2024 Ferrari Roma Spider

It's been a couple of decades since supercar icon Ferrari made a front-engined car with a fabric top, and we've been waiting with bated breath for the convertible version of the beautiful Ferrari Roma. The latest from Maranello has just been revealed, and it's a tribute to the carefree and pleasure-seeking Italian lifestyle synonymous with the 50s and 60s. The 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider arrives as a stunning drop-top that builds on the excellence of the Roma coupe - but it's as much a testament to the famed automaker's ability to create a driver's car as it is to the continued research and improvement of Ferrari products. The drop-top Roma isn't any less adept in terms of handling and driving than its coupe sibling; the same 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 does duty in both, making 612 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque. Ferrari claims the 2024 Roma Spider will be just as fun to drive, if not more so, with the wind in your hair.

No official release date is stipulated for the Ferrari Roma Spider, but it's likely to roll out as a 2024 model.

Like most exotics, MSRP and sticker prices are something of an afterthought: if you have to ask, you likely can't afford it. No concrete info is available on the price of the 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider, but given the coupe version has a starting cost of around $250,000, the Roma Spider is likely to be in the region of $275k.

In terms of rivals, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is more than $100k cheaper and is arguably just as lovely to behold - but it comes with 'just' 503 hp, courtesy of its V8 Mercedes-AMG powertrain. Sticking with AMG, the SL 63 Roadster is closer in outputs at 577 hp, and will cost around $178k to start. But neither of these have the status that the Prancing Horse has, so buyers in the USA may consider the Bentley Continental GT Convertible if pedigree is most important. It will cost upwards of $260k to start, but isn't nearly as powerful, with 542 hp, unless you opt for the 650-hp Speed model, which is likely to cost about the same as what we'd expect the Roma Spider to cost.

Ferrari paid special attention to keeping the goosebump-inducing looks of the Roma when developing the convertible, and we think it's worked. There's no compromise on the beautiful silhouette, and the long hood with that sharknose front end is still very much Roma. The long rear overhang harks back to Ferraris of old, and a compact aerodynamic diffuser at the back end - together with simple, elegant light clusters - make for an unfussy parting view with two sets of twin-exhaust outlets rounding it off.

The soft-top look works particularly well with the exterior design of the new Ferrari Roma Spider convertible, and it's been painstakingly designed to ensure it has the same acoustic benefits that the hard-top has without compromising on aerodynamics. This has been achieved by an active spoiler that extends and retracts in response to speed and acceleration forces, and which has been calibrated specifically to mitigate any aero challenges in top-down driving. And, to ensure the wind is more of a pleasant experience than a bother, the windscreen header gets a 0.2-inch nolder that works together with a deployable wind deflector to create a wind-free "bubble" overhead.

The soft-top itself is made of unique fabric that is available in a variety of textures; the special material uses a two-tone weave to create a unique look. One of the options we'd definitely spec is the bespoke Technical Fabric that creates an iridescent red finish. It goes particularly well with the available exterior colors for the Ferrari Roma Spider, which include favorites like Rosso Corsa, Giallo Modena, Nero, and Bianco Cervino. The familiar palette includes metallic, solid, and special colors that we know from the Roma coupe, which can be selected to complement (or be complemented by) brown, grey, black, blue, or red fabric for the roof. Naturally, black, red, yellow, or aluminum calipers can be specified, and you can even choose different exhaust outlets.

Speaking of the roof, it can be dropped down in just 13.5 seconds at speeds of up to 37 mph, and when lowered, the spoiler and the rear bench seamlessly blend together to create an integrated tonneau cover, which furthers that uncluttered, uncomplicated beauty that the Roma is known for. In an effort to stay true to the Ferrari road cars of the 50s, launch editions of the 2024 Roma Spider won't even feature Scuderia Ferrari side shields.

Dimensions for the Ferrari Roma Spider are similar to that of the coupe, with a wheelbase of 105.1 inches and a total length spanning 183.3 inches. The Ferrari Roma Spider is slightly wider at 77.7 inches and stands just a bit taller at 51.4 inches, however.

