Words by: Andrew Woodhouse
Published on 17 August 2020 | 0 min read
In Auto Trader’s latest video review, Rory gets behind the wheel of the Ferrari Roma – which stakes its claim as the most approachable Ferrari ever.
At a glance, the Roma is Ferrari’s latest front engine, rear-wheel drive Berlinetta. It comes with a turbocharged V8 engine and, in the right hands, it could dominate a racetrack; but it doesn’t need to because this Ferrari is built for the streets. The Ferrari Roma eschews fast driving in favour of elegance and refinement, similar to the Portofino but less racy and perhaps even classier.
At a glance, the Roma is Ferrari’s latest front engine, rear-wheel drive Berlinetta. It comes with a turbocharged V8 engine and, in the right hands, it could dominate a racetrack; but it doesn’t need to because this Ferrari is built for the streets. The Ferrari Roma eschews fast driving in favour of elegance and refinement, similar to the Portofino but less racy and perhaps even classier.
What’s it like to drive the Ferrari Roma?
The 3.8 litre twin turbocharged V8 we mentioned above will make 620 horsepower and 780 Newton metres of torque. It should get you 0-62 in 3.4 seconds and 0-124 in 9.3.
The Ferrari Roma’s power delivery is linear, so it doesn’t feel too explosive or dramatic to drive. This is complemented by light steering and easy parking for a smooth drive. There are eight speed, dual clutch transmission carbon brakes that are easy to modulate (and based on the SF90). They’re enjoyable in dynamic driving, no matter what road you’re on. The Ferrari Roma was built using the principles of la nueve dolce vita, “living your best life”, so is designed to accommodate those that want to enjoy driving every day and every single way. Beyond the performance stats, there are those stunning looks. This is one of the most beautiful Ferraris to go on the market in quite some time, check the video for visuals and a full run down of the new features.
The Ferrari Roma’s power delivery is linear, so it doesn’t feel too explosive or dramatic to drive. This is complemented by light steering and easy parking for a smooth drive. There are eight speed, dual clutch transmission carbon brakes that are easy to modulate (and based on the SF90). They’re enjoyable in dynamic driving, no matter what road you’re on. The Ferrari Roma was built using the principles of la nueve dolce vita, “living your best life”, so is designed to accommodate those that want to enjoy driving every day and every single way. Beyond the performance stats, there are those stunning looks. This is one of the most beautiful Ferraris to go on the market in quite some time, check the video for visuals and a full run down of the new features.
Ferrari Roma interior
Inside, the Ferrari Roma has two rear seats for kids or, more realistically, bags. There’s also enough boot space for a couple of suitcases.
Up front, there’re a cool dual cockpit design that make it look like there are two single seaters sat side-by-side. The whole thing is built using exquisite materials and great Italian craftsmanship. Worth calling out is the metal gated shifter, which looks like an old school manual box. Ferraris can be quite samey, and none of them all that spectacular, but the Roma makes strides to change this. The Ferrari Roma’s tech is good too. You get a primary 8.4-inch portrait display screen for audio, phone navigation and climate and a passenger-side screen for the same insights. You also get a 16-inch curved display behind the steering wheel for all your driving data and maps. In a neat feature, you can use a touch sensitive pad on the wheel to expand any section so that it takes up the whole screen using the ‘view max’ mode. Finally (for now, watch the video for more) it’s worth noting that every button apart from the indicators and the wiper is capacitive – so it’s like having a touch screen on your steering wheel which is pretty cool experience.
Up front, there’re a cool dual cockpit design that make it look like there are two single seaters sat side-by-side. The whole thing is built using exquisite materials and great Italian craftsmanship. Worth calling out is the metal gated shifter, which looks like an old school manual box. Ferraris can be quite samey, and none of them all that spectacular, but the Roma makes strides to change this. The Ferrari Roma’s tech is good too. You get a primary 8.4-inch portrait display screen for audio, phone navigation and climate and a passenger-side screen for the same insights. You also get a 16-inch curved display behind the steering wheel for all your driving data and maps. In a neat feature, you can use a touch sensitive pad on the wheel to expand any section so that it takes up the whole screen using the ‘view max’ mode. Finally (for now, watch the video for more) it’s worth noting that every button apart from the indicators and the wiper is capacitive – so it’s like having a touch screen on your steering wheel which is pretty cool experience.
Ferrari Roma review
The Ferrari Roma is a beauty. Though it uses F1-inspired active aerodynamics for incredible performance, it tempers that with some smooth, accessible touches that make it a pleasure to drive.
Get the downlow on the five driving modes, the steering and the full experience behind the wheel in the full video review, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.
Get the downlow on the five driving modes, the steering and the full experience behind the wheel in the full video review, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.