Ferrari CEO Say The Brand Will Not Go Autonomous

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna has made it clear that a fully autonomous Ferrari is not an option.

In an interview with Australian magazine Drive, he dismissed the possibility of developing a driverless car and stressed that every future Ferrari will have a steering wheel and a driver behind it.

“We are not going to make fully autonomous cars; I want to make that clear. We want people to enjoy themselves, not computer chips. We want to have a steering wheel and a man or a woman behind the wheel. Otherwise, why would you buy a Ferrari in the first place?” said Viña.

His statement comes at a time when numerous manufacturers are investing billions of euros in the development of autonomous systems that could one day completely replace the driver.

Ferrari is not rejecting modern technology. The brand will continue to develop driver assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping systems and other safety solutions. However, cars with level three autonomy or higher, where the vehicle can completely take over driving in certain situations, are not part of Ferrari’s strategy.

This decision is not surprising. Ferrari buyers don’t buy cars to drive from home to the office while reading emails or watching movies. They buy them for the feel of the steering wheel, the sound of the engine, the acceleration and the emotion of driving.

Interestingly, in recent months, there have been increasing reports that Ferrari is considering the return of a manual transmission, which disappeared from the lineup more than a decade ago. Such a move would further emphasize the philosophy that the driver must remain central to the experience.

Future Ferraris may use electric motors, advanced batteries and cutting-edge software, but if the people at Maranello are to be believed, one thing won’t change. There will still be a human behind the wheel.

• Also See: Ferrari Might Reintroduce The Manual Gearbox