Ferrari
- The Ferrari Roma is an ultra-stylish coupé with a potent V8 engine and a new eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox.
- The Ferrari Roma slots above the Portofino in Maranello's lineup.
- The Roma joins the 488-replacing F8 Tributo and Spider, as well as the 812 GTS (Ferrari's first V12 drop-top in 50 years) and the hybrid SF90 Stradale, in the prancing-horse stable for 2019.
- The car is a classy GT, with a nominal back seat.
- Sign up for Business Insider's transportation newsletter, Shifting Gears, to get more stories like this in your inbox.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Ferrari is on a tear. We've seen four new models in 2019, and as the year closes out, we have a fifth: the Ferrari Roma, unveiled on Thursday in, naturally, Rome.
The Roma is a what Ferrari is calling a "two-plus coupé," meaning it has some space behind the front seats but is effectively a two-seater.
The car is a suave grand-tourer, with a 611-horsepower, twin-turbo V8 under the hood, displacing 3.9 liters and routing the punch through an eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. (The Roma slots in above the slightly less powerful Portofino in Maranello's lineup.)
The car is indeed a stunner. "Its beautifully harmonious proportions and elegantly pure, balanced volumes are very much in line with the Ferrari mid-front-engined grand touring tradition of which the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso and 250 GT 2+2 are the most iconic examples, and from which the car takes its inspiration," Ferrari said in a statement.
The Roma joins the 488-replacing F8 Tributo and Spider, as well as the 812 GTS (Ferrari's first V12 drop-top in 50 years) and the hybrid SF90 Stradale, in the prancing-horse stable for 2019.
Ferrari said the Roma embodied a fresh approach to chassis design, with 70% of the parts new to the vehicle. The Roma is also a lightweight package, at just 3,460 pounds. The dash from o to 60 mph happens in just north of three seconds, and the top speed is nearly 200 mph.
According to Ferrari, for the cabin, its designers "developed a new formal approach that involved the creation of two separate cells, one each for driver and passenger, in an evolution of the dual cockpit concept that embraces the entire cabin rather than just the dashboard."
This is an interesting evolution, as it creates an integrated, flowing interior, but at the expensive of some of the airy quality that characterized previous models. The instruments and infotainment are also comprehensively digital and far more of a factor than on pre-Roma Ferraris.
Ferrari didn't reveal pricing, but we suspect it could be in the $250,000 ballpark. Competitors should be the Aston Martin Vantage and the Mercedes-AMG GT.
NOW WATCH: Only 10 people will be able to buy Ferrari's brand new supercar
See Also:
- I drove a $47,000 Jaguar XE to find out if this British sports sedan could take on BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Alfa Romeo
- Viral videos have terrified people into opposing Amazon's plastic packaging. Here's why they're wrong.
- Airlines are working to cut down on emissions to secure their future business model, but the technology to make a real impact is still years away
FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!
