Ferrari Roma

The heavy influence of curves in the overall design language of the Ferrari Roma is also evident in the layout of the cabin, with it having two well-distinguished part cabins for the driver and co-driver at the front. The seats at the front have their curved cubicle-like arrangement, with two nice curves flowing from the door panels and merging in the centre transmission tunnel while flowing over the dashboard.

The driver’s cockpit of the Ferrari Roma has a typical three-spoke multi-functional Ferrari steering wheel, which gets a host of buttons for various functions of the car, with a huge 16-inch full-TFT instrument console sitting behind it in a curved binnacle. On the other hand, the curved cockpit for the co-passenger has a slim rectangular touchscreen nestled between the AC vents on the dashboard in a tucked-in manner, with a slanted panel below it featuring the car’s name.

In between these swooping curves flowing over the dashboard, there is a portrait-styled 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is a part of the trim piece separating the front seats. This screen, along with the slim rectangular touchscreen in front of the co-driver seat, are windows to control various functions such as automatic climate control, infotainment and navigation. The bulged lower centre console has controls for the transmission and drive modes on offer. The Ferrari Roma also has two additional seats, which offer restricted space good enough only for small kids.

The overall curvaceous design of the Ferrari Roma is heavily inspired by that of the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso and 250 GT cars from the brand’s illustrious history, making it one of the most beautiful and jaw-dropping designs of recent times. The Ferrari Roma also looks a bit inspired by a whalefish, which gives it a smooth and flowing design, which also won it a Red Dot award.

At the front, the Ferrari Roma has a smooth-flowing bonnet, which is extremely curvy in its appearance and flows to the low-slung fascia, comprising of a body-coloured grille in the middle, which is hexagonal and tapered in its appearance. The headlamps of the Roma are positioned on the curved lower edges of the sides of the bonnet, which look sleek and are all LED units with daytime running LED strips.

Move towards the side, the Ferrari Roma has a very smooth and aerodynamic appearance, consisting of a long and curved bonnet and curved bulges over the front and rear fenders. Even the door panels of the Roma look long, which along with the 20-inch alloy wheels and lowered ground clearance, make the Roma a breathtaking design. The rest of the design follows a minimalist approach, with the Roma getting flush-type door handles.

At the back, like every other modern-day Ferrari, the Roma also gets an active rear spoiler at the bottom of the tapering down rear windscreen, which is a part of the sloping roofline giving it a drop-dead gorgeous coupe design. The side bulges of the rear fenders have slim dual LED tail lamps, with a prominent curve across the boot lid connecting the outer edges of the tail lamps. The gloss black diffuser across the rear bumper of the Ferrari Roma has dual exhaust ports on either side.

Being a true sports car, the ride quality of the Ferrari Roma is slightly on the stiffer side, with a stiffer suspension setup – double wishbone with anti-roll bars at the front and rear, which also get an optional MagneRide dynamic shock absorber system with magnetorheological dampers for a more controlled driving experience. With 245/35 ZR20 front and 285/35 ZR20 rear tyres, the Roma also gets carbon ceramic brakes and Dynamic Enhancer for a more controlled yaw angle while braking. The Roma also has a five-position Magnettino dial placed on the steering wheel, which can be used to change the driving modes on offer – wet, comfort, sport, race and ESC-off.

The Ferrari Roma retains the 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine from its predecessor, the Ferrari Portofino. Here also, the engine continues to be paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, while producing a maximum power output of 620 PS and a maximum torque output of 761 Nm. This V8 enables the Roma to reach a top speed of 320 kmph and a 0-100 kmph timing of 3.4 seconds.

The safety net of front and side airbags, F1-trac traction control, side-slip control 6.0 technology, electronic stability control and launch control are offered in the Roma as standard. In addition, it also gets some driver assistance systems like adaptive cruise control, lane keep and centring assist and auto high beam to complement its long-distance grand touring credentials.

At first, the Roma might appear as a soft grand tourer from Ferrari with a more comfort-oriented approach. However, under that jaw-dropping beautiful design, the Ferrari Roma is a true prancing horse, with the shouty V8 engine, well-tuned driving dynamics and top-notch new-age tech on offer with high-quality and expensive hardware.