Behold the Ferrari Roma, the latest in a long line of fast front-engined GT cars that were once the core of the brand in the 1950s and ’60s. The Roma has been designed to capture that carefree and pleasurable age and its elegant, smooth lines definitely set it apart from most of its contemporary stablemates.
Underneath that sculpted hood is the company’s familiar twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8, mounted far behind the front axle making for a mid-front-engined layout. It has been tuned to develop 611hp and 561 lb-ft of torque in this application and it gives the Roma a 200mph+ top end, while the 0-62mph sprint is taken care of in 3.4-seconds.
The new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission from the SF90 Stradale sends the power to the rear wheels. While pricing has yet to be announced, its arrival will undoubtedly make the Aston Martin DB11’s life rather difficult.
Ferrari claims that its new GT will set new standards in its category both in handling and in terms of outright performance but it is those stunning yet timeless lines that will have most people rushing to hand over their cash. Its 3245-pound dry weight handily undercuts most rivals although the carbon fiber tubbed McLaren GT should be lighter still.
With McLaren’s new contender joining the category as well as less obvious rivals like the Bentley Continental GT and Mercedes AMG GT claiming their slice of the pie, the Grand Touring segment is definitely hotting up. Whether the Ferrari Roma will live up to its claim of bringing “La Dolce Vita” to the modern age remains to be seen, but first impressions are very good indeed.
Images courtesy of Ferrari
