The Roma doesn’t just have unique styling when compared to other Ferraris, but it also drives in its own unique way.
Ferrari introduced the Roma as a middle ground between the Portofino and the F8 Tributo and journalists in the U.S., including Matt Farah, have recently had their first opportunity to put it through its paces. The Roma is marketed as a grand tourer but it performs wonderfully through the canyons and feels like a proper sports car.
It is powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that is rated at 612 hp and 561 lb-ft (761 Nm) of torque and while this engine is used in other Ferraris, the Italian car manufacturer did modify it for use in the Roma and have given it a different character. In fact, Farah says that it actually sounds better than the one in the F8 Tributo.
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Coupled to the twin-turbo V8 is an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. This gearbox snaps through the gears with blistering pace but needs to be driven in manual mode if you want to get the most of it. When left in automatic mode, it responds in a very relaxed manner.
Key rivals to the Ferrari Roma including the Mercedes-AMG GT C, Bentley Continental GT and Porsche 911 Turbo and while they’re all excellent, they don’t turn heads quite like the Ferrari does.
As you’d expect, though, it’s quite pricey and can get substantially more expensive once you start ticking the option boxes. As standard, the Roma starts at $218,000, but the car tested by Farah had an MSRP of $316,000.