Vive la Difference<\/a>,\u201d I spoke with Emanuele Carando, Ferrari\u2019s Head of Product Marketing, about the reasoning behind this unexpected new model. To paraphrase, the automaker\u2019s official line is that its clients enjoy being surprised by new products, so it\u2019s therefore Maranello\u2019s job to please them with distinctive machines which they, as mentioned before, don\u2019t see coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile this statement is undoubtedly true, there\u2019s another important aspect to consider. Using this strategy, Ferrari has found an ingenious way to grow in size without losing exclusivity. The company\u2019s annual production numbers may have passed the 10,000 mark for the first time in 2019, and grew to a record 13,221 in 2022 despite the pandemic, but that hefty total is composed of models produced in small batches, each of which is still regarded and valued as a collector\u2019s item.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This brings us to the present, where the 3.5-year-old Portofino M has been succeeded by the Roma Spider. The new convertible (the company no longer offers a \u201ccoupe-convertible,\u201d since the former element is covered by the original Roma) is different, but is it any better than its predecessor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I should note that Ferrari doesn\u2019t like using words such as \u201csuccessor\u201d and \u201cpredecessor\u201d when it comes to the relationship between Portofino M and Roma Spider, as they somewhat muddy the strategy waters and there will be some production overlap between the two. So to get the full picture, let\u2019s start with the parts that carry over.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTHE 3,855-cc TWIN-TURBO V8<\/strong> remains untouched, which means it still generates a hefty 620 hp and 561 lb-ft, with 80 percent of maximum torque available at just 1,900 rpm. All this grunt is sent through the same Magna-sourced dual-clutch transmission (which will soon be standard across the entire Ferrari range) and acted on by the usual array of clever aids (from the electronic differential and SCM-E Frs dampers to Side\u2008Slip Control and Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer) that allow drivers to deploy most of what the engine is capable of without exceeding their abilities. Likewise, the massive carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes (their discs unchanged at 15.4 inches front and 14.2 inches rear) remain present and ready to rein in the fantastic speeds possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Roma Spider\u2019s wheelbase stays the same at 105.1 inches, but it\u2019s 2.5 inches longer, 3.2 inches lower, and 1.4 inches wider than the Portofino M, and its wheels sit as much as 1.7 inches further apart on their respective axles. (These measurements are shared with the Roma, although the coupe is an additional 0.2-inch lower.) The new car is also 22 pounds lighter, although, at 3,646 lbs. wet, this hardly seems like progress; surely the fabric roof should bring a greater weight saving. Compared to the Roma, though, it\u2019s impressive that the penalty for the retractable roof, pop-up rolls bars, and chassis reinforcements comes in at just 185 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The performance numbers for the Portofino M, Roma Spider, and Roma coupe end up nearly identical. The same 199+ mph maximum speed is quoted for all three cars, which sprint from rest to 62 mph in 3.45, 3.4, and 3.4 seconds, respectively. The trio would also be virtually head-to-head in a 0-124 mph race, reaching that speed just 0.1 second apart. There\u2019s also only symbolic progress in retractable roof performance, with the Roma Spider\u2019s soft top dropping just a half-second quicker than the Portofino M\u2019s larger aluminum panel; still, the latter\u2019s 14-second opening\/closing time remains a very good result on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roma Spider comes with a smaller trunk than the Portofino M, with the quoted cargo volume falling from 10.3 cubic feet to 9.0. Subjectively, the new car\u2019s rear seats look even less usable than before, but this will probably matter only to the excited tourists renting one for a drive around Maranello or perhaps see-and-be-seen Los Angeles socialites, just about the only two groups I can imagine who\u2019d actually try to fit grown-ups back there.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDespite this, the cockpit is where the most significant progress from Portofino M to Roma Spider can be observed. Carried over from the Roma, it\u2019s a more modern place to sit, with a slicker design and bigger screens and touch pads in place of physical buttons. Some may mourn the departure of the red Engine Start button, analog tachometer, and the sculpted air vents dating all the way back to the LaFerrari, but the new car offers a more thoughtful layout and improved ergonomics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the cockpit still offers some inspiring details you\u2019ll find only in a Ferrari, such as the gearbox controls being housed in a metal plate that recalls the gated shifter found in the Roma Spider\u2019s spiritual predecessors. There\u2019s also the second (optional) display of speed, engine revs, and more mounted in front of the passenger, giving what the automaker calls a \u201cco-pilot experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true, though, that progress is not always good. Although the massive 16-inch curved digital instrument display looks spectacularly modern and offers some The Jetsons<\/em>-style whizzes and whooshes while browsing through its menu, I still find the human-machine interface to be the weakest point of the Roma Spider (and all new Ferraris for this matter). Thanks to an improved steering wheel nicked from the Purosangue, the controls are somewhat less unintuitive than before, which is good news given that the wheel now needs to do more than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDue to ever-increasing safety standards, even small makers of exotic cars are being required to equip their vehicles with a vast array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which means the Roma Spider is the first car in Maranello\u2019s history to boast both traffic-sign recognition and a lane-keeping aid. Fortunately, these systems work well in real-world conditions; they act unobtrusively and can be conveniently turned off or toned down to a pre-defined level with just one touch of a button.