Ferrari Roma: La Nuova Dolce Vita takes shape

Further details about the Ferrari Roma have been revealed. Exemplifying the concept of the Nuova Dolce Vita (Italian for 'the sweet life'), the car has been the protagonist of a dedicated shoot in iconic locations around Italy's capital city where it has encountered public and critical acclaim alike.

The Ferrari Roma sports a 611bhp turbocharged V8 engine with new cam profiles and a speed sensor, which measures the turbocharger's revolutions and allows its maximum rpm to be increased by 5,000rpm.

The car's engine is also now mated to a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is more compact and 6kg lighter than its seven-speed predecessor.

Faster and smoother gearshifts are guaranteed thanks to the use of low-viscosity oil and a dry sump configuration that minimises fluid-dynamic efficiency losses, making the car more responsive on the open road, but also especially comfortable in town and during stop and start driving situations.

Like all other turbocharged Ferraris in the range, the Ferrari Roma delivers almost instantaneous throttle response thanks to a flat-plane crankshaft, which is also more compact in size with a lower rotating mass to improve fluid-dynamics. This is coupled with compact turbines that have a lower moment of inertia, and twin-scroll technology that increases the pressure of the exhaust pulses for maximum power. A single-piece cast exhaust manifold with equal-length pipes also aids to optimise pressure waves in the turbine and reduce losses.

The Ferrari Roma's dynamic development was focused on delivering superior driving pleasure and comfort thanks to extensive weight saving and the introduction of the latest evolution of the Side Slip Control (SSC). The mid-front-engined Ferrari Roma now has the best weight/power ratio in its segment at 2.4kg/bhp.

The Ferrari Roma also embraces the SSC 6.0 concept, which incorporates an algorithm that delivers a precise estimate of sideslip to the on-board control systems.

The SSC 6.0 integrates systems such as the Electronic Differential, F1-Trac traction control, SCM-E Frs magnetorheological dampers and the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer, the latter debuting in the Race position on the Ferrari Roma, to deliver a sublime driving experience. The five-position manettino makes the Ferrari Roma's handling and grip more accessible, which, together with the car's basic mechanical set-up, guarantees an extremely entertaining drive.

To deliver best-in-class aerodynamic performance whilst still retaining the Ferrari Roma's stylistic purity, Ferrari's engineers also developed an active rear spoiler integrated into the rear screen. It is designed to retain the car's formal elegance when retracted and guarantees the downforce essential for the car's extraordinary performance by automatically deploying at high speeds.

Vortex generators on the front underbody and active aerodynamics at the rear allows the Ferrari Roma to generates 95kg more downforce at 250km/h than the Ferrari Portofino.

A new architecture was also developed for the Ferrari Roma's cabin. The idea was to create two separate cells, one each for driver and passenger, in an evolution of the Dual Cockpit concept introduced on other cars in the range. Unlike the Prancing Horse's sports cars, which are typically more driver-oriented, the Ferrari Roma's cabin has an almost symmetrical structure, which produces a more organic distribution of both spaces and functional elements, allowing the passenger to feel involved in the driving experience almost like a co-pilot.