It has been over 50 years since Ferrari last presented a classic front-engined, soft-top, grand tourer, and it’s fair to say the Roma Spider has been worth the wait
2024 Ferrari Roma Spider
A near-deserted clifftop road near Chia in southern Sardinia unwinds ahead of me. The autumn sun, muted behind some high cloud cover still packs a punch, but I don’t mind, the aircon is on, the roof is down, and the 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider is in its element.
I squeeze the throttle and the deep, breathy growl of the exhaust rises in both pitch and volume. A quick tap up to third is matched with a sharpish pop as the Roma gathers pace, only to catch another Fiat Panda calmly meandering along the coast. I take a breath, switch back to auto and settle in to enjoy the drive until the next passing opportunity.
Ferrari calls this ‘la dolce vita’, The Sweet Life, and even stuck behind the ponderous Panda, it’s a pretty nice place to be.
Ferrari’s first ‘soft-top’ in two decades (the 2004 F430 Spider was the last), the Roma Spider is said to channel the glory days of 1950s and ’60s open-top touring from the Prancing Horse, but for mine, is more akin to the equally swoopy and iconic 365GTS/4 Daytona Spyder of the early 1970s (122 produced between 1968 and 1973). Coincidentally the Daytona Spyder was the last time a front-engined Ferrari wore a cloth-top.
The long bonnet, sleek lines, short tail and fabric top echo the Daytona’s spirit (albeit with four fewer cylinders and two more turbos), but the Roma is every part the modern Ferrari, an exercise in synchronised style, technology, performance and passionate perfection.
As yes, the Roma Spider is stunning.
To maintain proportions, the Ferrari designers have gone to great lengths to match the elegant roofline of the coupe when the Spider’s top is closed. The body and even the majority of the windscreen A-Pillar are identical to the coupe, but the top edge of the windscreen sits just a little higher to allow for the roof connection. Because of this, the Spider is just 5mm taller than the coupe.
There’s a little extra weight (84kg) due to chassis strengthening along the sills and rear subframe to allow for the roof mechanism.
It may have been born under the Modenese sun, but it works well here in Sardinia, and will no doubt be delightful wherever the golden orb shines on your driveway.
Why is a convertible called a Spider?
The name Spider comes from a simple horse-drawn carriage called a Phaeton. These had no doors or roof, and the eight-spoke wheels were reminiscent of a spider’s legs. The carriage was known as a Phaeton Spider, and the name was simply adopted by car manufacturers as they designed and built sporty convertibles and roadsters.
Is it spelt Spider or Spyder?
The spelling is entirely a style thing, with cars like the Fiat 124 Spider using ‘i’ and the Porsche Boxster Spyder using ‘y’. Ferrari has used both ‘i’ and ‘y’ in their nomenclature over the years.
How much does the Ferrari Roma Spider cost in Australia?
If it could be called such a thing, the Roma is Ferrari’s entry-level model. Production ceased on the folding hard-top Portofino M earlier this year, so the new Spider not only takes up the mantle as the brand’s only open-air grand-tourer but also as the most affordable way to blow-dry your hair with a horse on the hood.
Priced from $520,300 before options and on-road costs, the Roma Spider asks a $110,412 premium over the Roma Coupe ($409,888) but also commands a $65,300 step up from the Portofino M ($455,000).
While you could buy 13 manual Mazda MX-5s ($39,060) for the same price, you can only drive one at a time, so that would be silly. Plus the Roma has four seats which means you’re looking for a practical roadster.
Something like the $373,370 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, $625,600 Aston Martin DBS Volante or even $718,400 Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner would be worthy of a cross-shop, although if your heart is set on a Ferrari, nothing else really matters.
Personalisation is at the core of any Ferrari purchase, and the Roma Spider is offered in a ‘starting’ palette of 26 paint colours and five fabric roof options. Our car’s red ‘Technical Fabric’ includes a red thread woven into the textured roof material that gives the top a life of its own when closed; it shimmers in the light and looks almost multi-dimensional, which is to say it is far more interesting than a plain black roof. You can extend the fabric trim to the roof cover so the texture is visible when the top is down too.
Crucial for a new and stylish family member, the Spider debuts an exclusive turquoise exterior colour called Celeste Trevi, said to envision the waters of the famous Roman fountain with which it shares its name.
Once you’ve chosen paint, there are three wheel designs, numerous brake calliper colours, and even an option to chrome or black-out the lower front grille. You can add carbon fibre aerodynamic elements, choose from countless interior trim, thread and colour combinations, as well as select more assistance, comfort or convenience technology.
