Meet The All-New Ferrari Roma – Watch Out Aston Martin Vantage!

Is it Christmas already? It feels like it, because we’ve just been treated to a brand new front-engined Italian sports car called the Ferrari Roma. And it’s got its sights set on the Aston Martin Vantage, Porsche 911 Turbo, and AMG GT.

Based on the Portofino in which it shares its wheelbase and the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, this car is Ferrari’s entrant into the enthusiast segment with a simplistic yet capable, lightweight, and dynamic sports car. The engine has been fiddled with to extract 19 more horses for a total of 611hp at 7,500rpm, and this hits the tarmac via an 8-speed DCT gearbox from the SF90 Stradale.

Inside you’ll find new design ideas with two separated areas for driver and passenger. Ferrari is calling it a +2 setup. We have no idea what this means, but we can expect an optional couple of seats for the rear when purchasing. The central column homes the controls main touch controls and multimedia system, and there are screens for both the driver and passenger to watch driving information such as speed and engine RPM.

With more power and a bit less weight – only 1427kg dry – this car dominates the Portofino with a 3.4 second to 60mph sprint. That’s two tenths of a second faster than the Vantage. The Ferrari takes it on top speed, too, with a 198mph+ figure from the Italian marque.

It’s slightly larger than the Portofino and the Vantage, but offers a soft and subtle design reminiscent of sports cars from the 90s. Its hips show hints of muscle, and its shark nose font bumper and arches suggest its hiding something very special beneath its bonnet, but Ferrari is basking in simplicity and, wow, is it a breath of fresh air.

The price is yet to be revealed, but the Portofino starts at £165,000 which includes the complicated fold-away roof mechanism. With the extra performance, expect a slightly larger price tag for the Roma. But who can put a number on the way that looks? Well, with the Vantage coming in £40 grand cheaper, maybe you can.

Which would you take home?