The Ferrari Roma shares its underpinnings with the Portofino but its an all-new model from there on with all new styling, new interiors and is powered by a 620hp 3.9L V8 engine.
Ferrari has unveiled a brand new car which they are calling the Roma. Its a front-engined coupe powered by a 620 hp V8 engine. Although it shares its underpinnings with the Portofino drop-top, Ferrari claims that the Roma is an all-new model and the styling is certainly something we have not seen on Ferrari’s before.
This is the fifth new model from Ferrari in 2019 and Ferrari describes the Roma as a “2+” coupe which Ferrari says features “refined proportions and timeless design”, while offering “unparalleled performance and handling.” This two-door coupe from Ferrari is meant to rival the likes of the Aston Martiin Vantage and the Mercedes AMG GT.
Visually, the Roma is very different from all newer Ferrari’s we have seen this year. It gets long elongated front bonnet and proportions of the Roma somwhat harks back to the Ferrari 599 GTB. The face is completely new and features a brand new grille and headlamp units. The profile is characterized by sharp lines and bold wheel arches which bring out the curves of the car very beautifully. The back features a sloping rear window, distinctive narrow lights and quad exhausts.
Under the hood, the Ferrari Roma uses the familiar 3.9 liter, turbocharged V8 engine used in the Portofino and other mid-engined Ferrari cars as well. In the Roma, the engine delivers 620hp between 5,750 and 7,500rpm, with 760Nm of torque between 3,000 and 5,750rpm, up from 600hp in the Portofino. The same engine produces 720hp in the F8 Tributo. The engine is mated to a 8-speed DCT gearbox that has come from the SF90 Stradale. Ferrari claims a 0-100kph time of 3.4secs, and a top speed of more than 320kph.
The Roma tips the scale at 1,472kg dry and with several lightweight options fitted, it weighs around 80kgs less than the Portofino’s dry weight. It measures 4,656mm long and is 1,974mm wide, making it marginally shorter and narrower than the Portofino, while both models feature a wheelbase of 2,670mm.
Ferrari has only released limited details about the Roma along with a few images. There’s only one interior picture of the Roma and this cabin is brand new and completely different from any Ferrari you have seen before. The center console symmetrically splits the driver and passenger side and features a vertically mounted infotainment screen for the first time in a Ferrari.
The passenger also gets his/her own display and there are no centrally mounted turbine style AC vents anymore. Both the driver and passenger get uniquely designed individual AC vents. The steering wheel is similar to the one we have seen in the F8 Tributo but the instrument cluster is all-digital now but features traditional Ferrari graphics.
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There is also no indication of what Ferrari means by a 2+ seater. Perhaps the Roma could come with two tiny rear seats or a bench seat at the rear like the California had. According to Ferrari, the Roma was named after the Italian capital – where it was revealed at a launch event – because it “is a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterised Rome in the 1950s and ’60s.” This implies that this could be the next everyday Ferrari after the Portofino that is meant for relaxed driving than being intended as a long-distance grand tourer.
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The decision to introduce a new nameplate, rather than just producing a hard-top version of the Portofino, has likely been taken to target the car at a new audience. By turning the car into a “2+” coupé, it can likely broaden its offering at the entry level of its range.
