Is Ferrari’s New EV the Apple Car We Never Got?
For more than a decade, the tech world has been obsessed with one question: "What would an Apple Car look like?"
Rumors swirled. Patents appeared. Engineers quietly migrated from Detroit to Cupertino. Industry insiders whispered about a vehicle that would do for transportation what the iPhone did for communication. Then, Apple pulled the plug and the dream vanished.
Or did it? Because when I look at Ferrari’s upcoming electric vehicle, I cannot help wondering if we are seeing the closest thing the world may ever get to the mythical Apple Car.
At first glance, Ferrari and Apple seem like strange bedfellows. One company builds handcrafted Italian supercars that awaken every human emotion. The other built its empire on minimalist design, elegant software, and obsessive user experience. Yet the deeper you look, the more similarities emerge.
Reimagining the Machine
The original Apple Car vision was never about building another automobile. It was about reimagining the relationship between humans and machines. The goal was believed to be a vehicle with fewer buttons, fewer distractions, seamless software integration, intuitive controls, and an experience so natural that the technology would virtually disappear.
Sound familiar? Ferrari’s new EV appears to embrace many of those same principles.
Unlike many electric vehicles that have rushed to replace every physical control with a giant touchscreen, Ferrari seems determined to preserve the tactile connection between driver and machine. That distinction is critical.
Apple’s greatest products have always blended digital intelligence with physical simplicity:
The click wheel on the iPod
The home button on the iPhone
The Digital Crown on the Apple Watch
Physical interaction matters, and Ferrari appears to understand this. Reports indicate the new EV combines sophisticated digital interfaces with actual controls drivers can touch, feel, and operate without diving through endless software menus. That is a very Apple-like philosophy.
Designing the Experience
Then there is the user experience. Apple products rarely win because they have the most features; they win because they reduce friction. Everything feels obvious, intentional, and designed by people who actually use the product.
Ferrari’s EV appears to follow a similar path. The company is not simply electrifying a sports car, it is designing an experience. The interface, the cabin layout, the driver feedback, the sound design, and even the emotional journey appear carefully orchestrated. That sounds remarkably close to what Apple was reportedly trying to achieve.
There is another fascinating parallel. Apple never wanted to compete with Toyota; it wanted to redefine expectations. Ferrari is not trying to compete with mass market EV manufacturers either. The company is creating a halo product, a statement, and a showcase for design, engineering, software, and emotion. Again, that feels very Apple.
Friction vs. Passion
Of course, there are important differences. Apple’s vision was rumored to include autonomous driving, deep AI integration, and potentially a radically simplified transportation experience. Ferrari remains committed to the idea that driving itself is the attraction. Apple dreamed of eliminating friction, while Ferrari dreams of preserving passion.
Yet those goals may not be mutually exclusive. The real lesson is that technology only matters when it enhances human experience. That has always been Apple’s secret, and it has always been Ferrari’s secret as well. One built computers people loved, the other built cars people loved. Both understood that products are emotional experiences first and technological achievements second.
The Verdict
So, is Ferrari’s new EV the Apple Car we never got? Not exactly. But it may be the closest glimpse we will ever see of what happens when world-class design, intuitive technology, and human-centered thinking converge inside a vehicle.
Frankly, if Apple had built a car, I suspect it would have wanted people talking about it exactly the way we are talking about Ferrari’s EV today.
Bill Milling
CEO, American Movie Company
Please follow me on LinkedIn for more thoughts on technology, filmmaking, artificial intelligence, and the future of human experience. I post every day at 9:00 AM.