[RahulNagaraj]

According to a media report, Benedetto Vigna - CEO of Ferrari, has confirmed that the Italian brand will never build a self-driving supercar.

The Italian supercar brand recently hosted AI experts who wanted to convince the company to embrace autonomous driving technology. CEO Vigna instead offered them a spin in a Ferrari car around the brand's Fiorano test track. The AI experts got out of the car, post the ride and acknowledged that their presentation was useless.



Ferrari's CEO went on to say that while the brand will never offer level-5 autonomous technology in its cars, it will continue to develop and offer various driver assistance systems. Vigna stated that customers don't spend money only to let the computer in the car enjoy the drive.

Alongside this, the Italian supercar brand also confirmed plans to introduce 15 new models by 2030, including its first fully-electric supercar and a LaFerrari successor.

Source: Bloomberg

Link to Team-BHP news

[Turbohead]

I've heard of a similar argument: https://www.businessinsider.com/ferr...-an-suv-2017-2

And now, the SUV will be launched later this year.

Truth is, they will be forced to offer autonomous tech in their cars since the market will demand them. Some owners would want to go auto mode after a long drive. And these are the kind of features that will eventually be mandatory like climate control and sunroof.

Only 30% owners IMO, would be the real enthusiasts and would like it raw. The rest buy it for the glitz and glam and would prefer a smooth drive.

[dhanushs]

It does make total sense. Why pay millions if you are gonna let the computer enjoy the engineering. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of owning a super car!

[enj0y_ride]

It makes sense for now - at least Level 5 may not be required in foreseeable future.

However, it could so happen that there might come regulations that mandate computer controls for certain road segments/ highways in future ( speaking of 10+ years may be ) which will enable cars to travel at significantly higher speeds in those stretches. Ferrari owners will be scrambling for tracks to take their cars out.

[theMAG]

I agree with and respect Ferrari's point-of-view.

Autonomous driving - still very nascent, is automation for repetitive driving tasks - such as for work commuting, and the benefits of automation - stress reduction, carving up productive time etc. The closest analogy would be Roomba - it makes life much easier than without.

Anything beyond mundane commute - recreational (road trips), spirited driving (racing) etc. should remain the preserve of the human driving the car.

[GForceEnjoyer]

I don't think this is likely to go the same way as the earlier statement on never making an SUV, since that was a decision integral to keeping up sales and hence profits. Assuming we mean "self-driving" as in level-5 autonomous driving, it goes directly against Ferrari's ethos. Even people who buy them just for the brand do so because of the connotations of driver involvement attached to it, even if they will never enjoy that themselves. Let's wait and watch.

[Dry Ice]

Why not? Autonomous mode should help owners park better and navigate tight spaces more easily

Turn it off once you are at the track, win-win!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KSiqOPqwHmA

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Truth is, they will be forced to offer autonomous tech in their cars since the market will demand them.

100% agreed. It's why Ferraris today offer a more comfortable ride, 4-door models & of course, the upcoming SUV. Ferrari is a publicly listed company which has to follow customer demand.

Many Ferrari owners now go for long freeway drives due to the increased reliability, better comfort levels & higher practicality of the newer models. Not a 911, yet way better than what Ferrari was offering two decades ago.

On long American freeways, owners will demand autonomous driving. Especially since the other "cheaper" cars in their garage (Teslas, Mercedes etc.) are offering it.

[Viju]

2014: Ferrari will never build an SUV.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/ferr...se-production/
2022: Purosangue SUV to debut in September.
https://www.drivespark.com/four-whee...er-036232.html

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2020: Ferrari will never be a fully electric carmaker.
https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-ne...-ar190129.html
2025: First fully electric Ferarri to be released.
https://www.augustman.com/my/gear/mo...-electric-car/

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2022: Ferrari will never build a self-driving car.
Enthusiasts: For sure!

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On a more serious note, making self-driving cars, like electric cars will not remain a matter of 'choice' for car makers 15 - 20 years down the line.

As self-driving cars cannot really drive around 'safely' in isolation (without vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication), sooner or later, legislation will force all car makers to go this route. There may be certain sections of roads or test-tracks where it is 'allowed' to drive on our own. This is my best guess, at least.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Viju

2014

2020

Thing is, CEOs change with time and the new CEO doesn't have to follow his predecessor's footsteps. In fact, the new CEO is always out to make his own mark, build his own strategy & (many times) bring in his own people at the top.

Not just cars, but in any industry, what any current CEO says is largely irrelevant after his term ends.

[Porcupine]

This is like when all the performance brands said they wouldn't make SUVs, but all it takes it one success story to realise/create demand. An autonomous supercar doesn't make any sense, until someone makes it and then everyone wants it. It's not difficult for an 'illogical' category to become logical almost literally overnight.

[yogishkamath]

Most things never fully go away.

You can still own and ride a horse today if you want. The middle class man's horses might have nearly vanished but the thoroughbreds continue to thrive (Abut 100K new ones are registered per year)

There will always exist cars without the ability to drive themselves. I fully expect Ferrari to continue making them long after they have ceased to be street legal.