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWITH ALL THAT SAID<\/strong>, it\u2019s finally time to sample what this Ferrari is really all about. The Roma and Roma Spider might be disparaged by some with the mantle of \u201centry level,\u201d but in reality these cars deliver the same performance as the 599 GTB Fiorano, which was the brand\u2019s flagship model not too many years ago. Indeed, in the Roma Spider you can reach scary speeds just as quickly, and maintain them in full attack mode over a long distance just as easily, as in a 599. And yet that\u2019s not at all the mission of this car, which its maker describes as representative of the Nuova Dolce Vita<\/em> way of living.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s fitting, then, that my drive comes on the sun-bathed roads of Sardinia. Driving along the coast and through the sleepy fishing villages (a tip for visitors:\u2008the southern part of this Italian island offers a more authentic, less touristy experience), the Roma Spider really proves the right car for the moment, with the southern sun filling the cabin, the V8 burbling reassuringly, and the locals admiring the body\u2019s svelte lines. When it comes to classic Italian drop-top GTs, the Roma Spider is as good as it gets in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this in mind, I\u2019m not as bothered as I might have been by an occasional reluctance of the turbochargers, something I hadn\u2019t noticed before, or perhaps to this extent, in the Portofino M or Roma coupe. Apart from this tiny shortcoming, which might have resulted from ever-stricter emissions regulations, the twin-turbocharged F154, used here in BH guise, feels as efficient and exciting as ever. There\u2019s a reason this V8 has been awarded the International Engine of the Year prize 14 times since its introduction in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As expected, a modern Ferrari comes with some specific traits. The winding Sardinian roads reveal the Roma Spider\u2019s great dynamic potential, with its front end offering supercar-levels of grip, electric power steering that is overwhelmingly alert if not the most engaging, and an overtly stiff (for a luxury convertible) all-aluminum chassis. The dual-clutch transmission deserves a round of applause on its own; it\u2019s simply the best of its kind, demonstrating serious mind-reading abilities both when discreetly shuffling through the gears on a relaxed drive and adding to the drama during spirited runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Roma Spider doesn\u2019t really fit in the same bracket as Bentley\u2019s Continental GT or the Mercedes-AMG SL 63, both of which are bigger, heavier, and outfitted with all-wheel drive. This Ferrari may feature 18-way adjustable seats with neck warmers, Apple CarPlay, and all of the other luxuries you\u2019d expect, but it\u2019s still, well, a Ferrari at heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, while you\u2019ll find Race mode on its manettino<\/em>, the Roma Spider doesn\u2019t deliver the same level of precision, involvement, or ferocity as the 296 GTS or 812 GTS. Long tail slides from Ferrari\u2019s Side Slip Control system seem to be reserved for those sportier (and pricier) models, but, realistically, the Roma Spider isn\u2019t required to have such treats on its menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat matters here more is how impressively comfortable the adjustable suspension is on rough Italian asphalt. The patented trick wind deflector, which raises at the push of a button from the rear seat\u2019s backrest (but requires a reassuring push by hand to close), doesn\u2019t quite do what Ferrari promises, namely a 30-percent reduction in air turbulence in the cabin and the ability to talk with the roof down at speeds up to 110 mph. Nonetheless, it\u2019s a simple solution that\u2019s effective at calming the wind significantly, allowing easy conversation up to roughly 80 mph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With its five-layer roof raised, the Roma Spider isn\u2019t noticeably different inside to the Roma coupe. A folding soft top may come as the most surprising feature of the car, given that one was last seen on a front-engined Ferrari a half-century ago, when production of the Daytona Spyder ceased. (On the mid-engined models, the solution, in a far simpler format, was last seen on the F430 Spider.) But it\u2019s made a grand comeback now, with the company saying the Roma Spider\u2019s fabric roof will provide quality and durability expected from a modern Ferrari.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to providing a weight and packaging advantage, the designers claim the soft top brings back the charm of the convertibles of the original post-war Dolce Vita era. Indeed, the Roma Spider\u2019s roof is a stylish thing all on its own. There are five colors to choose from, one of which offers an intriguing shiny 3D effect (as seen on the featured car) thanks to what Ferrari describes as a technical fabric developed specifically for this model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The designers also say they were so fond of the top that they decided to keep a fragment of it exposed even when the actual roof is stowed under the trunk lid. That may be, but I suspect it\u2019s more a clever way to keep the proportions of this relatively big convertible in shape. From some angles, the rear section, with its erect seats and densely packed back end, may look bloated, in a similar fashion to a convertible Porsche 911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, the Roma Spider comes across as a suitably special car\u2014not just for historical significance and unique character (even by Ferrari standards), but also as a competent and capable all-rounder. This is to be expected, of course. Without solid foundations and fantastic performance, clever marketing and romantic references to the past wouldn\u2019t be sufficient to surprise and delight the company\u2019s demanding clients.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The F12berlinetta is as rugged and reliable as any now-10-year-old low-production supercar can hope to be. The usual wear-and-tear items have proven to be impressively robust, and maintenance costs are minimal by exotic-car standards\u2014although most F12s have covered fewer than 10,000 miles so far.\u2008Expect to pay $2,500 for an annual service, with much of that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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