Ferrari’s Bond ambition
AS IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s good to see Italy’s Ferrari appearing to be falling over itself to honour britain’s Aston martin with a new coupe.
Design elements of the new 200 mph roma, a 2+2 grand tourer launched in rome this week, are clearly influenced by James bond’s preferred marque.
However, Ferrari bosses say that the roma evokes the spirit of a new La Dolce vita, tapping in to the famous 1960 Federico Fellini film. expected to cost between £160,000 and £200,000, it was even photographed at famous roman landmarks, including the Spanish Steps.
The Aston martin Db11 v8, which is closest in scale and market to the Ferrari roma, costs from £150,900.
riding on 20 in wheels, the new roma is powered by a turbocharged 3,855 cc v8 frontmounted petrol engine, developing 620 hp — equivalent to more than six Ford Fiestas. It also inherits the eight-speed F1 dualclutch automatic gearbox introduced on the SF90 Stradale.
Together, they help propel it from rest to 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds, and up to 124 mph in 9.3 seconds, with a top speed expected to be in excess of 200 mph.
Ferrari insists the roma is a brand-new car in a new segment, not a derivative of, nor a replacement for, an existing model.
but it clearly has Aston’s Db11 v8 in its sights, with similar size and performance, plus an uncanny resemblance to the bespoke Db10 created for the 007 film Spectre, which was partly set in rome.
The more elegant lines suggest Ferrari may be trying to shed its ‘macho’ image and attract more female customers.
Inside its high-tech cockpit, there’s a 16 in digital dashboard and an 8.4 in centre screen, plus a separate narrow display just for the passenger. The boot has 272 litres of space, expandable to 345 litres with the rear seats down, and the 80-litre fuel tank offers a long cruising range.
While the side profile and beautifully sculpted haunches hint at Aston martin, the rear styling evokes elements of an aerodynamic Porsche.
The low- lying lights are a departure for Ferrari.
A Ferrari spokesman says: ‘The roma offers the finesse and refinement that bring the concept of La Dolce vita right up to date.’