Roma, or Rome to us mangia-cakes, the Eternal City, capital of Italy and, during the Mille Miglia — the greatest race in the history of motorsports — the turnaround point where the fiercest, most fearless of drivers then pointed their sleek chariots north at breakneck speed toward the finish line in Brescia, delighting the millions who lined the 1,000-mile route. Enzo Ferrari’s high-powered machines dominated the event during the post-war years, winning it eight times between 1948 and 1957. This was indeed the Golden Age for sports- and racing car design throughout Europe.
Even better is that Ferrari’s most eye-catching model is also its least expensive, the $251,665 (to start) Roma is the gateway to the iconic brand. Sighting a unicorn-crewed UFO, however, would be easier than finding a box-stock Roma; in the case of the tester, a long list of very pricey options (about $70,000 worth) meant the car was rolling off the showroom floor with an MSRP of around $320K. Still a bargain!
As is any car bearing the Ferrari name, the Roma is capable of fearsome acceleration — zero to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds — and a mighty top end, the 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that is shared with several other Ferraris generating a generous 612 horsepower at 5,750 rpm. The engine explodes to life with a touch of the start icon on the steering wheel, throbbing and thrumming, seducing you into committing acts of unbecoming conduct.
Ferrari describes the Roma’s cabin as a 2+, not a 2+2, recognizing that the only thing that will fit in the stubby rear seats is likely a Gucci gym bag or briefcase. The cabin itself, a mix of sublime luxury and high-tech, is a dual-cockpit design, essentially separate “cells” (not the jail variety) for the driver and passenger. Being more of a grand tourer — emphasis on “grand” — than some its more hard-edged siblings, the Roma is well kitted with infotainment and connectivity features, including a curved 16-inch HD instrument cluster screen and a vertically mounted 8.4-inch touchscreen, as well as a separate screen for the passenger.
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