The Prancing Horse has delivered some of the most scintillating cars on earth since its inception in Modena, Italy by Enzo Ferrari back in 1939. But recently, their cars haven't exactly been what we'd call beautiful. Most have looked purposeful for the sake of downforce and aerodynamics, and they still turn heads, but they're no beauties. Now, there's a new car that will change all that. It's called the Roma, and it is simply ravishing. Feast your eyes on it because this is the most beguiling model since the 1970s Ferrari GTB/4 Daytona coupe.
Unlike recent offerings like the 488 GTB and the 812 Superfast, the Roma has none of the same styling elements in terms of hood scoops, rear quarter panel vents, or even big, dramatic body creases. Instead, it borrows similar egg-crate grille styling from '60s-era 250 GT cars and slinky bodywork that evokes the past. And that's the point. Ferrari designed the car to celebrate 'La Dolce Vita' or 'the sweet life' from Italy's '50s and '60s. The car is meant to be sexy first, and then powerful and purposeful.
The Roma won't be some slowpoke, though. It's a classic grand touring car in terms of proportions with a long hood and what should be a 2+2 seating arrangement. The car doesn't get a V12 like the 812 Superfast or the GTC4 Lusso but instead gets a front-mounted 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission from the SF90 Stradale. Engine output is 611 horsepower and 561 lb-ft to the rear wheels, and the Roma will hit 62 mph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of close to 200 mph.
The interior of the Roma, unfortunately, doesn't mimic the beautiful interiors of their GT cars from the '60s, but it is more attractive than recent Ferrari cabins. The large portrait infotainment screen is the largest one we've seen in a Ferrari, and there are new touch-capacitive buttons. The passenger even gets a slim touchscreen. The shifter is odd, though, and we can't make out how it's supposed to work. this thing deserves a classic gated manual transmission shift knob like the old cars. Hell, all Ferraris should have them, but that's just wishful thinking on our part.
The Roma will likely draw customers who have been intimidated by "racier" Ferraris that look like race cars built for the street. Though the performance of the Roma is by no means for regular humans, the car will be more approachable for those wanting more of a "lifestyle" Ferrari and not some track beast.
Further details on the Roma are forthcoming, but we don't know anything yet about its release date. Pricing should start around $220,000. That's a tad more expensive than the $215,000 Ferrari Portofino and way cheaper than the $334,000 812 Superfast. All we know is, hello beautiful. It's about time the brand delivered a car that's as beautiful as the ones from Ferrari's design heyday.
