In the world of Luce, The Rivian R3X could shine

[kanundrum]

Ferrari just revealed its first BEV, and to say it’s not CyberTruck-level polarizing would be an understatement.
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Source: Ferrari
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Source: Ferrari
The world is clearly reacting to all of this, and maybe that is the point of the polarizing looks. The buzz is amounting to the same level of gossip as when Tesla revealed its geometric behemoth to the world almost 3 years ago. So what does this mean for the Ferrari-enthusiast crowd who want a fully electric vehicle? Probably nothing — those who have the money to spare will purchase this and have it be a drop in the collection bucket, while the other category of buyers who were expecting something with curves and swooping lines from the house of Pininfarina are left disappointed. Not that many were looking for an electric vehicle in most cases anyway — well, because Ferrari….
So where does Rivian Play into all of this?
Most would agree this was a failed attempt at a passion project that could have revolutionized the electric vehicle space and given hope to all automotive enthusiasts who thought a Ferrari electric car would be cool — which means all electric cars would now be “acceptable” to the automotive enthusiast. It wasn’t, and now it leaves a sour taste again, as well as more fodder for the ongoing war of ICE vehicles vs. BEV.
The R3X could very well be the vehicle that answers the equation of: wow, electric cars can be cool and not just an appliance/compliance car.
It’s the passion and amazing design aesthetic from Jeff Hammoud and his team that will make the R3X the vehicle that every automotive enthusiast will adore, while also lifting the brand that is Rivian. We have talked about how iconic Rivian is becoming, and a model like the R3X will cement that position in automotive history.
Talking with Jeff at the Rivian SXSW event in Austin, the team has clearly taken lines and inspiration from one of the best Italian rally cars — the Lancia Delta Integrale. It is clear that the logic for this choice is enthusiast-inspired, with members of Jeff’s team owning enthusiast vehicles like Porsche, Alfa Romeo, and BMW. The R3X could very well be the defining vehicle that will bring BEVs to the masses and gain buy-in support from not only the typical ICE engine owner but also the die-hard automotive enthusiast who still believes ICE cars are the main stage for automotive passion.
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Rivian R3X vs Rally Inspired R3X with Lancia Delta Integrale/Martini Rosso Livery(Gemini Generated)
With its heritage-inspired looks, a new dawn of enthusiasts could come on board and support not only the R3X but Rivian as a brand. But, as with Ferrari, Rivian needs to make sure they don’t blunder on the interaction experience. It needs to be raw and visceral for the enthusiast to yearn for it and actually think electric vehicles could be cool.
Requirement 1: User Interaction
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R3X Needs Paddle Shifters: Gemini Generated
As silly as paddle shifters sound on an electric vehicle, the interactive experience is quite fun. Even if the controls only affect regeneration or do actual torque management like Ferrari’s, the interaction is quite fun, and I wish we had this in our R1 vehicles. Ferrari did get this right with its controls and switches, but the interior is left a little too busy and leaves something to be desired, with its $100 iPad swivel mount, which is almost laughable. The aircraft-grade aluminum toggle switches also found in vehicles such as the Ineos Grenadier give some of the best tactile interface satisfaction one can get when operating a vehicle. All of that is important and contributes to the user experience, turning these moments into an experience every time a control is used or touched.
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Source: FerrariRequirement 2: Noise
Most electric cars don’t make noise; the ones that do are pretty fake, routed through external speakers or in-cabin audio. Real automotive enthusiasts don’t want fake noise — it’s the equivalent of adding quad exhaust tips to a single exhaust setup.

Take Ken Block’s Hoonitron setup — those electric motors make a mental-sounding whine reminiscent of straight-cut gears on an ICE vehicle. Naturally loud electric motors should be a mandatory requirement because it just makes for that much more of a visceral experience. If the option to adjust the harmonics (adjusting the PWM frequency) of those motors exists, then even better — the best of both worlds.
Requirement 3: Special Editions
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Source: Gemini Generated
Giving consumers special editions is so much fun. It offers unique customization from the manufacturer and also lets the design teams have that much more fun creating unique runs of vehicles that will be cherished and hopefully retain value if produced in limited quantities.
The Rivian Adventure Department is clearly working on that, with its internal skunk works doing an amazing job on some custom editions.
Welcome to the Rivian Adventure Department - Rivian Stories | Electric Vehicle Adventures
Exploring what our vehicles can do, and how much fun you can have
stories.rivian.com

