Ferrari Roma Spider: first look at glamorous open-air supercar
The best looking new car of 2023? It might only be March, but already we have a winner. The Roma Spider is Ferrari’s new ‘entry-level’ convertible, replacing the far less photogenic Portofino M.
Powered by a 620hp 3.9-litre V8, it can sprint to 62mph in 3.4 seconds and blow-dry your bouffant at 199mph.
Prices haven’t been announced yet, but expect a premium of at least £20,000 over the £170,000 Maranello asks for a Roma coupe. Or north of £200,000 by the time you add a few must-have options.
A softer option
In contrast to recent al fresco Ferraris, the Roma Spider has a fabric roof, rather than a flip-and-fold metal affair. As the press release points out, that makes it the first front-engined Ferrari soft-top since the 365 GTS4 of 1969.
The five-layer hood retracts in 13.5 seconds at speeds up to 37mph. Together with extra body bracing and a pop-up wind deflector, it adds 84kg to the Roma’s kerb weight of 1,570kg.
An optional technical fabric gives the roof an ‘extremely striking iridescent red finish’ (not shown here). It stows behind a carbon fibre active spoiler, which produces up to 95kg of downforce at 155mph. Boot space is a supermini-sized 255 litres with the roof raised.
Riviera to Race mode
Inside, the Roma Spider retains the coupe’s child-sized ‘+2’ rear seats. You’ll also spot the five-position manettino on the steering wheel (choose from Wet, Comfort, Sport, Race or ESC-Off modes) and a drive selector that apes Ferrari’s classic open-gate manual.
The twin-turbo V8 – a multiple International Engine of the Year award winner – is also unaltered, and drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
An arsenal of driver assistance technology includes Side Slip Control version 6.0 and the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, all of which, from past experience, can make an average driver feel like a hero. Just take it easy on the Riviera…
We have a winner
We drove the coupe at the launch in 2021, and concluded by saying: ‘Aside from a few qualms about the cabin, the Roma really is as good as it looks. It’s both a glamorous GT and a scintillating supercar. If you’re after a Ferrari that ticks every box, all roads lead to Roma’.
For the lucky few, the Roma Spider adds even more style and potential excitement. The proof will be in the driving, but this Ferrari already looks like a winner in more ways than one.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research