Recently, Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale held a private test drive event for clientele and friends to experience the all-new Ferrari Roma. When the Roma first released, I was unsure about the new mid-front engine Ferrari but that quickly changed when we walked out the front door of the dealership, into the parking lot, and laid eyes on it. The car is absolutely stunning in person, and the pictures do not do it justice. It is an entirely new look that is unlike anything else on the road. At first glance, you’ll notice there are no Scuderia shields on the model we tested, and the completely redesigned front and rear lights. These features alone show that Ferrari may be headed in a new direction with their product line. The typical round rear lights are a thing of the past, but from a distance, you can still tell that it is a Ferrari. The Roma is so sleek and elegant from every single angle we spent 20 minutes examining the car before even driving it.
The Roma is smaller than I had imagined, but once you use the leather key to unlock the door and step inside, you realize that does not matter at all. The interior is gorgeous and is a huge change from previous models. The Ferrari interior has always been quite analogous with knobs and buttons throughout but with the Roma, Ferrari took an entirely different approach. When you first glimpse at the steering wheel after opening the door, it looks similar to previous Ferrari models. It’s not until you take a seat and begin to start the Roma, that you notice there have been some serious changes. The Start / Stop button is integrated at the bottom of the steering wheel and is actually not a button at all, it is a touch screen panel that can be found throughout most of the steering wheel. After turning the car on you immediately notice the enormous digital dash that features everything from navigation to radio and car info. Using the touchpads on the steering wheel to navigate through screens you quickly find out that everything is super intuitive. As you go to put the Roma into gear, you’ll notice the gear levers resemble early Ferrari levers, which allow the car to maintain an analog feel with so many digital components surrounding you.
As we pulled out onto North Federal Highway, I immediately noticed how comfortable and drivable the Roma was. With a 611-horsepower twin-turbo V8 in front of you, it is hard to believe how calm, quiet, and smooth the ride is. That is, however, until you step on the gas. It effortlessly climbs through the gears of the 8-speed DCT Transmission as you watch the speedometer rise. The Roma is no slouch, it goes from 0-62 in 3.4 seconds, but the most impressive part was how quick and agile it was. The turning and handling capabilities are phenomenal, and the steering feel is wonderful as you sit planted through turns.
As a passenger, the Ferrari Roma provides comfortable ride quality with plenty of legroom. I was able to use the secondary display integrated into the passenger dash, which controls audio/media functions throughout the vehicle. At slower cruising speeds, I could tell that this is a perfect daily drivable supercar. When Corsa mode is selected, the performance is very much present, but the sound controlled cabin allows for casual conversation. There are also available rear seats for two more individuals to experience the Ferrari Roma.
Overall, the Ferrari Roma is a breath of fresh air. The all-new look, feel, and performance is unmatched by anything I’ve had the pleasure of driving. If I were you, I would order yours now.
