The Ferrari Roma is set to gain a convertible version, making the 4.0-litre V8 even more audible.
Ferrari‘s history of V8-powered, front-engined convertibles is short with just the California and the Portofino to speak of. A new eight-cylinder open-top model is coming to join those ranks, however, and it’ll be based on the Roma.
The Ferrari Roma Spider has already been spied testing but the Maranello firm may have just given us our first official tease of the car. In a shadowy social media video we can see the steering wheel of a Roma, coupled with a blustery backing track. The 16th of March is mooted by Ferrari as the reveal date.
The mechanicals and overall design shouldn’t be too far removed from those of the Roma coupe, which in turn shares plenty with the convertible Portofino M. The Portofino M will most likely be taken off sale with the introduction of the similarly-sized Roma Spider, however.
Rivalling the likes of the new Mercedes SL, BMW M8 Cabriolet and Bentley Continental GTC, the Roma Spider will use a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 to make light use of that weight, producing in excess of 450kW. The hard top’s optional 2+2 seating arrangement may not be available given the packaging requirements of the convertible, however.
The Roma’s distinctive, flowing design will be mostly unchanged, and searing performance is expected – although the Spider’s 0-100km/h time might not be as quick as the coupe’s 3.4-second sprint. The engine will be mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and the usual suite of drive modes – from Wet all the way to Race and ESC off – will be accessible via a steering wheel-mounted Manettino switch. Ferrari’s advanced chassis systems, such as Slide Slip Control 6.0 and Dynamic Enhancer torque vectoring, will also feature.
Previous spy shots have given us a good look at Ferrari’s new drop-top. The Roma’s distinctive shark-style nose, cab-rear proportions and muscular haunches are visible. We expect the roof to be a folding metal design, given that Ferrari’s other convertible offerings such as the Portofino M, F8 Spider and 812 GTS have taken this route rather than a soft top.
The cabin will also be carried over. As with the coupe, an 8.4-inch portrait touchscreen will be mounted on a vertical bridge which extends between the seats, with a 16-inch digital instrument panel set behind the steering wheel. The display can be controlled using touch sensitive pads on the wheel itself, and an optional passenger screen will also be available to display driving and media information.