Shapur Kotwal
Enzo Ferrari will like Ferrari Rome very much. There are several reasons. On the one hand, he always believed that “the horse is in front of the cart.” The front engine car is his thing. Then he seems to prefer GT or Grand Touring cars to more hardcore sports cars. He will also like this design. Yes, the Romans have classical smooth lines, but it also has a distinct identity; this has always been important to Ferrari.
So, what is the practicality and driving comfort of Roma, especially under our conditions? How useful is it? When you flip the switch, does it drive like a thoroughbred Ferrari?
Ferrari Roma: award-winning design
There is no doubt that Flavio Manzoni and his design team have done a great job in design. Roma embodies an extremely modern design language, but also combines classical forms and balanced volumes.
Roma combines modern design with classical form and balanced volume.
The outline is clear, clean and confident. It feels like it was designed with bold brushstrokes and confident hands. The shark nose and the protruding hood live happily together, and then the new slot like the taillight also works well. I’m not a big fan of this body-color version of Ferrari’s traditional “cheese grater” grille, but would a chrome grille with a Prancing Horse look better? Maybe.
Ferrari Roma: technological evolution
Under the stunning skin, Roma’s all-aluminum chassis and white body have quite a lot in common with Portofino. Interestingly, the two wheelbases are almost the same. However, the Romans took a firmer stand. The roof height is low, the center of gravity is also low, and the weight is reduced by nearly 100 kg.
620 horsepower, 3.9 liters, V8 related to the engine in the Ortofino, but with new technology to improve performance
Ferrari Roma’s twin-turbocharged V8 can produce 620 horsepower. It is closely related to Portofino, F8 and many other Ferrari models. The new technology here includes a speed sensor that measures the speed of the turbine. This allows the maximum speed (on the turbine) to increase by 5,000 rpm per minute, enhancing high-end performance. This pair of twin-scroll turbochargers and flat crankshafts also help provide instant power on demand, which is what Ferrari calls “zero lag.” In addition, Variable Boost Management is a control software that can change the maximum torque provided by continuous gears. When the car passes through the gears, the amount of torque transmitted increases to 760Nm in the 7th and 8th gears. This helps to provide a smooth feeling and continuously improve performance.
The car’s new 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox is also more compact and weighs less than 6 kilograms. The dry oil pan lubrication here also helps maintain stability when driving in the city.
Drive mode allows you to change performance; Rome also gets a race mode.
Ferrari’s manettino switch on Roma also allows you to choose between five driving modes including Race (not on Portofino), which allows you to more freely explore the control balance of the chassis and the adjustability of the rear drive throttle . The latter benefit from a set of first-class driver assistance systems, such as sideslip control 6.0, electronic differential control (E-Diff), F1-Trac or adjustable traction control and Ferrari dynamic enhancer, so that all these systems seamlessly function as A whole work.
Ferrari Rome: Driving Experience
First, let’s see how easy it is to drive Roma.
With the comfortable setting of Manetino, the Romans were surprisingly comfortable when bumping. It crosses the expansion joints beautifully on slightly higher tires without much up and down movement. It even climbs over some hump-filled places on the road with amazing ease. The customs clearance is great, it has no lift function.
Although the large potholes are indeed disturbing, the Romans are surprisingly comfortable when bumping.
For big potholes, you have to slow down, some bad patches will make it uneasy, but what Ferrari is doing here again is to use some very beautiful suspension technology to defeat physics, which is impressive.
It is also surprising that this steering system is very light. And the Roman car is easy to drive. The engine is very easy to control and responsive, the pedal weight is good, and because the gearbox is smooth at low speeds, Roma immediately reassures you. Therefore, the Romans are very friendly to driving.