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Source: RivianRequirement 4: Modifications
Rivian is no stranger to letting customers choose from a multitude of options from their gear shop to modify their vehicles.
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Source: Rivian Gear Shop
From MOLLE panels to tents to overlanding gear, Rivian offers its consumers a variety of options. The global car modification and aftermarket industry is valued between $55 billion and $90 billion annually, which means Rivian would be wise to open up a few more options when the R3X is released. Suspension, wheels, tires, and brake pads are all baseline products, and livery wraps at launch would make for a pretty amazing R3X delivery package — because who wouldn’t want a rally-ready brand-new R3X? More importantly, who wouldn’t want to use it!
Conclusion:
Rivian has a potentially big hit in their portfolio — bigger than a Ferrari, in fact, if the car enthusiast buzz is any indication. We want a fun-to-drive, raw, visceral, non-fake EV. If it happened to come in below $640,000 — but ideally below $64,000 — the enthusiasts would surely flock to the light that is Rivian like a moth to a flame.

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[CharonPDX]

Can we *NOT* spam an AI written article full of AI generated images to the forum about a competitor that is as "competitor" as a Honda dirt bike is to a Ducati?

 

[Great Gatsby]

*sigh* I'm so over the baby cry from "enthusiast". Stuff like this just starts to boil my blood. What an annoying crowd some people in the car community have become, specially when it comes to EVs.

You want a big huge V8 RWD tire burning monster? Go buy one, they exist, and have for decades. You want a super fast, fun and tech forward vehicle? EVs do that well. They don't need to go back and revisit age old formulas to cater to a small group of car buyers that don't even vehicles new anyway.

The whole "EVs are soulless appliances" comment is old, lazy and tells me the person does not have much to offer to a car conversation besides "I like loud". Sound does not make a car have a "soul" the same way a vacuum is not effective based on its sound. I have driven several vehicles and even the punching bag for "soulless appliance", the Model 3, is a ton of fun. I loved driving my R1S. The Lucid Gravity and Air are both excellent driver cars. The Mustang Mach-E was always a joy as well. Polestar 3, Ioniq 5, Taycan, BMW i4...the list goes on.

I REALLY hope Rivian does not do any of this corny paddle shifter, fake noise or added motor whine to the R3X to satisfy a crowd who won't buy it to begin with. EVs are great at being practical, smooth, QUIET, fast and engaging in other ways like regen (OPD), handling, low center of gravity and giving you that roller coaster feel anytime you want to dig on the pedal.

Again, I still enjoy the ICE experience, but for different reasons. If I were to want an ICE car to be more like an EV, I would hate it. Why is there no frunk? What the hell is this hump in the back seat? Why does the car move on its own with no input? Why is the 4 cylinder on this SUV so freaking loud? Why do I need to change my oil? And my brakes? I still own a BMW 2 series convertible for the top down experience with a smooth inline 6 and mind reader transmission. Plenty of those cars still around to enjoy. I do not wish that EVs emulate that experience and vice-versa.

Anyway, my two cents. Rivian knows what it is doing and I think they are more mature than this. The R3X will be a fun vehicle and a great EV. "Enthusiast" of yesteryear can enjoy a Civic Type-R with a manual. Nothing wrong with that and they are still being made. More open minded enthusiast can enjoy both. And the fun part? We never had to choose to begin with. No one is making us choose. Just enjoy all the options we have available for what they are.

 

[kanundrum]

Can we *NOT* spam an AI written article full of AI generated images to the forum about a competitor that is as "competitor" as a Honda dirt bike is to a Ducati?

My guy hand written from scratch by me

Just stating when it does launch, this would be great ideas to make not a shitbox like the luce

 

[kanundrum]

*sigh* I'm so over the baby cry from "enthusiast". Stuff like this just starts to boil my blood. What an annoying crowd some people in the car community have become, specially when it comes to EVs.

You want a big huge V8 RWD tire burning monster? Go buy one, they exist, and have for decades. You want a super fast, fun and tech forward vehicle? EVs do that well. They don't need to go back and revisit age old formulas to cater to a small group of car buyers that don't even vehicles new anyway.

