Ferrari Roma

Roma at a glance

The Roma replaced the Ferrari Portofino, which in turn had followed the Ferrari California. All three are part of the Ferrari catalogue.

Launch and concept

Ferrari presented the Roma online on 13 November 2019 and showed it to the public the next evening at the Stadio dei Marmi in Rome. In 2020 the car took part in the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Rome becoming the capital of a unified Italy.

The concept was a 2+2 grand tourer for everyday use, placed below the F8 Tributo in Ferrari's range. Ferrari expected about 70% of Roma buyers to be new to the brand and saw the car as an alternative to the Porsche 911 and to Aston Martin's grand tourers. Ferrari's launch campaign used the slogan "La Nuova Dolce Vita".

The Roma uses the same platform as the Portofino, but Ferrari stated that about 70% of its parts are new. A stiffer body and lighter components made the coupé, by Ferrari's figures, around 200 kg lighter than the Portofino.

Design: understated elegance

The Roma was designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre under Flavio Manzoni. Its lines draw on the 250 GT Lusso and the 250 GT 2+2 of the early 1960s, and Ferrari described the theme as "understated elegance" — a clear move away from the vents, wings and sharp creases of most modern Ferraris. The front has slim LED headlights and a long bonnet. The door handles sit flush with the body, and the rear has thin LED lights.

Aerodynamic aids are hidden. An active rear spoiler is flush with the body at low speed and rises in two further stages for more downforce, up to 95 kg at 250 km/h. Underneath, a pair of vortex generators creates ground effect and manages the air coming off the front wheels.

The design was widely recognised: the Roma received a Red Dot award in 2020, Auto&Design magazine named it the best production car design of 2020, and it was Best Designed Car at the 2021 Esquire Car Awards.

Engine, gearbox and performance

The engine is the F154 BH, a 3,855 cc 90° V8 with two parallel water-cooled turbochargers and air-to-air intercoolers. It produces 456 kW (620 PS) between 5,750 and 7,500 rpm and 760 Nm between 3,000 and 5,750 rpm (Wikipedia gives 761 Nm). Dry-sump lubrication prevents oil starvation under high cornering forces.

The Roma shares its eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, made by Magna, with the SF90 Stradale. Compared with the Portofino's seven-speed unit it is 6 kg lighter, and Ferrari claims 15% more longitudinal acceleration in third gear; the top gear is taller for quiet motorway cruising. Unlike the hybrid SF90, which reverses with its electric motors, the Roma has a mechanical reverse gear. An electronic differential is built into the transaxle.

With a dry weight of 1,472 kg and a 50:50 weight split, the coupé has a dry weight-to-power ratio of 2.37 kg per PS, which Ferrari described as the best in its class. The ADAC lists a WLTP combined consumption of 10.3 l/100 km for the Spider.

Interior and technology

The cabin follows a "dual cockpit" concept: a trim element runs through the interior and divides the driver's and passenger's areas, flowing into the dashboard. The driver faces a 16-inch curved digital instrument display and a multi-function steering wheel shared with the SF90 Stradale. An 8.4-inch portrait touchscreen in the centre controls most functions, and an optional third screen in front of the passenger shows climate, navigation, media and performance data.

The two rear seats are small, as the 2+2 layout suggests. A new key unlocks the doors with a button near the flush handles.

Roma Spider

The open Roma Spider was revealed in March 2023, almost four years after the coupé. It was intended as the replacement for the Portofino, and it uses a fabric hood — the first soft top on a front-engined Ferrari since the 365 GTS/4 of 1969, 54 years earlier. According to Auto Zeitung the Spider is 84 kg heavier than the coupé; the ADAC catalogue gives an EU kerb weight of 1,654 kg. Performance is almost unchanged: 0–100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, 0–200 km/h in 9.3 seconds and 320 km/h.

In Germany, Auto Zeitung put the coupé's price at just over €200,000 at its 2019 launch and reported in 2023 that the Spider cost about €40,000 more. The ADAC lists a German base price of €242,316 for the Spider of the 2023–2026 model period.

In October 2024 Ferrari's Tailor Made department presented a one-off Roma Spider to show new materials and production techniques; it was displayed at the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena until February 2025.

Legacy

The coupé was built until 2024 and the Spider until 2026. Its successor is the Amalfi, which continues the formula of a front-engined V8 grand tourer with 2+2 seating. The Roma's main legacy is its styling: a Ferrari that won design awards precisely because it was restrained. More of the brand's story is in our history of Ferrari.

Photo gallery