Ferrari has unveiled its first-ever fully electric supercar - and it has been designed with input from the man who created the iPhone.

Already dubbed the 'i-Ferrari', the dramatic 193mph Ferrari Luce - Italian for light - accelerates from 0 to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds. 

It made a theatrical debut at a glitzy launch in Rome, with a price tag of around £500,000.

With a unique, self-generated EV soundtrack replacing the traditional Ferrari engine roar, it also promises a range of more than 329 miles on a full charge - enough to travel comfortably from London to the affluent outskirts of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The electric grand tourer also features a sharply styled exterior and a high-tech yet minimalist interior, complete with physical buttons. 

The design was conceived in partnership with former Apple boss, Sir Jony Ive, whose influence, Ferrari says, spans 'every dimension of the new car'.

And reports have it that the Pope was given an exclusive preview of the new Fezza ahead of anyone else... 

The dramatic four-door, five-seat model measures over 5 metres long, 2 metres wide and 1.5 metres high. A hatchback-style boot opens to reveal 597 litres of luggage space, designed for long-distance travel.

It is only the second four-door Ferrari - and the first with five seats - made possible by the flat electric architecture, which eliminates the transmission tunnel and integrates the battery beneath the floor.

Powered by a 122kWh battery pack and four electric motors - two on each axle - the 1,036hp (772kW) Luce can reach 124mph in 6.8 seconds, before topping out at 193mph.

And it's packed with unique features. 

For instance, launch control is activated via an aviation-style switch in the roof, which turns the cabin orange when engaged. Meanwhile, inserting the key triggers a theatrical start-up sequence using liquid 'e-ink' technology inside the glass fob. There's even a button up front that automatically closes the rear doors.

The Luce rides on 23-inch front and 24-inch rear wheels - the largest ever fitted to a production Ferrari - with bespoke tyres developed by Pirelli, Michelin and Bridgestone to bolster the EV's range by reducing rolling resistance by around 15 per cent without compromising grip levels.

The arrival of the Luce marks a major transformation for Ferrari, whose reputation has long been built on the sound and performance of internal combustion engines.

Ferrari says the car's all-wheel-drive system can automatically switch between two- and four-wheel drive, distributing torque between axles for optimum performance.

Drivers can choose between three main modes - Range, Tour and Performance - alongside five driving settings: Ice, Wet, Dry, Sport and Esc Off, which disables stability control.

Weighing 2.26 tonnes, the car features lightweight carbon-fibre trim and a near-perfect 47:53 front-to-rear weight distribution.

Built in Maranello, the Luce houses a 210-cell battery fully integrated into the floor, lowering the centre of gravity and improving rigidity by 35 per cent. Its centre of gravity sits 80mm lower than an equivalent combustion car.

It also features active suspension derived from the Ferrari F80 and rear-wheel steering, while halo tail lights pay tribute to the 360 Modena and 458 Italia.

Ferrari has filed more than 60 patents linked to the car.

Prices are expected to start between £450,000 and £480,000, though most buyers will likely exceed £500,000 once options are added.

The radical exterior styling of the Luce, unveiled at the World premiere in Rome, is purposefully designed to be daring and different - but may divide opinion, especially with some more traditional Ferrari fans.

There is also an irony in that British designer Ive, who revolutionised communications by removing buttons from the mobile phone to create the iPhone, is here adding physical buttons, knobs and toggle switches, to a modern 21st century car - and bucking the trend towards ever greater use of touchscreens.

Sir Jony was unable to attend the event personally as he was recovering from a surgical procedure; and unable to fly during his recovery, said Ferrari. But his son Charlie attended in his place. 

His design partner Marc Newson, also from the San Francisco-based LoveFrom design agency, was brought in by Ferrari and 'embedded' in the firm over more than six years to give a new design perspective. He said a move back to physical and tactile buttons was long overdue as touchscreens were too often a 'distraction' and 'dangerous.'

Although he acknowledges they were brought in to 'disrupt' and shake things up outside Ferrari's usual 'comfort zone', Newson said: 'Jony and I are both car enthusiasts - petrol heads.'

Despite being an EV, the aim was to create a Ferrari first, he said.

On the new Ferrari Luce's instrument panels, buttons that are pressed have a reassuring click. Paddles behind the steering wheel have a strong and almost industrial quality and feel.

Scrolling through the drive mode settings changes via a physical switch changes the colour of the dashboard screen.

The traditional clock has physical hands. But often the physical switches activate digital screens - seamlessly blending traditional and hi-tech.

Air vents have been simplified to reflect those in aircraft - opening with a simple rotation to activate a butterfly valve within to regulate air flow.

Windscreen wipers stand upright to attention either side of the vast sloping windscreen.

Sound and comfort

Rather than mimicking a petrol engine, Ferrari has created a bespoke electric soundtrack generated by the car itself.

A high-precision sensor detects powertrain frequencies and amplifies them - much like an electric guitar - producing sound during hard acceleration or manual inputs, but remaining silent in normal driving.

Ferrari says the system is 'authentic and functional', with sound projected both inside and outside the car.

Advanced noise, vibration and harshness technology - including an elastically mounted subframe - significantly reduces road noise, with Ferrari claiming it is its most comfortable car yet.

Designed with Sir Jony Ive

The interior and exterior are the result of a five-year collaboration with LoveFrom, the design firm founded by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson.

Ferrari tasked the team with delivering an 'unconventional' yet coherent approach to its first EV.

On the outside, aerodynamic development took more than five years, with smooth, uninterrupted surfaces and turbine-inspired wheels reducing drag by around 5 per cent.

Even details such as the windscreen wiper were refined to meet performance targets.

Launch colours include Azzurro La Plata, Giallo Luce, Rosso Dino, Bianco Artico and Rosso Fiammante.

Interior and technology

The cabin features three main OLED display screens - for the driver, centre console and rear passengers - using technology similar to smartphones.

A 12.9-inch driver display moves with the steering wheel, while the 12-inch central screen can tilt towards driver or passenger.

Ferrari has prioritised physical controls, replacing touch-sensitive inputs with precision-machined buttons and switches.

A multifunction 'Multigraph' combines analogue hands with a digital display, showing a clock, compass or stopwatch.

Launch Mode is activated via an overhead pull lever, optimising torque and power delivery for maximum acceleration.

Sustainability

Alongside zero-emissions driving, the Luce uses large amounts of recycled aluminium, cutting production CO2 emissions by around 70 per cent and saving approximately 6.7 tonnes of CO2 per vehicle.

Ferrari says the Luce is the culmination of its electrification programme, which began with hybrid systems derived from its 2009 Formula 1 car.

Chairman John Elkann said: 'With Ferrari Luce, we are once again redefining what is possible. 

'We are not simply unveiling a car, but opening a new chapter for the brand.'

CEO Benedetto Vigna added that the model gives customers 'freedom of choice' across electric, hybrid and combustion models.