Simply put, you can tick boxes to your heart’s content, and there is no reason why any two Roma Spiders need ever be the same.
The final Australian market specification has not been confirmed, so we’re not sure how many (if any) of our Rosso Portofino test car options will make their way into the standard equipment list, but we’ve listed them below (all 37) all the same.
Is the Roma Spider expensive? Only if you’re not buying a Ferrari.
| Key details | 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider |
| Price | $520,300 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Rosso Portofino |
| Options | * deep breath… Equipment: ADAS full pack, Neck warmer, Additional coloured mats with logo, Heat insulating windscreen, MyFerrari Connect readiness, Scuderia Ferrari shields, Magneride dual-mode suspension, Passenger display, Aluminium footrest, 20-inch dark-forged wheels, Ventillated full-electric seats, Smartphone interface, High-power hi-fi system, Heated steering wheel, Surround view camera, Wireless smartphone charger, Active matrix LED headlights, Bridgestone tyres Carbon fibre: Rear boot trim, Rear diffuser, Under-door cover, Vehicle key, Exterior sill kick, Upper part of centre console, Dash inserts, Front spoiler, Steering wheel with LEDs Colours: Alcantara interior carpet (Nero), Soft top in Red Technical Fabric, Coloured inner details (Charcoal), Leather (Rosso Giudecca), Four-layer exterior paint (Rosso Portofino), Top contrast stitching (Rosso), Red brake callipers, Tonneau cover in fabric, Black tailpipe tips, Central part of seats in interior leather |
| Price as tested | unknown |
| Rivals | Mercedes-Benz SL63 | Bentley Continental GTC | Aston Martin DBS Volante |
How much space does the Ferrari Roma Spider have inside?
The front cabin of the Roma Spider is a direct carry-over from the Roma Coupe.
You sit low, almost too low if you like resting an arm on the door sill, but the seating position is comfortable and adjustable even for taller drivers. Our seats were fully power-adjustable and featured both heating and ventilation.
Vision is good, particularly with the roof down, although the top can impede some rear-quarter vision when closed. Best to keep it open then.
The 2-plus-2 seating layout affords some compact seats in the rear for young children (or grandchildren) but with a very deep and upright backrest, is not a particularly comfortable place for adults. Keep the seating arrangements two-up though and you’ve got a handy space that’s better managed to fit a Birkin rather than a body, and a way to deploy the Roma Spider’s comfort party trick, the integrated rear diffuser.
Flick a switch on the centre console, and the rear backrest flips up to present an odd-looking shelf in your peripheral vision, but as it sits just below the beltline, it’s not in anyone else’s. You can thank Ferrari’s design and engineering teams for working hand-in-hand for that.
When deployed, the diffuser (which incorporates a small, central duct), settles the air that swirls over the windscreen and into the rear of the passenger cabin. While Ferrari notes the flap can be released at speeds of up to 170km/h and can remain open indefinitely, you actually notice the difference in cabin ambience at a far more sedate pace.
With the diffuser open and the windows up, you’ll have no trouble enjoying a conversation with your passenger at any legal speed in Australia.
While we did find the dash-mounted switch was a little fiddly and delayed in its operation, the flap opened every time and can be easily closed (even on the move) by reaching over and pushing it down. When open you can also access a load-through hatch into the boot, should you find yourself at Bunnings for an impromptu timber purchase.
The boot itself (255L) has enough space for some soft overnight bags, and in a similar fashion to the Mercedes-Benz SL, provides a ‘safe area’ load cover that can either reserve enough room for the roof to fit when open, or afford a little more space if your shopping trip has been particularly successful.
It’s worth noting that while the Roma Spider’s driver-centric cabin makes it very usable when driving, there are a few fiddly items in terms of ergonomics that do make it a little less friendly than other open-top GTs. For example, the windows need to be raised and lowered one at a time (the same switch for front and rear-quarter windows on each side), or you can use the roof mechanism to try to move all of them at once, but you then run the risk of the car triggering the roof movement. And that’s not ideal when it is not required.
That said, the roof can be opened and closed at speeds of up to 60km/h in about 13.5 seconds (in each direction), and when closed, the five-layer fabric top seals the cabin exceptionally well and reduces wind noise to almost fixed-roof levels.
| 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider | |
| Seats | Four |
| Boot volume | 255-litres (top up) |
| Length | 4656mm |
| Width | 1974mm |
| Height | 1306mm |
| Wheelbase | 2670mm |
Does the Ferrari Roma have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Roma Spider features the same 8.4-inch vertical touch screen in the centre of the console as the Coupe. Here though, there is a high-contrast screen setting that helps with visibility in the sun when the roof is open.