But it also has advantages and a competition mode that Portofino does not have. When you put it into a race, it becomes a Popper Ferrari, a monster that can breathe fire. The response of this V8 is very sensitive, it will jump forward as soon as you step on the accelerator. Although the initial reaction was very positive and exciting, it was the mid-frequency catapult-like performance that amazed you. The new faster gearbox can help you stay in the power band. Choose “Race”, there will be more urgency and seamless thrust. Ferrari has now also improved the high end of the V8, so it pulls in a cleaner way in the rev range, exceeding 7,000rpm. The performance is very strong, especially in the game, it will complete a 0-100kph sprint in just 3.4 seconds, and 200kph appears in a claimed 9.3 seconds. From the right perspective, the Ferrari F8 is about one and a half seconds faster than 200 kilometers, but it is a more compromised and hard-core driving machine.
The performance in racing mode is very strong, 0-100kph only needs 3.4 seconds to complete.
Rome also has its own unique voice. Although many Ferrari cars use this engine, this engine has its own soundtrack. It has a good rumbling sound at low speeds; when you put your foot down and spin it quickly, it will make a harsh sound and even cheers at the top. You can’t compare it to the roar of a naturally aspirated, high-capacity supercar engine, but on its own, it’s pretty good. If there is only a flat crank engine, the idling speed is more stable, and the exhaust in Comfort is quieter.
The Romans will also put a bright smile on your face in the corner. The steering is a bit light, it doesn’t have the limpet-like grip of the F8, but oh my goodness, can it be exciting? The first thing you notice is the natural agility, the feeling that it’s nice to dive into the corner. Then there is calmness, which can maintain this balance even when it is difficult to walk into the corner. In the end, it does what all good Ferraris seem to do; it motivates you to drive harder. More importantly, in “Race”, Roma allows you to skid to a certain extent and then gently push the car back to a more neutral position. that’s good.
Even when cornering, the Romans can maintain their balance in the corners.
Ferrari Roma: digital cab
On Roma, the interior has also adopted new style sheets, many of which are digital styles. There is a moderately sized vertically aligned touch screen on the center console, and the dashboard is a big screen, and you get a new Ferrari sporty compact steering wheel; but it’s also full of interesting technology. For example, there is no button to start the engine, only capacitive touch. All you need to do is press down near the bottom of the steering wheel to show where the engine starts. A similar system is also used to switch between the various screens on the dashboard. You can use your right thumb, and there are capacitive touch and similar controls on the left spokes of the steering wheel. Like other Ferraris, there is no handlebar; therefore, the turn indicator is on the steering wheel, and you have wheels and buttons for the headlights and wipers.
The cabin incorporates a large number of digital elements, equipped with a central touch screen, instrument display, and even a display in front of the passenger.
The hut is also neatly divided into these two pillars, and there is a beautiful yellow dividing line. You can also provide your passengers with a screen and of course the chromed Roman badge above the glove box. Can’t recognize a modern Ferrari; this is the place you must look.
There are some other new bits. You press a button to open the door, adjust the rearview mirror through capacitive touch, and then on the center console, there is a door that looks like a manual gearbox-only here you have the buttons to control the gearbox mode and start the control .
The buttons that control the transmission mode and start control look like the door of a manual transmission
In addition to the fact that you can only adjust the fan speed from the screen, it is always painful when moving, and this is also a carefully assembled cabin.
Ferrari has cleverly provided several safe places for placing the phone. There are several felt-lined pockets on the center console, and there is a rubber tray in the elbow box. Although you only have one cup holder, you can safely use it for your phone.
The rear seats, if you can call them, are too small and far from usable. However, this 272-liter suitcase can easily hold a few carry-on luggage, which may be what you need. There are no spare parts, but you can buy a space saver, which is an essential kit under our conditions. But at the cost of boot space.
Ferrari Rome: the perfect balance
On the one hand, Roma is in very good health and can drive almost every day; this is clearly Ferrari’s most practical and practical car. You must use good judgment, but it even provides considerable ground clearance for our roads and conditions. When you toggle the switch and step on the accelerator, it is also a suitable Ferrari. It is also very attractive, beautifully made and priced at 3.95 crore, it is the cheapest Ferrari you can buy. It won’t make you feel like a driving god like the F8. Once you specify it will be more expensive, but if you are looking for a Ferrari that you want to drive almost every day, this is it.
