Ferrari Roma Unveiled - Maranello's new 2+ V8

The Ferrari Roma was last night unveiled and we know barely anything about it, so we’re going to fill an article with opinions about the looks.

I’m not even joking. The press release has fewer words than this article because, I dunno, they don’t have to worry about Google search algorithms. The McLaren Elva release, by contrast, had about 15,000 words.

We do know a few things. It’s called the Ferrari Roma and to hammer home the point, Ferrari gave us five photos of the car in Rome. Except it wasn’t really there, was it? Because Rome plus tourist attractions equals a gazillion idiots taking the same photo.

Looking at the photos though, you can probably tell why Ferrari left a lot out of the release. This is a new design direction for Maranello. Nobody has messed with the classic profile of a Ferrari coupe – heaven forfend – but there’s a lot to see here.

Wait! There’s a new look!

First, the new rear end ditches the round light treatment for a very modern pair of flat horizontal lights that cut into the bodywork. It’s a very clean, unfussy rear end. You can’t see under the coloured part of the bumper but I’ll take a pot shot and say it’s a big diffuser. The haunches are very Portofino-ish, though.

The headlights sport a new design – no more vertical stacks but a more traditional horizontal arrangement with a what looks like an LED DRL slicing through the middle. The grille is a real departure for Ferrari and I don’t mind it at all. That front splitter looks like it will take some feet with it.

And glory be, those flush-fitting doorhandles actually look alright.

Another thing we know is that under that long bonnet is Ferrari’s awesome 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, developing 620PS or a monster 456kW. And it’s spread across 5750rpm to 7500rpm. Torque weighs in at the usual 760Nm and no doubt isn’t available until you hit top gear in the new eight-speed twin-clutch. The torque band is nice and fat, between 3000 and 5750rpm.

Ferrari also tells us it will run from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds and crack 0-200km/h in 9.3 seconds.

New interior look

So what is the Ferrari Roma for? It seems to be a dedicated hardtop Portofino with a different body. The Portofino’s rear seats are, shall we say, limited and the only interior shot provided of the Roma doesn’t even show the rears. To be fair, Ferrari does call it a 2+. No number after the plus. Not a typo.

Like the exterior, there’s a fair bit to see in here. Recent Ferraris have been quite minimalist inside but the Roma seems more custom-fitted. The new centre console and screen arrangement is higher and a but easier to reach (and see) than either the Portofino’s or GTC4/812 setup. It also seems a lot more cosy the way the two pods wrap themselves around the driver. It’s a nice effect and blends nicely into the doors.

The target competitor car is most likely the Aston Martin DB11 but I wouldn’t be surprised (depending price) if a few 911 Turbo folks won’t join the party.

The Roma has a longer wheelbase than the Portofino, so hopefully there’s a little more room in the back. It’s also longer than the Portofino by 70mm and weighs 1472kg in its lightest form (“with lightweight options). That’s a dry weight, by the way, in true Ferrari style. Handily, it’s about 70kg lighter than the folding hardtop.

How much and when?

A good compound question. I’m going to guess and say next year and given it has a bit more go than the Portofino, the price will be higher, probably sitting between Portofino and the F8 Tributo.

I guess the car will arrive sometime next year in European showrooms. Local ones? No idea.

Like I said, the press release was pretty light on for detail.