Dr. Gjoko Muratovski is the Chief Innovation Officer at the Icona Design Group.getty​How far can a legacy brand evolve before it ceases to be recognizable? And if consumers cannot identify a product without seeing the badge, is it still the same brand? Those questions came to my mind the moment I saw photographs of Ferrari's new Luce.My first reaction was that BYD had launched an attractive new electric vehicle. It took a moment before I realized I was looking at a Ferrari. That reaction surprised me.For decades, Ferrari has possessed one of the most distinctive visual identities in the automotive world. Its products evolved over time, but they remained unmistakably Ferrari. You could recognize them from a distance without seeing the prancing horse emblem. The Luce challenged that instinct.A Deliberate DepartureDesigned by Jony Ive and Marc Newson, the Luce represents a significant departure from Ferrari's traditional design language. The exterior adopts a simplified aesthetic that feels removed from the sculptural forms that helped define the brand. At the same time, the interior appears surprisingly complex to me, with layers of digital interaction that seem at odds with the minimalist philosophy that made Ive famous through his work at Apple.Even some of the details feel contradictory. I struggled to understand the inclusion of analog-inspired gauges in a vehicle that has no combustion predecessor of its own. Ferrari's heritage may be rooted in internal combustion engines, but the visual language of traditional instrumentation belongs to an experience this vehicle no longer offers.Yet, it might be a mistake to dismiss the Luce too quickly. When Porsche launched the Cayenne in 2002, enthusiasts predicted disaster. Instead, the SUV became one of the most important products in the company's history, generating the profits that transformed Porsche and helped sustain icons such as the 911.The Luce may ultimately prove equally important for Ferrari, but in a very different way. And there is a lesson here that I would urge all brands to learn.What If The Car Is Not The Product?The more I considered the Luce, the more I began to wonder whether Ferrari's objective was ever simply to create another vehicle. According to Ferrari, the project generated more than 60 new patents, covering areas such as electric powertrains, battery integration, software systems, interfaces, displays, vehicle dynamics and energy management. This changes how the car should be interpreted.Viewed through a traditional automotive lens, the Luce feels confused. It is a controversial design experiment at best. Viewed through a technology lens, it begins to resemble something else entirely: a platform for intellectual property development.Many consumers assume companies such as Blackberry and Nokia disappeared when they lost their dominance in the mobile phone market. In reality, both organizations continued generating substantial revenue through intellectual property, technology licensing and patent portfolios developed during earlier stages of their evolution. The products became less important than the technologies behind them.Technology companies often create products that serve as demonstrations of broader capabilities. The physical object attracts attention, but the long-term value resides in the patents, systems and technologies developed along the way. Under this interpretation, many of the Luce's unusual characteristics begin to make more sense.The Luce may raise the possibility that Ferrari's ambitions extend beyond selling cars and into the ownership of technologies that may shape future mobility platforms. That might also explain the involvement of Jony Ive. His role may have been less about designing an iconic Ferrari car and more about creating a technology showcase. If that is the case, the Luce may ultimately be remembered less for the number of units sold and more for the technologies it introduced.The Problem With Digital LuxuryThis interpretation introduces another challenge. Luxury brands and technology companies operate according to fundamentally different principles. Technology is built around disruption and continuous iteration. Luxury is built around tradition and longevity.Most digital products are often designed with obsolescence in mind, and the life cycle of the product is measured in months and years. Luxury products follow a different philosophy. They are designed to be timeless.This distinction helps explain the enduring power of Patek Philippe's famous advertising campaign: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation."A mechanical watch manufactured half a century ago can still perform its intended function today. With proper care, it can continue doing so for generations. Digital products simply cannot make the same promise.Why Some Comparisons Fall ShortSome commentators have compared the Luce to Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, another product that challenged conventions and initially divided opinion. The comparison is appealing, but it overlooks a crucial difference. The Royal Oak did not become an iconic watch simply because it was controversial. It became an icon because it endured.A Royal Oak manufactured in 1972 can still be serviced, worn and passed down today. It remains functional more than 50 years after its introduction. The same cannot necessarily be said of a highly digital electric vehicle. At some point, software becomes dated. Hardware ages. Batteries degrade. Cloud services disappear. When that happens, what remains? Perhaps a beautiful object. Perhaps a historically significant one. But luxury has traditionally aspired to be more than an artifact.The Real ChallengeThe most interesting question surrounding the Luce is not whether it will succeed as a car. It is whether Ferrari can successfully navigate the tension between luxury and technology. The company may have developed a suite of new patents through this project. It may have created innovations that influence future generations of electric vehicles. It may even be laying the foundations for a broader technology business.But what does this mean for your business? Digital innovation alone does not define a brand. As technology leaders, many of us are hurrying to develop the most advanced technology. The challenge is whether, in the pursuit of becoming something new, we can remain recognizably ourselves and our brands. Because once your brand crosses the point where your products are no longer recognizable without your logos, the question is whether you are still the same brand at all.​Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?