8 insanity.

5. Tesla Cybertruck

There are so many reasons why the Tesla Cybertruck is controversial. It looks like something from a dystopian future; it failed to deliver on many of the claims made during its concept reveal in 2020; it's far more expensive than promised; and for some, it has become a political symbol, becoming tied to divisive figure and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in ways that the globally popular Model 3 and Model Y have not. At the same time, it's got ingenious steer-by-wire technology, it's quick, and as a Tesla, it's got Level 2 semi-autonomous driving aids. With the Cybertruck having been on American roads for some time now, its design has become less abrasive, but it's still one of the strangest vehicles out there.

Pros:

• Innovative technologies.
• Brilliant packaging.
• A truly unique design in a world of generic trucks and SUVs.
• Remarkable straight-line performance.

Cons:

• Weird styling.
• Divisive symbolism.
• Less practical than other full-size pickups and often worse off-road.
• Too expensive to be utilitarian, with horrendous resale values.
• Fails to deliver on several promises made at launch, making it "just another EV."

Verdict:

With time, the controversial Cybertruck's straight-edged styling hasn't necessarily grown on haters, and it still stands out in regular traffic, but its looks aren't particularly offensive anymore. America has just accepted that it exists as an option, and if you want a truck that looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old, that's okay. But as Musk's politics have become the focal point of his fame, the Cybertruck has also become yet another topic for people to take an "us versus them" stance on, and whether you're buying a Cybertruck because you like it, to make a statement, or simply because it's an interesting alternative to an F-150, people are going to make assumptions about you, many of them negative. Get a traditional truck, and perhaps it will appear to be an unimaginative choice, but at least you won't struggle to sell it a few years down the line.

(Dis)honorable Mentions

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This list could have stretched on much longer, so we're going to add a few more noteworthy vehicles, not all of them electric, that have caused a furore by being either controversial or disappointing.

• Ferrari SF90 XX, SF90 XX Spider: Controversial - Ferrari XX models were always track-only test beds offered to Ferrari's most precious buyers and used to develop more extreme performance technology for future road cars, but the SF90 XX twins are the first road-legal cars with the suffix, with the Spider also being the first roofless XX. This waters down the mythical nature of the XX program, just as putting the GTO badge on the 599 turned a line of iconic homologation specials into a marketing tool for a special edition.
• Fisker Ocean: Disappointing - Part of another failed Henrik Fisker venture following the Fisker Karma, the Ocean was plagued by delays, reliability issues, and high repair costs. The design was attractive, the ideas inventive, and the roadmap for successors encouraging, but Fisker left buyers hanging when it went under, forcing abandoned customers to set up their own ways of maintaining and living with their unsupported EVs.
• Lotus Eletre, Emeya, Evija: Controversial - Lotus, founded by Colin Chapman around the guiding principle of simplifying a car and then lightening it to find performance and precision, went the other way by announcing big, heavy, electric SUVs, sedans, and hypercars that added weight and complication. Worse still, these were meant to be replacements for, not accompaniments to, gas sports cars. It would be less controversial for BMW to say the next M3 will be front-wheel drive.
• VinFast VF8: Disappointing - Vietnamese VinFast made a splash by announcing a big factory in North Carolina to support affordable electric SUVs, but not only has the factory been delayed several times, but the VF8 SUV has been perhaps the worst new car of the last two decades. Unfinished software, inconsistent steering, delayed throttle response, glitching infotainment systems, and numerous panel gaps just scratch the surface of the well of frustrations and irritations that owners have reported. Along with safety concerns, VinFast's U.S. offering has simply been inexcusably glitchy and unreliable.
• Bentley EXP 15 Concept: Controversial - Bentley's recent design study, the EXP 15, previews an electric SUV with styling that is far from the graceful and elegant feel exuded by contemporary or historical products. Fortunately, this is just a concept, and Bentley isn't going all-electric throughout its lineup, but if this is the future of car design from Crewe, count us out.
• BMW XM: Controversial and disappointing - The BMW XM is the first standalone M car since the M1 supercar, yet it's a 6,000-pound luxury SUV that forgot the luxury part, despite its aim of luring Bentley Bentayga buyers. The cabin is a psychedelic mix of colors and materials, but while the seats are comfortable, the chassis is not sharp enough for a 738-hp super SUV and is too stiff for a wafting Cullinan alternative. BMW's first modern foray into the upper echelons of the four-door luxury market has been a flop, both economically and philosophically. Hopefully, the BMW Alpina brand will do better.

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There are so many more cars and concepts we can discuss, from recent times and well over a decade ago. The BMW 5 Series GT and 6 Series GT were some of the ugliest and strangest cars ever made, making the Bangle-era E65/E66 7 Series almost look handsome. Not quite, but almost. The Mercedes-Benz EQS was supposed to be an electric alternative to the S-Class, but it was an inelegant, overly digital, amorphous blob that few buyers signed up for. Across the pond, Ford resurrected the Capri name, but now it's an electric SUV, not a V8 fastback coupe. The Maserati Ghibli wore a luxury badge, but was it worthy? Not really. The Lexus LFA, a name once associated with mechanical precision, an obsession with engineering excellence, and a Yamaha-tuned V10, has now become an (admittedly very pretty) electric concept. The Aston Martin Cygnet is an even earlier example of an automaker producing something nobody asked for, layering the intentionally basic Toyota iQ in fancy dress and expecting customers to view it as premium. It was so unexpectedly strange that some of us thought it was a joke, but Aston Martin really thought it was onto something. More recently, Lexus has decided that the LS is no longer the greatest luxury sedan around but must become a big electric van with six wheels. Huh? And who approved the design of the Kia Tasman?

Putting cynicism aside (which is strong with the Luce), we must remember that these concepts and production vehicles are attempts at pushing the envelope, trying to give the world something new, something better. Whether they have been or will be failures or successes is often a matter of timing, and regardless of the respective outcomes, lessons learned in their creation will inform future vehicles and even new automakers, acting as cautionary tales or examples to follow. Which other cars have blown your mind for the wrong reasons recently? Let us know below.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 8:45 AM.