The whole "EVs are soulless appliances" comment is old, lazy and tells me the person does not have much to offer to a car conversation besides "I like loud". Sound does not make a car have a "soul" the same way a vacuum is not effective based on its sound. I have driven several vehicles and even the punching bag for "soulless appliance", the Model 3, is a ton of fun. I loved driving my R1S. The Lucid Gravity and Air are both excellent driver cars. The Mustang Mach-E was always a joy as well. Polestar 3, Ioniq 5, Taycan, BMW i4...the list goes on.

I REALLY hope Rivian does not do any of this corny paddle shifter, fake noise or added motor whine to the R3X to satisfy a crowd who won't buy it to begin with. EVs are great at being practical, smooth, QUIET, fast and engaging in other ways like regen (OPD), handling, low center of gravity and giving you that roller coaster feel anytime you want to dig on the pedal.

Again, I still enjoy the ICE experience, but for different reasons. If I were to want an ICE car to be more like an EV, I would hate it. Why is there no frunk? What the hell is this hump in the back seat? Why does the car move on its own with no input? Why is the 4 cylinder on this SUV so freaking loud? Why do I need to change my oil? And my brakes? I still own a BMW 2 series convertible for the top down experience with a smooth inline 6 and mind reader transmission. Plenty of those cars still around to enjoy. I do not wish that EVs emulate that experience and vice-versa.

Anyway, my two cents. Rivian knows what it is doing and I think they are more mature than this. The R3X will be a fun vehicle and a great EV. "Enthusiast" of yesteryear can enjoy a Civic Type-R with a manual. Nothing wrong with that and they are still being made. More open minded enthusiast can enjoy both. And the fun part? We never had to choose to begin with. No one is making us choose. Just enjoy all the options we have available for what they are.

Agreed but not saying that at all, simply stating that it could for those who did want an enthusiast EV it will be a great thing

 

[Great Gatsby]

Agreed but not saying that at all, simply stating that it could for those who did want an enthusiast EV it will be a great thing

I think EVs for driving enthusiast exist already, they are not like what we are used to on the ICE side though. And if people really wanted that, the Ioniq 5N exist already with fake noises and gear shifts.

I do agree with stuff like modifications and limited editions models, but I'd far more prefer good handling, steering, brakes, performance, etc. That is where the R3X can differentiate itself. I'd much prefer they nail the driving experience over noises and simulated shifts like the aforementioned Ioniq 5N. Heck, I'd even like to see what cool stuff we can do with the tech EVs have over trying to imitate ICE stuff.

 

[narmstrong79]

Why are we comparing a $700k unattainium iCar to a $50K hatch ?

 

[kanundrum]

I think EVs for driving enthusiast exist already, they are not like what we are used to on the ICE side though. And if people really wanted that, the Ioniq 5N exist already with fake noises and gear shifts.

I do agree with stuff like modifications and limited editions models, but I'd far more prefer good handling, steering, brakes, performance, etc. That is where the R3X can differentiate itself. I'd much prefer they nail the driving experience over noises and simulated shifts like the aforementioned Ioniq 5N. Heck, I'd even like to see what cool stuff we can do with the tech EVs have over trying to imitate ICE stuff.

Yeap that's why I think motor noises and paddle shifting that actually control things like Regen would help a LOT basically making a mini Ioniq 5N rally spec with out the fake noises haha

 

[kanundrum]

Why are we comparing a $700k unattainium iCar to a $50K hatch ?

Cause they have the same technical specs at a core level. BEV have leveled the playing field.

 

[SwampNut]

 

[Dark-Fx]

Quite obvious Ferrari is a company that doesn't want BEVs to succeed if this is their first and only entry so far.

 

[madhat]

I love that the motors do 2x the rpm of the Bosch motors and that they upped the sound level of the real motor noise rather than synthetic engine noises. I would be very happy if Rivian made sure to let us have more noisy motors, even more so if it can be toggled off.

 

[savethemanual]

Ferrari will sell every one of these that it produces, there are way too many people in this world with way too much money to burn. I do like the Digital that wants to be Analog interior though.

 

[mkg3]

For those with money to turn but never owned a Ferrari, Luce would be the price of entry for real Ferrari allocation slot.

Just about 99.9% of exotic owners currently do not want hybridized ICE, let alone BEV.

 

[kanundrum]

Ferrari will sell every one of these that it produces, there are way too many people in this world with way too much money to burn. I do like the Digital that wants to be Analog interior though.

While the interior is a design piece that I think is more or less well executed, I thought the pivoting iPad in the middle was pretty comical.

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