Thanks to all the gadgets needed for the folding soft top, the Roma Spider weighs around 185 lbs more than the Roma coupe, with a dry weight of 3,430 lbs.

The Roma, in either configuration, is a mix of capable leisure vehicle and rapid performer, and the engine supports both personalities. The cross-plane 90-degree V8 displaces 3.9 liters and has two turbochargers - and numerous awards to its name. In both the coupe and the Roma Spider, this Ferrari engine makes 612 hp (456 kW) between 5,750 and 7,500 rpm, and 561 lb-ft (760 Nm) from as low as 3,000 rpm. These specs are sufficient for a 0-62 mph sprint in 3.4 seconds, with 9.7 seconds needed for the dash to 124 mph, aided by Ferrari's eight-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission and its incredibly rapid shifts. The Roma Spider will top out at just under 200 mph, but 15.3-inch front brakes (with 14.1-inch brakes at the rear) will bring the Roma Spider to a stop when needed.

It's worth mentioning that Ferrari invested greatly in research to enhance the engine setup for the Roma Spider, including the development of a new oil pump which debuts here. It reduces time-to-pressure in cold starts by 70% and increases the flow rate at revs in the mid-range. The Roma Spider also features Variable Boost Management software, which adjusts the torque to suit the gear selected. This ensures a steeper torque curve in lower gears for initial acceleration for a smooth, consistent delivery of power.

Weight distribution for the Ferrari Roma Spider is 48% front and 52% rear, and, according to Ferrari, the Roma Spider has a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio, which works out to 5.5 lbs/hp. All of this feeds into the automaker's drive to create a car that is both easy to drive, yet always responsive and thrilling to pilot. And there are almost no penalties for chopping off the roof, as the Roma Spider should drive and handle just as wonderfully as the coupe does, with an equally special soundtrack from the V8 as you go about your business. For those who will be pushing the redline as often as possible, the Manettino dial now comes with a 'Race' mode.

We don't have official mpg figures for the Ferrari Roma Spider, but considering it's mechanically similar to the coupe version and only slightly different in terms of weight, we can use the standard Roma as a guideline. That car gets 17/22/19 mpg city/highway/combined.

The powertrain in the Roma Spider has been designed to maximize efficiency using Variable Boost Management software. Ferrari notes that fuel consumption in the city and highway context have been "reduced without compromising on performance," so there's a chance that the baseline figures mentioned above could improve.

With a 21.1-gallon fuel tank, and using a combined figure of 19 mpg as the bare minimum, the Roma Spider should manage around 400 miles per tank when driven with care.

Like the Roma coupe, the 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider seats four, but the rear seat isn't really conducive for passengers unless they're kids. Front occupants get the lion's share of space and are comfortably accommodated in leather-clad seats that can adjust in 18 directions and come standard with heating. Interior color options for the Roma Spider are seemingly endless, ranging from single colors to dual colors with contrast piping in a variety of hues. A red backlit engine start button is standard, and a neck warmer can be optioned on.

Being seated inside the Ferrari Roma Spider is an interesting experience, and the dual-cockpit design showcased in the coupe carries over here. The idea here is to create two separate cacoons up front by means of two individual modules that wrap around each occupant to give the impression of dual pilots involved in the driving experience. The driver gets a digital instrument cluster with a seamlessly integrated anti-glare binnacle, while the front passenger can have a similar display ahead of them that displays driver information, too. The steering wheel in the Roma Spider gets a more refined 'human-machine interface' than in the coupe. The trackpad is also improved, with an indent that makes swiping easier and upholds Ferrari's "eyes on the road, hands on the wheel" philosophy.

A standard 8.4-inch central display is also mounted in the dashboard between the two cockpit modules and gives the impression of a screen floating ahead of the dash. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity, are standard.

Cargo space in the Ferrari Roma Spider is less important than anything else mentioned thus far, but it's still pretty good. You get around nine cubic feet in the trunk with a hatch via the rear seats to pass longer objects through; of course, this is less volume than in the coupe, but that's to be expected with a folding roof to accommodate.