In most cases, a new Ferrari launch is a pretty big deal. Think back to the premiere of the groundbreaking LaFerrarithat hybrid SF90 Stradale and last year’s Purosangue SUV – all important moments in their time. Now the Italian outfit has unveiled another new model, but the biggest talking point is some pretty retro technology. Experience the Ferrari Roma Spider, with the first folding canvas convertible roof on a front-engined Ferrari since 1969.
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Ferrari premiered the all-new Roma Spider last night and it looks nice. I like the Roma, which was revealed in 2019 as the brand’s latest front-engine grand tourer and packs a 3.9 liter V8 and rear-wheel drive, all encased in a beautifully sleek design. But one important thing it lacked was a removable roof.
Fortunately, Ferrari has rectified that shortcoming with the new Roma Spider, which retains the original car’s good looks and adds an all-new canvas roof. This roof, Ferrari says, marks the first time the Italian outfit has fitted a car with a fabric roof since 365 GTS4 from 1969.
It seems strange for Ferrari to shout about some, let’s be honest, pretty old technology. But here we are.
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According to Ferrari, the fabric roof was chosen as it is a much more compact design than the hard-top folding roof you find SF90 and F8 Spiders. This, the company says, means the Roma retains its practical boot space and “increases the car’s versatility.”
What’s also nice about the new roof is that it comes with “many customization options,” according to Ferrari. This means that anyone in the market for a Roma Spider will be able to choose from different bespoke fabrics, colors and even contrast stitching on their soft top, which could look very cool.
Proving it’s not all style over substance, Ferrari also reports that the top can unfold in just 13.5 seconds and can open and close while driving at speeds up to 37 mph. It also comes with a new wind deflector to prevent the breeze from messing up your hair too much.
Away from the jazzy roof, most of it the Roma remains familiar. The long bonnet houses a twin-turbo V8 producing 611bhp, mated to Ferrari’s eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. All this means that the Roma Spider can manage a top speed of 198 mph and accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, as claimed by the manufacturer.
To bring all that power to a stop, the Roma Spider has 15.4″ front disc brakes and 14″ rear rotors. Ferrari says this means the car will come to a complete stop from 62 mph in just 32 meters, which is about 105 feet.
If all that sounds good to you, Ferrari has it a fairly in-depth configurator on its website, which allows you to visualize your dream Roma Spider spec.
And while there’s no word on pricing for the Spider yet, as the coupe starts at $247,310, it’s safe to say that the configurator is as close as most of us will get to seeing this car in our driveways.