Photos: @lasquadra__

The latest coupe from Maranello is the mid-front-engined, 2+ coupe, 3.9-liter V8-powered Ferrari Roma, a massive 612 hp GT featuring an extremely modern design language and equipped with modern engineering and technology. The Roma joins the Ferrari lineup as an "entry-level" model that offers the same two-plus-seat configuration as the open-top Portofino M. Ferrari's objective was to create two clear product lines with the Roma to clearly distinguish the GT cars from the mid-engined sports cars. This stylish and refined masterpiece is the work of Ferrari’s Design Director, Flavio Manzoni, and might be the best achievement yet of Ferrari’s own in-house Centro Stile design.

The Roma’s aesthetics celebrate the sweet life of the city the supercar is named after. The timeless bodywork took inspiration from the concept of sporty elegance celebrated in Maranello's historic GT cars of the 1960s, front-engined cars with simple yet sleek forms. Under the body inspired by that of the sports cars of the 60s, there is a modern and refined GT for those who are a little bit afraid of Ferrari’s extreme sports cars and want a Ferrari a little out of the box.

Manzoni describes it as "Formula 1 in evening attire." "We had been wanting to create very formally pure Ferrari tourers for some time," he told Ferrari magazine. "Elegant, refined cars with lines kept as sober as possible and influenced as little as possible by the technical requirements," he added.

The low front and the headlights with the horizontal LED signature feature a grille with a tricky pattern for enough air to keep the V8 cool, a true special aspect of the Ferrari Roma. On the other hand, the roof ending in a rounded tail praises the new dual taillights like gems. Like the 458 Italia, which changed the rear lights from their traditional two-round design, the Roma got rid of those classic Ferrari round tail lights and replaced them with a set of LEDs that modernized this future classic.

The 2+2 coupe allows the driver and front passenger to travel comfortably once they have slipped into the elegant armchairs of la nuova dolce vita (the new good life), and demonstrates Ferrari's new interior design approach with the “dual cockpit” concept. However, the two rear seats are intended for people of short stature or for a pair of bags.

Apart from the timeless design, the Roma also represents the pinnacle of performance in the segment, thanks to its turbo-charged V8 from the family of engines that has won the overall International Engine of the Year award four years consecutively. The Roma comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. The 612-hp turbocharged V8 at its heart is specifically tuned to make beautiful music at 5,750 rpm and 760 Nm from 3,000 to 5,750 rpm. In sport mode, the Roma sprints from 0-100 in 3.4 seconds, 0-200 in 9.3 seconds, and has a top speed of 199 mph.

The Ferrari Roma is a gorgeous grand-touring car that shows the level of usability and comfort a GT car needs, mixes with Ferrari's characteristic sports car soul, and costs just over $200,000. The Car Design Award 2020 described the Roma as the "most innovative, attractive, and surprising" production car of the year. The jury stated: "The Ferrari design team, led by Flavio Manzoni, did an incredible job with the Roma. This car reinterprets the classical lines of a Gran Turismo car and projects them into the 21st century thanks to sensual, evocative, and cutting-edge design". Like it or not, Maranello’s latest grand tourer is a beautiful marriage of approachable elegance and the need for speed.