Ferrari Roma Driving Experience

The Ferrari Roma’s 3.9 litre twin turbo V8 puts out 620 horsepower and 760 Nm of torque. This engine is also shared with other Ferraris in the model lineup. What’s amazing is the Variable Boost Management which gives out more torque as you go up the gears. Plus there is no lag at all. The Roma gets an 8 speed dual clutch automatic gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels. And yes there is a physical manettino switch on the steering (thankfully that hasn’t gone digital just yet) with 5 drive modes to choose from. Put it in Comfort mode and the Roma potters around town just like a regular sedan or a hatchback. The gearbox upshifts quickly and before you know it, you are at 55-60 kph in 8th gear. Bumpy roads and undulations don’t unsettle this Prancing Horse and it even goes over speed breakers without a hiccup. And mind you it doesn’t come with the front suspension lift system. The ground clearance is that good. But you do have to slow down for large potholes. Even the steering is light and the compact dimensions make it very easy to drive in bumper to bumper traffic. 

However things change once you turn the manettino switch to Sport or Race. That’s when Mr Hyde turns to Dr. Jekyll, or rather the Roma turns into a thorough Ferrari. It is amazing how its personality transforms at the flick of a switch. The car just shoots forward and as the revs climb to the red line, the bigger the grin gets on your face. Just looking at that tacho climb feels orgasmic. It does the 0 to 100 kph sprint in 3.4 seconds, and a top speed of 320 kph.  And I even love the exhaust note. Feels very distinct and different from other Ferraris. Your ears will be screaming in joy at full chat in Race mode. At the same time, it is on the silent side in Comfort. Though there is a rumble that you hear, reminding you that you are driving a Ferrari. I can’t wait to push it on an open road soon, but the few chances I got to sample the acceleration left me wanting for more. As I mentioned earlier, this was more of a relaxed drive.

I did not get to try the handling because I drove strictly in city limits, but if other Ferraris are anything to go by, I’m sure the Roma will be right up there with the rest of them. It does come with goodies like an E-Diff, F1-Trac and Side Slip Control 6.0. I have no doubt that this car will be super fun on a race track as much as it is nice to drive on city streets.