Ferrari unveiled the convertible version of the Rome. The Roma Spider, which replaces the Portofino Mis the brand’s first front-engined soft-top model since the 1969 365 GTS/4.
It follows the general proportions, volumes and specifications of its cut brother, but the omission of the roof means that some elements have been changed, among them the windscreen, the A-pillars and of course, the rear part. Redesigning the coupe’s tapered, fastback roofline meant modifying the rear window to incorporate it into the soft top to allow it to fold under the tonneau cover when open.
Departing from the hardtop used by the Portofino, the Roma Spider’s unit is constructed from a special new fabric, woven from a bespoke two-tone material drawn from a four-colour palette. Customers can also opt for a fabric with iridescent red contrasting elements.
The automaker claims the soft top offers acoustic comfort comparable to retractable hardtops and can be opened in just 13.5 seconds, at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Its compactness also offers more boot space.
Attention has also been paid to minimizing turbulence and wind noise in the cabin, with a 5mm reinforcement on the new upper windscreen rail and a new patented wind deflector – which is integrated into the backrest of the rear seat and can be deployed by a button on the central tunnel – part of the solutions adopted to create an aerodynamic “bubble” above the cockpit when the car is in motion.
Following the reworked rear end, the coupe’s electrically operated rear spoiler has had its geometry changed for the convertible, but follows the same operating principles. Deployed automatically by an electric motor based on speed and longitudinal and lateral acceleration (and tied to the position of the manettino), the unit offers three service positions – Low Drag, Medium Downforce and High Downforce.
As with the coupe, its low-speed position is maintained until 100 km/h, at which point it switches to MD mode, providing around 30% maximum downforce with a drag increase of less than 1%. At its HD setting, the spoiler sits at an angle of 135 degrees and generates 95 kg of downforce at 250 km/h.
The interior layout is also familiar, with the Roma’s dual-cockpit layout offering individual driver and passenger cells in a wrap-around layout, unchanged on the topless version of the car. Likewise, the 16-inch digital instrument cluster and the portrait-oriented 8.4-inch central screen sit between the two cockpit areas. The infotainment system comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
The Stradale-style steering wheel is identical to the Coupe’s unit, but with a few minor changes to the HMI – the touch controls on the spider’s steering now have indents to offer tactile zone identification on the left ray and improved sweep. on the right side.
Power continues to be provided by the F154 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 as a coupé, with the BE version of the mill continuing to offer 620bhp from 5,750-7,500rpm and 760Nm of torque between 3,000 and 5750 rpm. Transmission is routed to the rear wheels via the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission derived from the SF90 Stradale.
Despite being 85kg heavier, tipping the scales at 1,556kg, the Spider manages the 0=100km/h sprint in the same 3.4 seconds as the Coupe, being only slower when doing the 0- 200 km/h in 9.7 seconds (9.3 seconds for the coupe), and it also has the same top speed of over 320 km/h.
