2023 Ferrari Roma Spider unveiled – 611bhp GT goes topless
The Roma GT has been given the Spider treatment, launching as Ferrari’s first front-engined soft top since 1969
Three years since the launch of the highly successful coupe, Ferrari has revealed the drop-top Roma Spider at a private customer event in Marrakesh. As the marque’s first front-engined soft top since the 1969 365 GTS/4, it builds upon the same strong platform as the coupe, mixing bespoke hardware with elements from the Portofino M (a car it effectively replaces). Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but expect a figure of around £190,000.
Under its familiar skin is the same all-aluminium chassis as the coupe, with a modified rear section that’s been strengthened using the same methods employed in the Portofino M. The sill, A-pillar, windscreen and surround are entirely new, with all of these changes aimed at improving torsional rigidity.
> Ferrari Purosangue 2023 review
Powering the Roma Spider is the same mid-front mounted 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged flat-plane-crank V8 as the coupe, sending 611bhp and 560lb ft to the rear wheels through an 8-speed DCT gearbox – performance stats haven’t been disclosed, but expect the Spider’s 85kg weight increase (to c1650kg) and aerodynamic disadvantage to leave the coupe’s figures out of reach (0-62mph in 3.4sec, 199mph flat out).
Unlike the retractable hard-top Portofino, the Roma Spider adopts a soft-top roof mechanism, increasing useful storage capacity while offering a unique aesthetic. It takes 13.5sec to fold away at speeds of up to 37mph, and the fabric is woven from a bespoke two-tone material designed to offer acoustic performance on par with a folding hard-top. Buyers will also be able to customise the Roma to a greater degree than before, specifying the soft top with unique contrast stitching.
In light of CFD simulations and wind tunnel sessions, Ferrari has developed a number of high-tech solutions to produce an aerodynamic ‘bubble’ around the cabin while in motion. A small, 5mm nolder on the new windscreen header rail and a patented automatic wind deflector are most notable, with the latter able to be manually deployed on the move.
The Roma’s active rear spoiler has also been redesigned to function when the roof is down, with three modes depending on speed and driving scenarios. At its maximum angle of attack (135 degrees), the spoiler generates 95kg of downforce at 155mph.
The Spider’s cabin is familiar, with Ferrari’s two-zone layout and latest digital UI carried across from the likes of the Roma coupe and SF90 Stradale. As seen in the new Purosangue, the sometimes frustrating steering wheel touch controls now feature handy indentations, with illumination for the Engine Start/Stop button, to. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard, and customers can opt for optional neck warmers for those top-down winter drives.
The Ferrari Roma Spider is expected to cost from around £190,000. Order books for the Portofino M have closed ahead of customer deliveries of the new model later this year.
> Ferrari Roma review – a near-perfect take on the classic GT
