New Ferrari Roma Spider 2025 review: fast, elegant and fun

While that might be solid consumer buying advice, that’s not really what this car is about. If you disregard the previous two paragraphs and allow us to continue where we left off, we’ll take a moment to elaborate on what a masterpiece that twin-turbo V8 is…

Of course, nothing with 612bhp and 760Nm of torque is likely to feel lethargic, but the two turbos completely eliminate any supposed flat spots, and if you let the revs build past 5,500rpm, the engine not only pulls with ferocity, but sounds magnificent in the process, too. As hinted, lowering the lid brings you even closer to that charismatic exhaust note, though naturally, the car isn’t as refined as the coupe with the top up.

Every Roma comes with an electrically operated wind deflector that covers the rear seats. With that in place and with the windows up, there’s surprisingly little buffeting; it’s quiet enough that you’ll be able to have a conversation at motorway speeds, or listen to the £4,142 premium hi-fi without the volume cranked up to 11.

The Roma Spider may be slightly softer than its coupe counterpart – a model which has, incidentally, been removed from sale as the firm preps it for a mid-life update – but that gives the car a welcome compliance on British back roads. It never feels uncomfortable, certainly, and you’d have to be pushing the Roma’s dynamic boundaries to feel any flex in the chassis. 

The steering – a Ferrari trademark – offers a level of feel often missing in this day and age. Likewise, the brakes (carbon ceramics as standard, as on all Ferrari models since 2008) – bring incredible stopping power, without feeling overengineered for road use.

While the driving experience is an obvious point of focus, if you drive your Roma little and (not that) often, those who spend more time behind the wheel will want to appreciate the smaller things – such as the plushness of the leather seats, or the responsiveness of the central screen. 

Unfortunately, we found the former a little firm, and the latter lacking in usability. With the roof down, that central display can be hard to see, and we’d like a more intuitive interface. At least it doesn’t try to cram everything into the instrument cluster, like its Purosangue SUV sibling.