Ferrari reportedly threatened media with staggering €600,000 penalties over Luce leaks. PR handlers closely monitored journalists during tightly controlled Luce previews. Tech influencers are said to have received longer access and Luce driving sessions. Ferrari’s launch of the new Luce EV already looked controversial enough thanks to the car’s design itself and powertrain. But according to one YouTuber the real drama started long before anyone switched cameras on. In a lengthy video breakdown following Ferrari’s Rome reveal event, Shmee described an atmosphere that sounded less like a glamorous supercar launch and more like an intelligence operation. The most eye-popping detail involved embargo agreements carrying a reported €600,000 (about $700,000 at current rates) penalty for anyone responsible for leaks. Penalty clauses are common across the industry when media are given advance access to assets, but they’re rarely a tenth of that size. Now you know why for once we didn’t see a new car splashed all over Instagram 24 hours before the official debut. When journalists arrived at the event hall, their phones and laptops were sealed with security stickers, says the British YouTuber, whose real name is Tim Burton. Media weren’t allowed to use their own camera operators or equipment. Instead, Ferrari supplied the crews, controlled the footage, and only released clips shortly before the embargo lifted. More: The New Luce Is So Ugly Not Even The Chinese Will Copy It, Says Ferrari’s Ex-CEO That setup created an uncomfortable situation for reporters trying to form genuine opinions about a car they’d never seen before, and looked nothing like they’d imagined. Shmee repeatedly described walking into the reveal thinking “what have they done?” while struggling to process whether the car even resembled a Ferrari. Start The Clock He explains how journalists had roughly 30 minutes with the Luce while surrounded by Ferrari staff and PR representatives listening nearby. So it’s no surprise many creators defaulted to repeating official talking points instead of offering meaningful reactions. Tech Creators Got The Keys First One detail Shmee revealed that’s perhaps less surprising is the different, and superior access granted to tech creators. Youtubers including Marques Brownlee attendede a separate event, with some reportedly even driving the car. Meanwhile traditional automotive journalists became what Shmee called the “second wave.” That strategy does make sense. The Luce clearly isn’t aimed at old-school Ferrari obsessives, and it was always going to struggle to win over petrolheads. They already have the Purosangue and a load of sports cars to choose from. The Luce’s real job is to bring new buyers to the brand, drivers who’ve probably never considered a Ferrari before.It’s a plan that’s worked before with the California and Purosangue, but will it work with the far more radical Luce, or is it too polarizing even for tech-heads? Ferrari