- Ferrari says Chinese automakers have made remarkable progress.
- But despite their rapid advances, they still trail in delivering driving emotion.
- Maranello praises the technology, comfort, and features of today’s Chinese cars.
The rapid rise of Chinese automakers has wreaked havoc on well-established players. Gone are the days when car companies from China were the laughingstock of the industry for blatantly ripping off designs and building knockoff cars on subpar underpinnings. They’re now eating the Western brands’ lunch, and everyone is taking notice. That even includes Ferrari, though the company doesn’t appear concerned about losing out to up-and-coming performance brands from China.
Ferrari’s Global Marketing Director knows what he’s talking about. Emanuele Carando has extensive knowledge of high-end vehicles from China, as he travels there frequently to test the latest developments. In an interview with Australian magazine GoAuto, he praised how far Chinese automakers have come over the past few decades while noting they still have ground to make up in one key area.
‘We think they are [making] incredible progress in terms of performance. I think they are still a little behind in terms of driving emotion. Developing a car which drives fast on the straight is not difficult. Developing a car which is incredibly precise when entering a curve, it stays flat, it doesn’t pitch, it doesn’t roll, and it gives you confidence and emotion … this is what we try to do. You know you are driving a Ferrari, not only when you are driving fast.’
Photo by: Yangwang
Ferrari can still sleep comfortably at night, knowing China isn’t quite there yet when it comes to building a car as thrilling through the corners as one from Maranello. However, Carando admits the company has something to learn by benchmarking competitors’ cars. At the same time, Ferrari is motivated to keep improving its new models so China doesn’t close the gap even further.
As things stand, Ferrari claims it still holds an advantage in driving dynamics. Still, it doesn’t deny that Chinese companies are engineering “incredible jewels” with impressive levels of comfort, features, and technology. Although they’re compelling products, the company with the Prancing Horse doesn’t necessarily see them as direct rivals:
‘But I think the overall combination is very different versus what Ferrari produces. They [China] do develop cars which are kind of consumable. Every month a new car comes up, and your previous car becomes old.’
Ferrari models certainly have more staying power, and the brand’s heritage is another major asset that Chinese companies lack. However, the numbers don’t lie. The company is on a slippery slope in the world’s largest car market. It sold just 584 units in 2025, less than half the 1,221 vehicles it delivered in 2023.
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Source: Yangwang
Motor1’s Take: Ferrari may not be doing all that well in China, but we need to look at the bigger picture. It has managed to offset weaker demand there by selling more cars in other markets. With 13,640 units delivered in 2025, it came close to matching its 2024 sales record of 13,752 vehicles, or just 112 more than last year.
Through March this year, it perfectly matched its first-quarter result in China from last year by selling 180 vehicles. Globally, sales were slightly down in Q1 2026, falling to 3,436 units, or 157 fewer cars, than in the first three months of last year.
While the Luce isn’t the instant seller in China some reports would have you believe, it does have the potential to attract new buyers to the brand. Whether the “strong interest” mentioned by CEO Benedetto Vigna also extends to the Chinese market remains unclear. Ferrari has yet to share any figures, but it says bank transfers are already coming in.
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