Ferrari Roma review: Roman conquest

Singapore

WHO would have thought it, but Ferrari's cheapest coupe is quite the hoot. The Roma is as explosive to drive as it is elegant to look at, and it feels like it could only ever have been born in Maranello, the small patch of soil in Northern Italy where Enzo Ferrari decided to build road cars so he could fund his Formula One racing habit.

Cheapness is relative, of course, but at S$888,000 the Roma is downright reasonable by Ferrari standards. The price doesn't include a Certificate Of Entitlement, but at least it keeps things to six figures, plus they'll throw in all four wheels and even the engine.

And what an engine. Ferrari's current crop of V8s all breathe through turbochargers, but they exude a certain frantic, full-blooded character that puts them at the top of the combustion world. Turbo engines usually feel hesitant, but the Roma's is so responsive that you have to treat the accelerator pedal with respect if you're to keep the car out of the trees.

With 620 horsepower, the Roma isn't actually titanically powerful; BMW's M5 Competition has a smidgen more power, even though it's a sedan with five seats. But the Ferrari only weighs around 1.5 tonnes, so it accelerates with breathtaking intensity.

On top of that, its soul has a wild streak. You unleash this by twisting the manettino (Ferrari's fancy word for the switches that festoon a Formula One car's steering wheel) to "Race", after which you have to hold on tight and say your prayers. Even in a straight line the Roma will happily paint skidmarks on the tarmac.

It's even more thrilling around corners. A quick steering rack means it changes direction with alacrity, and all that power from the dynamite engine makes the tail wiggle ominously if you come down too hard and too soon on the accelerator pedal.

That sounds like the stuff of any Ferrari, but the Roma actually feels very different from its more powerful sibling, the F8 Tributo. That car's V8 sits behind the passengers, and its mid-engine layout helps it leap even more readily into bends, while giving it more traction on the way back out of them. If you're the sort that puts your laptimes up on Facebook, the F8 Tributo is the V8 Ferrari you want.

In fact, the Roma is meant to be a different kind of Ferrari, for a different kind of buyer. The V8 sits up front - a first for the brand, believe it or not - and the car's proportions, voluptuous curvature and slim lamps tread a more classic and understated path to beauty. If the other Ferraris are designed to make the heart beat faster, the Roma makes it ache with silent longing.

That's the only bit of you that's supposed to hurt. There's a surprising but welcome plushness to the Roma, and while it's no Mercedes S-Class, it's the kind of car you could spend hours in. There are settings on the manettino that keep the engine and gearbox calm and smooth. The supportive seats keep fatigue at bay, while the suspension doesn't try to eject you from them.

The Roma also exemplifies Ferrari's embrace of digital razzle-dazzle, with a widescreen display for the main instruments, touch-sensitive panels on the steering wheel for some settings and a small touchscreen for the rest of them. The setup is apparently in service to the brand's "eyes on the road, hands on the wheel" philosophy, but I found it bewildering to use. Still, it probably doesn't hurt that it all looks stunning on Instagram.

Technically, the Roma has four seats, but those in the rear are so trifling that Ferrari calls the car a "2+" coupe, meaning it will accommodate two people plus whatever you can fit into the back. There may be concessions to practicality, but this isn't a practical car.

Then again, neither are any of the Roma's rivals. Anyway, it isn't cabin space that competitors need fear, but the price. The Roma might be a graceful, comfortable coupe that's exhilarating to drive, but it is ultimately Ferrari's way of staking its claim on others' turf - price-wise it sits roughly between the Mercedes-AMG GT R and Porsche 911 Turbo S.

If you let the salesman take you into the little room where they show you all the options, you'll probably be back up to seven figures by the time Ferrari is done with you, but simply enticing you into the showroom counts as victory for the Roma, especially if it made you skip a visit to the likes of Aston Martin, Porsche and Mercedes-AMG.

Take a test drive, and prepare to pass the point of no return, because the question you'll end up asking yourself is not why you should buy a Ferrari, but why not?

Ferrari Roma

Engine 3,855cc, twin-turbo V8 Power 620hp at 5,750rpm Torque 760Nm at 3,000rpm Gearbox 8-speed dual-clutch 0-100km/h 3.4 seconds Top Speed 320km/h Fuel Efficiency 10.3L/100km Agent Ital Auto Price S$888,000 without COE Available Now