Don't Expect a Self-Driving Ferrari

Photo credit: Car and Driver

From Car and Driver

Ferrari's next-gen supercars will finally offer driving-assistance systems, but anyone dreaming of lounging on a red leather couch in the car drinking prosecco should step aside: a fully autonomous Ferrari is out of the question.

"Obviously, we won't present a car that drives itself," chief technical officer Michael Leiters said during the company's investor briefing this week. "That's not Ferrari."

With an autonomous Ferrari ruled out, Leiters said the automaker will begin introducing features on new models through 2022 that are not even optional today, among them adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and other sensor-powered technologies. Ferrari, to its benefit, hasn't entered the buggy beta-tester environment of hands-free driving that mainstream automakers have rushed to market with only mild success. While Leiters declined to elaborate, he said any such features are expected to "enhance" the driving experience.

"We will customize the technology to find the Ferrari way," he said.

Ferrari's way, he clarified, is "eyes on the street, hands on the wheel." The new driver assists will work with a head-up display, another common feature unavailable on current Ferraris, along with redesigning the instrument cluster and steering wheel and fitting an infotainment system with internet connectivity. More "passenger involvement," said Leiters, will improve on the secondary dash touchscreen offered in the GTC4Lusso. Currently, that optional screen allows the passenger to send directions to the main screen, view the driver's speed, and access other functions.

While laying out the company's plans through 2022 and revealing its most extreme series-production car to date, the Monza, Ferrari executives stressed the need to attract more of the estimated 18 million people worldwide who make up the so-called "high net worth" category. While a lineup of hybrids and new models will do the lifting, including a successor to the 812 Superfast inspired by the 250GTO and a second mid-engined model positioned above the 488 (pictured above), autonomy will not. As much as rich people love to park their Ferraris, company research is clear that they still prefer to drive them rather than ride.

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