When Ferrari presents a new car, the world stops to look: not only the world of engines, of enthusiasts. Even those who simply love beauty stop. Here, Ferrari Rome is above all like this: beautiful. In the long months of waiting that separated the presentation of "Formula One with the evening dress" and the opportunity to try it, the desire to get behind the wheel has increased, and with the desire the question: a Ferrari so unusual, so transversal, so inconspicuous in its elegance, will the Ferrari soul have preserved? We say it right away: the answer is yes. Rome was conceived and designed to be simple, pure, linear, to embrace an audience that has always been in awe of Maranello cars, or perhaps has found them too 'show off'. But it's totally Ferrari. For the 'first' on the road, the Cavallino chose the gentle slopes of the Langhe: a combination of excellence.
Our Rome for a day is Titanium Gray, the color chosen for the launch. From outside we have seen it, studied it, analyzed it for a long time. But opening the door and getting on board is pure emotion. A sports car interior, of course, but not extreme. Access to the seat is easy, the armchair is welcoming. The sobriety of the external lines also continues inside, where nothing is 'extra'. Starting from the controls, all on the steering wheel, to avoid taking your eyes off the road. As well as the dashboard, totally digital and customizable in vision, and the man-machine interface, designed to be immediate. A mix of physical and virtual commands, excellently successful. A contrasting detail: Ferrari Rome is not always connected.
It is ready to be, of course, but when there are clear common rules on it. Until then, the protection of customer privacy will be more important. The ignition is entrusted to an infinity button, at the base of the central race of the steering wheel, also redesigned. And the roar of the 620 HP turbo V8 shows up. We are in the Ferrari world. A few kilometers are enough to become familiar, then everything becomes natural. Roma is very soft in approach. The gradual acceleration, not overbearing, very enjoyable. Like a real Gran Turismo. But ready to respond to decisive lunges. Like a real Ferrari. A double soul, a car for almost all occasions, as Marco Bai, product marketing manager of Ferrari Roma, told us during a long chat. Thanks to the work done in all sectors: from design to mechanical and aerodynamic design.
The eight-speed gearbox makes shifting almost imperceptible when the gear is on the road, but it becomes decisive, dry, very fast, when the pace changes. Also fundamental is the manettino, which has 5 modes here: from wet to comfort up - up, up - to track modes. Technology is of fundamental help in keeping the car on the road, but never invasive, never excessive. A technology at the service of the driver, which also allows some small imperfections and rushes to help the less savvy, but always with discretion. Ferrari Roma is inspired by Portofino, but 70% of it has been rethought, redesigned. The design center of Maranello drew inspiration from the glorious GTs of the 1950s and 1960s, revisiting those lines and re-proposing them in a more modern, dynamic key. The greatest effort was to 'remove' rather than 'put in', to preserve a pure, soft, light line. Characteristic evident and appreciated even when driving. Of course, though: no concession to the armchair. Ferrari Roma looks like a car with a double soul. Docile, soft, without jerks for those who want to travel the winding bends of these areas in total relaxation. Aggressive, reactive, powerful, for those who love adrenaline more. A very complicated mix to find when designing a car of this level. Ferrari has hit it full. From the docile trotting to the gallop it takes a moment, and the detached cornering leaves us glued to the road and with a smile on the face. During the presentation, Flavio Manzoni, head of the Ferrari staff who designed the Rome, explained every stylistic detail of the birth of the new creature from Maranello.
His intuitions then had to face the reality of the engineers, technicians and the wind tunnel. Discretion as a distinctive feature: the Cavallino coat of arms also disappears from the sides. The launch color is a sober titanium gray, which better highlights the lines, instead of the symbolic red of the House. The flexuous 'Dolce Vita' front takes on light in the two optical groups that mark the profile. The grille, incorporated in the front, is almost invisible, in contrast with the current design. And here, the aerodynamics manager explained, every single millimeter was the result of continuous comparison. The tail is cantilevered and wingless. To maintain the purity of the lines, it is incorporated into the rear window. It is extracted only automatically when speed and driving conditions make it necessary. Otherwise, stay inside. The dynamics, they proudly explain from Maranello, is hidden behind the lines, in a car that 'lives on proportions'. Something Ferrari Roma leaves in terms of Cx compared to Portofino: the coefficient is not declared but, they admit, it is slightly higher than the previous car of the House but lower than that of the GTC 4. An almost irrelevant detail: when the test ends, it remains only the desire to start again.
