The new 200 mph Ferrari offering features bold new styling and is described by the Italian firm as an all-new model.
14 Nov 2019 | 7747 Views | By James Attwood, Autocar UK
The fifth new model Ferrari has launched in 2019, the Roma is termed a "2+" coupe, which Ferrari says features “refined proportions and timeless design” while offering “unparalleled performance and handling.”
Roma is 200mph front-engined machine with V8 turbo motor. While it shares some underpinnings with the Portofino drop-top, the new machine features bold new styling ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
The fifth new model Ferrari has launched in 2019, the Roma is termed a "2+" coupe, which Ferrari says features “refined proportions and timeless design” while offering “unparalleled performance and handling.”
Roma is 200mph front-engined machine with V8 turbo motor. While it shares some underpinnings with the Portofino drop-top, the new machine features bold new styling and is described by the Italian firm as an all-new model.
The two-door Roma, which is set to rival the Aston Martin Vantage and Mercedes-AMG GT, features a bold grille at the end of its elongated front bonnet, with sharp lines over the bold wheel arches. The back features a sloping rear window, distinctive narrow lights and quad exhausts.
The Roma is powered by a revamped version of the 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 unit used in the Portofino drop-top and elsewhere in Ferrari's line-up, albeit using the eight-speed DCT gearbox that was introduced on the SF90 Stradale.
In the Roma, the unit delivers 602bhp between 5750 and 7500rpm, with 591lb ft of torque between 3000 and 5750rpm, up from 592bhp and 561lb ft in the Portofino. The version of this powerplant used in the recently launched F8 Tributo produces 710bhp.
Ferrari claims a 0-62mph time of 3.4secs, and a top speed of more than 199mph.
Notably, the Roma has a dry weight of just 1472kg with lightweight options fitted, around 80kg less than the Portofino's dry weight. It measures 4656mm long and is 1974mm wide, making it marginally shorter and narrower than the Portofino, while both models feature a wheelbase of 2670mm.
So far, Ferrari has only released limited details of the Roma, along with a small number of images. The only interior shot so far shows a dramatically sculpted cockpit featuring a digital instrument display and a touchscreen mounted at the front of a large centre console.
There is also no indication of what Ferrari means by a 2+ seater. The California, which preceded the Portofino, was originally offered with the choice of two tiny rear seats or a bench, an option the Roma could re-introduce.
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.” That implies that the machine will focus more on everyday usability and relaxed driving than being intended as a long-distance grand tourer.
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.
Earlier this year, Ferrari’s marketing chief, Enrico Galliera, told Autocar that the firm would become “less predictable” and said that at least car it would reveal this year would be “in a new segment”. Ferrari's current focus is on increasing revenues rather than strictly increasing sales.