New Ferrari Roma Spider 2025 review: fast, elegant and fun
The Ferrari Roma offers far greater all-round appeal than its predecessors, and on UK roads feels as sorted, comfortable and usable as any of its rivals – all while offering the performance and emotion you expect from something wearing the prancing horse on its elongated nose. Removing the roof only heightens the experience, without any tangible detriment to the driving experience. Advertisement - Article continues below
Ferrari's recent run of four-seat, front-mid-engined V8 convertibles could be considered (by some) to be the runts of the Italian supercar maker's range. The California, California T and Portofino never held much of a candle to their contemporary siblings – or rivals – despite having plenty of the right ingredients.
But our first drive of the new Roma Spider on foreign roads proved that Ferrari was no longer resting on its laurels. Designed first as a coupe before having its roof lopped off, the Spider benefitted from a new rear sub-frame and reinforced sills – helping to give it a broader spread of abilities than its predecessors.
Yet as we've said a hundred times before, a car's true test comes when we get it on UK streets, motorways and rural roads. So can the Roma perform here, as it did in Italy? We've got the keys to a fully loaded, near-£300,000 example to find out.
First things first; the switch to a fabric roof – the Roma Spider's forebears all had folding tin tops – gives the car, to our eyes at least, a more elegant profile. Customers can specify an almost endless list of colours for both the body and roof, and can edit everything from the wheels and brake calipers, to the grille and exhaust – even the brand of tyres. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View Golf R View GLC View GLC View Sorento
Taking a seat inside the Roma's carefully crafted cabin, you've got all the main controls front and centre; the slightly busy steering wheel features the recognisable Ferrari manettino switch, plus the indicators and two sets of touch-sensitive buttons for the digital dashboard.
Hold the start-stop button, which also sits on the steering wheel, and the V8 roars into life with a crescendo of revs. Instantly, the engine feels like the centrepiece in a way it perhaps doesn't in a Porsche 911 Turbo – a sense that's only elevated with the roof down.
That roof lowers in 13.5 seconds at speeds of up to 37mph, tucking away out of sight within the luggage compartment. It takes up quite a bit of space, but there's still room for a couple of soft bags in the boot – easily enough for a weekend away.
Speaking of practicality, while the Roma does have a pair of rear seats – something the latest Aston Martin Vantage Roadster does without – they're all but useless, even for kids. We managed to get a child seat in behind the front passenger, but it meant neither was gifted much in the way of legroom. Removing the chair from its tightly packaged Isofix mounts isn't the work of a minute, either. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
While that might be solid consumer buying advice, that's not really what this car is about. If you disregard the previous two paragraphs and allow us to continue where we left off, we'll take a moment to elaborate on what a masterpiece that twin-turbo V8 is…
Of course, nothing with 612bhp and 760Nm of torque is likely to feel lethargic, but the two turbos completely eliminate any supposed flat spots, and if you let the revs build past 5,500rpm, the engine not only pulls with ferocity, but sounds magnificent in the process, too. As hinted, lowering the lid brings you even closer to that charismatic exhaust note, though naturally, the car isn't as refined as the coupe with the top up.
Every Roma comes with an electrically operated wind deflector that covers the rear seats. With that in place and with the windows up, there's surprisingly little buffeting; it's quiet enough that you'll be able to have a conversation at motorway speeds, or listen to the £4,142 premium hi-fi without the volume cranked up to 11.
The Roma Spider may be slightly softer than its coupe counterpart – a model which has, incidentally, been removed from sale as the firm preps it for a mid-life update – but that gives the car a welcome compliance on British back roads. It never feels uncomfortable, certainly, and you'd have to be pushing the Roma's dynamic boundaries to feel any flex in the chassis.
The steering – a Ferrari trademark – offers a level of feel often missing in this day and age. Likewise, the brakes (carbon ceramics as standard, as on all Ferrari models since 2008) – bring incredible stopping power, without feeling overengineered for road use.
While the driving experience is an obvious point of focus, if you drive your Roma little and (not that) often, those who spend more time behind the wheel will want to appreciate the smaller things – such as the plushness of the leather seats, or the responsiveness of the central screen.
Unfortunately, we found the former a little firm, and the latter lacking in usability. With the roof down, that central display can be hard to see, and we'd like a more intuitive interface. At least it doesn't try to cram everything into the instrument cluster, like its Purosangue SUV sibling. Model: Ferrari Roma Spider Price: £210,838 Engine: 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol Power/torque: 612bhp/760Nm Transmission: Eight-speed auto, rear-wheel-drive 0-62mph: 3.4 seconds Top speed: 199mph Economy/CO2: 24.8mpg/258g/km Size (L/W/H): 4,656/1,974/1,306mm On sale: Now Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change
Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change
The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future
Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future
The next Mazda MX-5 roadster is set to be offered as a pure EV, and our exclusive images preview how it could look Car Deal of the Day: 10,000 miles per year in the upgraded Cupra Formentor for only £280 a month
Car Deal of the Day: 10,000 miles per year in the upgraded Cupra Formentor for only £280 a month
The best-selling coupé-SUV received an extensive facelift last year, and now it's our Deal of the Day for 11 May
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