Fittingly revealed in Rome, capital of Italy, the new Ferrari Roma looks simply majestic – like the city it’s named after.
It may share some underpinnings with the Portofino but make no mistake, Ferrari says it’s an all-new sports car.
Riding on a reworked version of the 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 that powers the Portofino and even the F8 Tributo, the Roma makes 620 hp with 760 Nm.
With an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox from the SF90 Stradale, 29 hp more and 80 kg lighter than the convertible that arrived in Malaysia in May last year, Ferrari claims the Roma to have class-leading power-to-weight ratio.
0 to 100 km/h is done in 3.4 seconds – a 0.1 second slash of the Portofino’s time.
Unlike the Portofino’s calm and charming exterior, the Roma projects more drama and Ferrari intends for it to be perfect for track days and drives to the opera, according to an interview with Autocar UK.
The Roma’s modern retro design was inspired by the 250 GT Berlinetta from 1960s and as it’s termed a “2+” seater, customers can opt for two small seats at the back – but what a pointless decision that would be.
With the Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes-AMG GT as its main rivals, the Roma’s interior design simply edges it ahead of competition.
It’s hard to ignore how the driver and passenger is separated by a central divider; also the new steering wheel design and a 16-inch digital display replacing the traditional central rev meter.
For now, the Roma is estimated to cost £175,000 (RM937k before local taxes).
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