When it comes to Ferrari, many think of Formula 1 or flat, conspicuously roaring street cars. But the Italians can also do other things – classic, so to speak. Proof of this is the new Ferrari Roma. “Dolce Vita on four wheels or Formula 1 in evening suit,” says Ferrari Marketing Manager Riccardo Pezzetta.
In fact, when I stood in front of the 4.66 meter long and only 1.30 meter high 2 + 2-seater coupé in Gstaad BE for the first time, the postage-red painted vehicle looked remarkably reserved. It says Ferrari on the back, and on the front of the hood you can also find the little yellow coat of arms with the rearing stallion. But that’s it. If you also want Ferrari emblems on the flanks, you have to order them separately. “A reminiscence of our earlier coupés, whose silhouette was also without emblems,” explains Pezzetta.
There are not many words to say about the classic coupé GT shape of the front / mid-engined sports car. It is simply classically beautiful and breathtaking – perhaps with the exception of the somewhat unusual shark snout and the rear lights split by a kink instead of the legendary round lights. But that’s probably a matter of taste.
You start again via the steering wheel
The cockpit is modern and – with two large Roma lettering – less modest. Large displays with digital displays have long since found their way into Ferrari. Even voice control that reacts to “Ciao Ferrari” is not missing. Furthermore, all important functions are operated via the steering wheel. The start button is now integrated into the steering wheel spoke as a wiping surface. However, I preferred the previously separate start button. And as a Ferrari driver that doesn’t happen every day, you also have to get used to the turn signal switches integrated in the steering wheel (and therefore rotate with it).
drive 3.9-liter V8 turbo gasoline engine, 620 PS (456 kW), 760 Nm from 3000 rpm, 8-stage DSG, rear-wheel drive
Performance 0-100 km / h in 3.4 s, top 320 km / h
Dimensions Length / width / height 4.66 / 1.97 / 1.30 m, weight 1570 kg, trunk 272–345 l
Factory consumption 10.3 l / 100 km (NEDC), 234 g / km CO2, Energy efficiency G
price from 231,000 francs
The almost petite-looking front seats are astonishingly comfortable. And they offer great lateral support. The two rear seats, on the other hand, seem only hinted at. They are only suitable for transporting Gucci bags. To do this, they can be conveniently folded down at the push of a button to expand the trunk, which is actually only 270 liters – to transport golf bags or a snowboard, for example.
In the sixth passage through villages …
Finally we go, and I start the engine with a swiping motion. The 3.9-liter V8 turbo with 620 hp and 760 Nm, with its new cam profiles, immediately starts up with a growl, only to lapse into a discreet, restrained grumble. You already know from the Portofino convertible. I switch to Comfort via the Manettino – that’s what Ferrari calls the driving program switch – on the steering wheel, select the automatic mode with the eight-speed DSG, and pull the right rocker switch to get out of the parking position.
It starts at a leisurely pace via Saanen and Zweisimmen in the direction of the Jaunpass. It’s amazing how fast the Roma upshifts in order to roll through the villages at 50 km / h in sixth or seventh gear, acoustically very cautiously and without any jerking. That wasn’t always the case with Ferrari. I am amazed to see that the Roma is extremely discreet and relaxed cruising – which has so far been one of the strengths of the British car makers Aston Martin and Jaguar.
Last December, Ferrari boss Louis Camilleri (66) surprisingly stepped down from his CEO position for personal reasons. Ferrari board member John Elkann (45) from the Agnelli owner family jumped into the breach and took over on an interim basis. In the meantime, as he announced this week, Elkann has found a new Ferrari CEO in the Italian Benedetto Vigna (52). Amazing: Vigna does not come from the automotive industry, but will switch from the French-Italian chip manufacturer STMicroeletronics, headquartered in Geneva, to the helm of Ferrari on September 1, 2021.
But then he proves that the Ferrari Roma can also do other things up the pass road. In the meantime, I switch manually using the steering wheel paddles and have set the Manettino to Sport. The adaptive dampers are now harder, the tempo more brisk. The rear of the car is already wobbling for the first time, and the yellow traction lamp lights up briefly. But the electronics are on guard, allowing subtle tail swings, but no more. Ferraris Dynamic Enhancer FDE, together with the electronic stability program, controls the yaw angle around the vertical axis – with imperceptible braking intervention on one or more wheels. This even works in the race stage.
… and in 3.4 seconds to 100
With little more than half throttle I fly up the pass road, rocking into the next gear at 5700 revs. The next bend follows – brake, downshift, turn in and hit the gas again. The Roma, which can reach 320 km / h, should accelerate to 100 km / h in just 3.4 seconds. I like to believe it. Just like the fact that 70 percent of all components for the Roma were newly developed compared to the Ferrari Portofino. Because the Roma, which costs 231,000 francs, drives completely differently: more sporty, more precise and more exciting. But what connects it with the Portofino, which costs 236,950 francs, is the fact that you can move from A to B in a relaxed and inconspicuous manner. If you want to. Otherwise he can do it differently.