Ferrari Brings Back Physical Buttons On Steering Wheels

Ferrari is doing something you don’t often see in the world of ultra-exclusive supercars—they’re admitting they got it wrong and fixing it. After years of pushing futuristic, touch-sensitive steering wheel controls, the Prancing Horse is going back to physical buttons.

The first sign of change came with the 296 Speciale and the new Amalfi, where drivers finally got back proper tactile feedback. These redesigned buttons aren’t just for new models—they’ll also be available as a retrofit for recent Ferraris.

Owners of cars like the Roma, Purosangue, 296 GTB, SF90, and even the new 12Cilindri have been pretty vocal about their frustration with the sensitive touch surfaces. Ferrari heard them loud and clear. Now, as product development boss Gianmaria Fulgenzi told Top Gear, you’ll be able to upgrade: "Yes, you can have it. We don’t even have to replace the whole wheel. Just the center."

Better yet, you won’t need to ship your prized Ferrari back to Maranello. Local dealers will handle the swap, followed by a short test drive to ensure everything works as it should. 

So why did Ferrari go with touch controls in the first place? According to marketing chief Enrico Galliera, it all started with the SF90. The goal was speed and minimal distraction, inspired by the snappy response of smartphones. In theory, touch interfaces were the quickest way to access multiple functions with your hands still on the wheel.

But in reality? Not so great. “We were finding people were having too much time with their eyes also on the wheel,” Galliera admitted. The system just wasn’t intuitive enough, especially when you’re flying through gears or flicking through drive modes at 200 mph.

Ferrari isn’t tossing out all tech-forward ideas; they’re just refining things based on feedback from owners who actually live with these machines. That’s rare in a segment where automakers often assume they know best.