Ferrari Roma Spider
Acursory peek at Ferrari’s newest convertible may belie its country of origin. Without a yellow logo with the rearing horse on its flanks, the Roma Spider’s long, sloped hood and short, tapered tail might evoke a body language that is very British. That rising pair of muscled rear fenders and a driving position behind the car’s centerline may appear like the sultry GTs that Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar have made since the 1960s. What is a Ferrari doing with these curves?
Ferrari’s biggest business over the past 15 years has been in such mid-engine cars as the latest 296 GTS and SF90, with racing proportions and track performance. The Roma Spider is unashamedly a touring car and, at under $300,000 to start, an entry-level model. But on display is a forgotten look that Ferrari had locked away for decades: a front-engine sports car with a fabric roof that fully exposes the cabin. The Roma Spider flaunts a style unlike any modern Ferrari and, in doing so, echoes the timeless form of the Daytona Spider, last seen in 1973.
Racing is always top of mind. Our test car was chock full of the expected Ferrari gear. Carbon shift paddles mounted to the steering wheel, which features a rev counter and a rotary switch for the driving modes, mirror the company’s Formula 1 cars. Carbon fiber also adorns the front spoiler, side sills and the menacingly tall rear diffuser—even the center caps on the wheels. The 3.9-liter, twin-turbo V-8 is painted red and accelerates the Roma Spider from 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds, topping out at 199 mph. And the curdling, shrill noises it produces are heroic.
But like those British GTs, the Roma Spider is best for cruising in supreme comfort. The ride is plush, the seats warm your neck and the steering is light yet full of road feel. Ferrari leather is the supplest hide in the industry. You can smell its sweet aroma just walking past. The dashboard, draped in contrasting colors, is in perpetual motion like the body. Ferrari has fallen for some electronic fads, like the start-stop button that is now a touch-sensitive light, but avoided cold, oversize screens. The central touchscreen is barely eight inches and the highly customizable, digital instrument panel blends into the background. They never distract. For when the road clears, the Roma Spider is very much a Ferrari.
