Ferrari may be forced to reconsider the name of its first electric vehicle (EV) before it has even launched.
Documents unearthed by childcareman.xyz show Mazda has filed a trademark for the Luce name in Japan, just weeks after the Ferrari Luce was announced by the Italian supercar maker.
The move could block Ferrari from using the Luce name.
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While it has not been produced since 1991, the company’s large premium sedan was named the Mazda Luce (known in Australia as the 9299).
Mazda released its Vision Coupe concept in 2017 – a long, swept-back sedan which was described as’respectful nod to its heritage’ with the 1969 Mazda Luce Rotary Coupe specifically mentioned by the brand at the time.
However, many at the time assumed it was a preview of a future Mazda 6, despite its unusually large proportions.
Mazda Vision Coupe concept
In February 2026, Ferrari revealed some of the interior of its forthcoming electric car, while also announcing the Luce name.
The move was published only yesterday after Mazda filed a trademark application for the Luce name in its home market, three weeks later.
It is the new direction for the Italian company, which has been conceived by the firm LoveFrom – a studio founded by Australian Marc Newson and iPhone designer Sir Jony Ive since its inception of the Ferrari Luce interior.
Ferrari Luce
Unlike many automakers, which renew trademarks of old names for their own name to prevent other car makers from using them, Mazda’s move doesn’t mean it is going to be planning a new Luce.
It’s not the first time an automaker has had to change the name of a car just after it was announced that Mazda would successfully block Ferrari with its old name.
In April 2024, Alfa Romeo was forced to rename its smallest SUV, which was originally unveiled as the Milano.
Fiat Panda
However, with the model being manufactured in Poland, Italian law forbids goods from having labels that suggest they originated in Italy. This forced Alfa Romeo to rename it as the Junior.
Automakers renamed the 2003 Fiat Panda before it was launched, which was supposed to be Gingo (the name of its predecessors) and Renault (along with Twingo), Volvo (which would call its first-generation S40 sedan the ‘S4’ until Audi objected to their launch).
But some other brands have also sold models of cars with the same name, citing examples of s. Both Bentley and Lincoln have offered cars at the same time as the Continental in the past, while near home BMW and GAC sell vehicles called the M8 Down Under; Audi and MG both sell cars named the S5.
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