The CEO of Ferrari has just said the quiet part out loud. Not about EVs, or about the future of high performance, but about buttons in cars. Ferrari is making a big deal about bringing back buttons instead of haptic touchpads. In a new interview, the CEO makes it very clear why going to haptics and touchscreens versus physical controls, even for brands like Ferrari, is so appealing. And it’s not necessarily about design.
Why? Because It’s Cheaper
Ferrari chief exec Benedetto Vigna was in India for the release of the 849 Testarossa in that country. He had plenty to say about India’s growing number of high-wealth individuals and the potential for the brand, but it was his surprisingly candid words about Ferrari’s interior decision that got our attention.
Autocar India asked about Ferrari’s decision to go “retro” on the 849’s steering wheel, with actual buttons. Vigna said, “touch [buttons] is something that is made for the supplier’s advantage. Making a touch button is cheaper. 50% cheaper.”
If you want the nice hand-crafted and “beautiful” buttons, then you need to make more tooling. He acknowledged that underneath the exterior, a haptic button is the same no matter what automaker purchases it.
Why did Ferrari change to physical buttons? The company didn’t like being the same. “Look, we have no problem to go around with electronic consumer products that look the same, right? But we don’t like to go around with cars that all look the same. So we need to do something unique.”
The change started with Amalfi. It had buttons, and, Vigna points out, more anodized aluminum. It’s more interactive, he said. The new Testarossa that he’s there for, is similar. Before Ferrari, Vigna worked in tech, including semiconductors and motion-activated user interfaces. So it’s interesting to see him advocating for more analog controls.
Do Ferrari Buyers Care About Cost?
It’s hard to imagine that Ferrari buyers are concerned with cost. Especially in spending a few hundred dollars more to get the delicate and mechanical steering wheel that Ferrari now offers.
That could add more reasons for Ferrari’s return to physical controls. Buyers wanted more interaction, which shows they’ll pay for it. Even better, Vigna points out that Ferrari now sells a replacement wheel for the Purosangue and 12Cilindri with more analog controls, so now the automaker can get paid a second time.
Source: Autocar India
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
