Ferrari are standing firm against self-driving cars saying that none of their Prancing Horse’s will have the feature. At least, not while Ferrari CEO, Benedetto Vigna, is in charge.

Vigna entered his position in 2021 and has rallied against self-driving cars ever since. 

At a Financial Times’ Future of the Car Summit he said (via Business Insider), “In the cabin, there are four kinds of software. There is performance software, there is comfort software, there is infotainment software, and there is autonomous… The last one, we don’t care.” 

In June 2022, Ferrari hosted artificial intelligence experts to pitch to them why they should adopt the technology. Vigna told reporters that (via Bloomberg), “The AI guys had a ride with our test driver. When they got out from a Ferrari they told me, okay Benedetto, our presentation is useless.” 

While he has railed against AI, he is fine with driver assistance technology mainly because it doesn’t take away from the experience of driving a Ferrari. 

“No customer is going to spend money for the computer in the car to enjoy the drive,” said Vigna. “The value of the man, of the human at the centre, is fundamental.”

What’s key to understand is that Ferrari isn’t necessarily about implementing the latest technology for the sake of it. Buying a Ferrari is a romantic purchase, meaning it has more emotion behind it than logic. You buy a Ferrari for the experience of driving a Ferrari. 

Take the F40 as an example, on paper it is outclassed by many supercars of the time, including the Porsche 959, but there was something about the experience of driving it that turned it into a classic. 

If you want a digital chauffeur, buy a Tesla. If you want the thrills of driving a sports car, buy a Ferrari. What’s the point of buying a Ferrari when all the enjoyment is being had by a computer?