This is Ferrari’s first front-engine soft top since 1969
Ferrari maintains Roma style, back seat
The entry-level Ferrari has just gone topless. The Ferrari Roma Spider takes the coupe and ditches the hard fixed roof for a soft one. The first time Ferrari has had a front-engine soft top since 1969.
Most of the car is unchanged, and that means the same sleek front and rear styling. It also means the same 3.9L twin-turbo V8 under the hood making 612 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The Roma Spider’s eight-speed is a modified unit new for this model. Based on the same one used in the Stradale, it has a dry sump and low-viscosity oil to help fuel efficiency. It also has longer gears than the old seven-speed, which should help performance and, again, fuel economy. Not that anyone is worried about filling their F-car.
Ferrari’s new soft top can go up or down in just 13.5-seconds. It will also go up and down at speeds up to 60 km/h. The soft roof takes up less trunk space than the hard top convertibles Ferrari has been building. The top itself is made from new fabric weaves designed to highlight the car’s design.
Transforming the Roma into the Roma Spider added 84 kg to the car’s weight. That’s because of new side sills, a reinforced rear section, and the roof mechanism itself.
The Roma Spider keeps the coupe’s tiny rear seats. We can’t imagine them being any more useful than the coupe’s, but, also, they couldn’t be much smaller. These rear seats are more useful for your purse or laptop bag than they are for any people.
Ferrari didn’t announce a price for the Roma, but expect it to be around $40,000 more than a coupe. The company also didn’t say when deliveries would start, but that will probably be before the end of the year.