Our car was using a wired Apple CarPlay connection for navigation and the transition between the Apple and Ferrari systems was reasonably seamless. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are also supported.
All the car’s climate control functions are also accessed via the screen, which can be a bit fiddly, especially if you’re trying to adjust the fan on a hot day and need to quickly jump back to your maps. Our car was fitted with a 1500W 12-speaker JBL sound system, but I didn’t have a chance to explore it. Next time…
In front of the passenger is a cool 8.8-inch colour touchscreen display that enables your copilot to not only monitor the car’s performance but also change the music, navigation and climate functions without disturbing the central screen.
The driver’s 16-inch display provides a fully digital experience with the central Ferrari tachometer flanked by multi-information pods. The graphical clarity is top-notch, but it still feels a bit of a shame not to see a physical tacho.
All the functions are operated by buttons on the steering wheel, which is theoretically great for focused ergonomics, it’s just that we found the switches a bit hit-and-miss in terms of operation and function. We’d gladly take the time to get used to everything, but in the short time we spent with the car, there were still plenty of unexplored menus and functions that weren’t immediately intuitive to access.
Our tip, make sure you have the Ferrari people provide a long and detailed handover, along with a nice espresso, when you go to collect your new Roma.
Is the Ferrari Roma Spider a safe car?
The Roma Spider hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP or EuroNCAP.
There is a roll-over protection system integrated into the rear tonneau that automatically deploys in the event of an accident.
| 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider | |
| ANCAP rating | N/A |
What safety technology does the Ferrari Roma Spider have?
The Roma Spider is one of the first Ferrari models to offer advanced driver assistance technology, like adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning. The full ADAS package on the Roma includes a front radar for cruise control, a rear radar for blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, and a front camera for lane-keeping assistance.
How much does the Ferrari Roma Spider cost to maintain?
A new Ferrari Roma includes a complimentary seven-year service package to help keep your horse, prancing. The service intervals are 12 months or every 20,000km; try to guess which one comes first for the majority of owners?
We were unable to generate an estimate or quote online for comprehensive insurance on a Ferrari Roma. You’ll need to speak to a specialist underwriter or broker to insure yours.
| At a glance | 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider |
| Warranty | Three years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 20,000km |
| Servicing costs | Complimentary, 7yrs |
Is the Ferrari Roma Spider fuel efficient?
Ferrari claims an estimated 11.2L/100km for the Roma Coupe on a combined cycle. The Spider’s claims are not yet available.
The thing is, there’s not really any way to check this (other than some service station mathematics) as the car offers no fuel use report on any of its trip meter displays. Basically, if you’re driving a Ferrari, fuel efficiency is what it is.
That said, when driven in comfort mode, the car quickly selects the highest possible gear so as to best reduce consumption. We noted it ticking over at barely 1000rpm at around 80km/h, which would make even a twin-turbo V8 reasonably frugal.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 11.2L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | unknown |
| Fuel type | 98-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 80L |
What is the Ferrari Roma Spider like to drive?
If my introduction set the scene to say the Roma Spider can be enjoyed even when stuck behind a Fiat Panda on a winding road, you’ll understand when I say that things only improve once you overtake…
The Roma’s 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 is the same unit in the coupe, itself a modified version from the engine found in the Portofino (but the same as the unit from the final Portofino M). With 456kW at 5750rpm and 760Nm between 3000- and 5750rpm, the front-mounted V8 offers considerable oomph for a grand-tourer, particularly when you consider the classic Daytona’s V12 offered ‘just’ 259kW/431Nm.
It’s a tremendously flexible engine, able to be docile and tractable at low (Panda following) speeds, but quickly able to spin up to pace in almost any gear, should you need the world to be moving more quickly.
That is, if you have the Manetino switch in either Sport or Race.
Keep it in Comfort, and as easy as the Spider is to manage at urban speeds, it’s almost too relaxed to manage any swift changes of plans. I found it would take a moment or so to realign the mechanics of the eight-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission, take in a big gulp of air, and propel you past whatever it was you no longer wanted to look at.
Change to Sport or Race however, and this moment of hesitation is but a memory, as the Roma manages to be in the gear you need, when you want, and able blast forward without a hint of lag, any time, every time. It’s a wonderfully addictive sensation, particularly with the roof down, but never daunting or brutal in its delivery.
Even pushing to higher speeds, the Roma willing as ever, is quite simply, fun.
