With its inimitable Italian style, the Ferrari Roma is all about the sweet — and speedy — life
Ah, Rome in the 1950s and 1960s! A myth is in its inception, a mantra’s in the making, and a new religion gets an origin story. These were the decades that convinced the world that should glamour ever become incarnate, it would surely speak its words with a seductive Italian accent.
Life was meant to be lived out loud and with uncompromising elegance, and the roads were to be driven with the top down and with the roar of an engine that could read your very thoughts. “La Dolce Vita” was born and Ferrari was king.
This carefree creed, this sworn oath to devote one’s lives entirely to pleasure has now retuned to us as the sole driving force behind the 2021 Ferrari Roma. The most recent model of the legendary car maker is not only poised to carry the legacy of Ferrari upon its sleek shoulders, but seems also determined to forge a path all its own as a distinctive and unequivocal entity.
Upon first glance, the 2021 Roma’s stunning and perforated grille is both a throwback to the Ferraris of yore as well as a firm departure from recent models, which immediately clues you in that this is not at all what you expected. But very much what you desire.
A VISUAL WONDERLAND
The svelte design of the Roma is a joyful declaration of independence stemming from the innovation and technological strides that have allowed for a more workable gearbox that in turn has granted grace to a gorgeously sculpted profile and silky, smooth lines.
This new mid-front-engined 2 + passenger coupé from the Prancing Horse is athletic, but maintains a relatively smaller profile. Its refined and harmonious proportions are a tribute to timeless design and feel immediately current, graceful and visionary.
Once inside, the carbon fiber-trimmed cabin is instantaneously immersive and other-wordly, with a mild yet seductive 60s retro-futuristic vibe. The interior offers distinctive driver and passenger spaces, divided by a considerable console for elegant demarcation. The absence of analog controls may unsettle traditionalists who bask in the glory of tactile experiences, but those of us who relish in tech-forward digital displays and even animation are treated to one of the most stunning, seamless, informative and intuitive visual expositions you can find in a car today.
THE ULTIMATE SHOW-OFF
Under all that Italian glamour lurks the car maker’s 611-horsepower V8 mid-front-mounted turbocharged Portofino engine, endowed with its own distinctive roar that heralds a brand-new legacy (and a speed that tops at 199 mph.
Instinctual gear shifts and massive driving power let you bask in the glow of speed once you move your Stallion away from the downtown muzzle. Yet, out on the open road, the drive remains taut as the architectural elegance of the vehicle delivers outstanding stability even when “Race mode” transforms your ride from cruising to racing. Corners are delicate and trustworthy as the engine is capable of delivering 560 lb-ft of torque at 3,000-5,750 rpm.
Although this “sweet life” comes to you for no less than $222,630, let’s face it, it’s not every day you meet a hyper car you want to bring home to your mother.
The Ferrari Roma is available at The Collection in Miami, located at 1550 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132. for more information, please visit www.ferrariofmiami.com.