Text by Wallace Wyss
Ferrari Photos courtesy Ferrari SpA
When Ferrari brought out the Roma coupe awhile back it was a refreshing new direction–for it was not festooned with race-like accoutrements like hood scoops, side vents, spoilers on stilts, and other “boy racer” stuff that would be almost embarrassing on a car meant 100% for the street. The car is almost Jaguar-like, but of course much more lithe than Jaguar’s F-type sports car.
2022 Jaguar F Type (Internet photo) In a way the Ferrari Roma Spider leans toward the Jaguar F-type convertible in that it is a “gentleman’s sports car,” but with a superior speed capability of 198 mph compared to the Jaguar F-type’s 177 mph.
The Roma Spider, at a reported $268,000, also runs more than twice the price of the Jaguar F-type R’s $108,000.convertible, and the Ferrari gives you two more seats than Jaguar does in the F-type convertible.
It would be too much to hope for they would fit a V12, to make a Spider recalling the 365GTS Daytona, but the 3.9 liter V8 rated at 612 hp. (with 561 lb-ft. of torque) is no slouch. It gets the car up into the 200 mph (320 km/h) mph territory you expect from a Ferrari. As in the coupe an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is the only transmission.
It is nothing short of amazing this new Spider is a four-seater but then again I haven’t seen it pictured with rear passengers. I expect “child seats” might be an accurate description of the rear seats.
The new roadster breaks new (or should we say “old” ground by bringing back the soft top–after it looked like open air enthusiasts were going to have to accept the metal and plastic retractable hardtop as the successor to the soft top. There is something charming and wonderfully “old world” about a canvas top, especially in the contrast between the matte surface of the cloth and the glistening paint of the body.
Glad they are sticking with the chromeless grille as it gives them an outbound path from the almost seven-plus decades of shiny bright “eggcrate” grilles.
In side profile, the rear fenders swing up to minimize the view of the top when retracted. But the black colored fairings behind the seats are bulky and you wonder if they could have dropped them for a cleaner look? The upsweep of the body side aft of the doors is distractingly large, not as subtle as the shape of the Jaguar F-type roadster with the top down. The rear seat headrests seem to stick up higher than the front seat ones. On the lower rear, from side view, the flat black trim detracts from enjoying the “purity” of the side view.
Here’s where it takes an odd turn, almost Porsche 911-like since the Porsche 911 is also available with a cloth top . The black portion on the rear deck , the top of the rising spoiler, recalls visually the grille of the old air cooled 911 roadsters. No doubt an option will be painting it body color No doubt an option will be painting it body color. The large exhaust pipes are a disappointing throwback to the “boy racer” era, whereas the rest of the car has left behind those old clichés. I think the exhausts could have been integrated in a much more subtle manner. After all, this is a Ferrari showing much of the old can be left behind for a more gentlemanly alternative.
In sum, Ferrari Roma Spider is wise to offer a variation on the coupe because it gives them a “way out” from the heavier looking front engined cars like the Portofino that they already offer–a new direction so to speak, one aimed at a wider audience in the luxury car world (dare I say one “more sophisticated”?). I even think it appeals to a different market–those who want a Ferrari for the driving pleasure and engineering but have steered clear so far because they don’t want that “Look at me” impression conveyed by some of their other models. It is, in a word, more discreet….
THE AUTHOR Wallace Wyss is a fine artist and author of three books on Ferrari. He has served as a guest lecturer at the Art Center College of Design.
I agree..I want one!
Can’t beat that egg crate grille. Almost as good as that on my 1976 308gtb
The front end has a 1990s Chevrolet Camaro vibe to it.
When I was growing up in Tampa our next door neighbor Roma watched over me like another mother. She was French and had three o f the most beautiful daughters you could imagine. When I heard about this new model Ferrari I had to show her a photo. She was delighted ! Roma just celebrated her 104 birthday.