My experience of mid-engined Ferraris when urged to higher speeds is a sense that you are being pushed by the car and need to respond with a skilled hand so as to truly connect with the machine. Not so in the Roma, where the long bonnet and light steering feel entirely manageable, mile after mile.
The exhaust note, which is engineered to amplify through the cabin as you accelerate, is signature Ferrari, but perhaps a considered B-Side rather than a chart-topping hit single. A mixture of growls, cracks, pops and whooshes ensure an onomatopoeic experience each drive, but the higher-pitched wail of the non-turbo V8 engines was such a magnificent note, I can’t help miss it.
To perhaps underscore this example was a surprise tunnel on our drive route.
Seeing the enclosed space, I eagerly tapped the shift paddle to drop a few gears and accelerated briskly once enveloped by concrete. Rather than receiving an ear-splitting scream from a 5000rpm near-redline shift, I was met with a booming snarl, rising in pitch yes, but almost surrounded by the turbulent sounds of air being forcefully inducted through the twin-turbo setup.
A good noise to be sure, but not the greatest that Modena has created.
The rear spoiler, integrated into the boot lid, can only be operated by the car when it needs it (no driving to Woolies with the wing deployed in this machine). There are three angled settings that help provide additional downforce (up to 95kg at 250km/h) and stability at high speed. That it is there and that it works is really all you need to know, as it’s nearly impossible to see, even with the top down, when it’s doing its job.
Ride comfort is again hugely impressive. The Roma Spider’s adaptive dampers are mildly retuned from the coupe to account for the additional weight, but still near magical in the way they can deliver a comfortable yet communicative experience in a car that feels every bit the confident and poised sportscar it was designed to be.
The perfectly-named ‘Bumpy Road’ setting that can be activated by tapping the Manettio switch when in either Sport or Race just makes an already confident and comfortable car more so. There’s no thumping or crashing, no rear-end jitters or hints of instability.
Furthermore, the car’s side-slip traction control keeps you pointing the right direction, while still giving a sensation of corner-exit oversteer under acceleration.
On southern Sardinian roads, the Roma Spider managed a mixture of surfaces, tight twisting sections, and long high-speed straights expertly every time. It’s easy, sure, but it’s fast too. The eight-speed transmission (adapted from the SF90 Stradale) is blisteringly quick on changes, and with the throttle directed at the horizontal plane, the car can gather pace with astonishing… pace.
Make no mistake, this may be a boulevard cruiser by design, but it’s still a bonafide sports car when it needs to be.
| Key details | 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider |
| Engine | 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol |
| Power | 456kW @ 5750rpm |
| Torque | 760Nm @ 3000-5750rpm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 8-speed F1 dual-clutch automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 293kW/t |
| Weight | 1556kg (dry) |
Should I buy a Ferrari Roma Spider?
What role does the 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider really play?
That it can be a docile, quiet, luxury cruiser may appeal to one buyer, in the same way it’s wind-blown, full-noise excitement capability may appeal to others.
Ferrari have managed to blend a supermodel, with a movie star, and a rock god to create a car that may not excel in any one way, but offers a sublime and mature combination of all three. It’s stunning to look at, capable and largely practical (as much as an open-top half-million dollar Ferrari can be) and still able to play the hits that everyone loves.
Sure, there are some frustrations with ergonomics and perhaps the noise isn’t as good as you’d love it to be… but it’s still very usable, thrilling and ultimately fabulous to drive.
It may have taken Ferrari half a century to bring back the soft-top GT, but with the Roma Spider, I’m sure glad they did.
As Ferris Bueller famously noted about his iconic grand-tourer, a 1961 250 GT California Spider plucked perfectly from Ferrari’s ‘la dolce vita’, “If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”
How do I buy a Ferrari Roma – next steps?
At some point, we’d all like to buy a Ferrari…
The purchase experience for a car like the Roma Spider needs to be so much more special than that of a regular SUV or hatchback, so if you’ve got to this point and want to take the plunge, have a play with the Roma Spider configurator on the Ferrari website, and make an appointment to go and speak with a member or the Ferrari sales team in your state.
They’ll make you a coffee and take you through the purchase, showing you more choices and options that mere mortals cannot dream of accessing from a simple website tool, and officially start you on the journey to boutique Ferrari ownership.
Scoring a build slot may be the tricky part though, as Australia only has a limited allocation of cars, but you never know your luck.
In the meantime, if you want to stay updated with everything that’s happened to this car since our review, you’ll find all the latest news here.
The post 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider review: International first drive appeared first on Drive.
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