The New Ferrari Marks a Return to Form
There’s a new Ferrari in town, and it’s called the Amalfi. Continuing the automaker’s penchant for naming sports cars with Italian landmarks, the Amalfi, which is the successor to the Roma, brings evolutionary styling and upgraded tech to the base-level Ferrari model.
However, its most welcome feature is something refreshingly simple: proper physical, tactile buttons on the steering wheel.
With the Amalfi’s arrival, Ferrari has officially backtracked on one of its most criticized decisions – its insistence on using touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel. Introduced on models like the SF90 and Roma, the system aimed to enhance modernity and performance, but instead left many owners fumbling through menus mid-drive or accidentally activating features while on a spirited drive.
Admitting to a Design Mistake
Speaking to Top Gear, Ferrari marketing boss Enrico Galliera explained the company’s reasoning behind the haptic controls, and its subsequent reversal.
“Our philosophy is always ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road.’ But we were finding people were having too much time with their eyes also on the wheel. We listened to our customers,” he admitted.
He added that while touch controls may be faster on a smartphone, the experience in a moving supercar proved far less intuitive.
Galliera also acknowledged that Ferrari’s HMI (human-machine interface) “was probably too advanced and not 100 percent perfect in use.” The touch interface had been developed in pursuit of performance and speed, mirroring the ultra-fast SF90’s hybrid system, but ultimately didn’t match the needs of drivers in the real world. Now, Ferrari is “re-balancing, not changing” its design strategy.
Design chief Flavio Manzoni seconded the move. “Beauty is simplicity,” he told Top Gear, reinforcing the notion that elegance and usability can – and should – coexist in a Ferrari.
Retrofit Available for Those Who Want It
Best of all, the tactile steering wheel buttons are not a feature locked to the new Amalfi. According to Ferrari’s product development chief Gianmaria Fulgenzi, several existing models – including the 296 GTB, Purosangue, SF90, and 12Cilindri – can be retrofitted with the new steering wheel setup.
“Yes, you can have it,” Fulgenzi told Top Gear. “We don’t even have to replace the whole wheel. Just the center.” The retrofit can be performed at any Ferrari dealer, and after a short test drive to verify calibration, drivers are good to go.
It’s a rare move for a brand like Ferrari to admit fault so directly, but one that’s bound to earn goodwill from customers who’ve long wanted the brand’s supercars to get back to just being great to drive.
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