Mid-engine hybrid supercars and the upcoming Purosangue crossover SUV are the Ferraris garnering the vast majority of headlines today, however don’t sleep on the Roma coupe. This V-8-powered 2+2 is extra than simply an entry level into the Home of Scuderia. It’s a grand tourer that comes alive in sudden methods. Certain, it begins at a lofty $243,358—or $311,647 as examined, together with $5,000(!) for vacation spot—however ignore that price ticket and begin the engine. Driving the Roma will make you are feeling like 1,000,000 bucks.

Regardless of its mechanical relation to the Portofino M hardtop convertible, the Roma’s look is decidedly much less “base Ferrari,” prefer it’s positioned a lot nearer to the exotic-looking 296 GTB. Even on this take a look at automotive’s demure shade of Grigio Medio, the Roma seems to be like a much more costly automotive: modern and complex, with simply sufficient weirdness to make any automotive fan come again for a re-examination.

A literal wealth of carbon-fiber accouterments adorn this Roma take a look at automotive, to the tune of $33,242 in shiny add-ons. The wheel caps, entrance spoiler, facet sills, diffuser and lively spoiler are all completed up in light-weight materials, mixed with 20-inch wheels ($2,531), black brake calipers ($1,519) and a sport exhaust system ($1,687).

Different big-ticket choices are discovered contained in the Ferrari Roma coupe, together with niceties just like the carbon-fiber steering wheel and paddles ($5,062), a premium stereo ($6,243), an Alcantara headliner ($4,219), a passenger infotainment show ($5,906), and an egregious $4,219 line merchandise only for Apple CarPlay. Yeesh.

Nonetheless, the Roma’s inside is completely beautiful. The seats are as comfortable as they’re supportive and genuinely really feel like they’d coddle any bottom over the lengthy haul. Plus, visibility out the entrance and sides is kind of good for such a low-slung sports activities coupe. Headroom and legroom aren’t points, both, even for taller passengers, however the pair of rear seats is downright ineffective for something aside from purchasing baggage. Typical.

If there’s one large nit to choose with the Roma, it’s the in-cabin expertise. The portrait-oriented heart touchscreen is low-res and laggy, and all the things within the reconfigurable gauge cluster is managed by a four-way haptic pad on the best facet of the steering wheel. The controls are pretty straightforward to grasp, however the system’s responses to inputs are inconsistent, the menu construction is convoluted, and god assist anybody who must entry features like driver-assistance settings or the journey laptop whereas driving.

I notice a sturdy infotainment suite isn’t a high precedence for Ferrari clients, however that is dangerous. Actually dangerous. There’s one thing to be mentioned for a bespoke expertise, however not when it comes at the price of usability. I wish to put the UX designers from Ferrari—and Aston Martin, Lamborghini, McLaren, and many others.—inside a $22,000 Chevy Trailblazer and say, “Right here. Simply do that.”

However I digress. When you find the backlit engine begin capacitive contact icon (RIP, large crimson begin button) and hearth up the Roma’s V-8 engine, you received’t care in regards to the irritating mirror controls or the truth that the in-screen quantity changes take endlessly to reply. When this automotive wakes up, so do your senses.

The Roma makes use of the identical 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 because the Portofino M, neatly nestled forward of the firewall in a correct front-mid configuration. This engine produces 612 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, and a complicated 8-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission solely drives the rear wheels. Large, steering column-mounted paddle shifters let the motive force work the transmission, whereas toggles on the middle console within the form of a handbook shift gate present entry to Reverse, Impartial, and Automated. Ferrari says the Roma will speed up from 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds and will high out proper round 200 mph.

Launching the Roma is an intoxicatingly dramatic expertise. The place a Porsche 911 Turbo will launch from a standstill to warp velocity within the blink of an eye fixed with no fuss, the Roma is far more visceral. The rear tires wrestle to maintain traction whereas managing the sheer brunt of the V-8’s energy supply, the dual-clutch transmission slams into every gear with drive that’ll make your head buck, and the lights on the steering wheel illuminate because the engine inches nearer and nearer to the 7,500-rpm redline. So many supercars,  Ferraris included, are point-and-shoot affairs, however the Roma is completely different. You completely have to carry on.

The identical is true whereas having fun with one in every of Southern California’s nice canyon roads. The Roma feels alive in your palms, with chatty steering and a suspension that conveys each change in street floor via the seat of your pants. The engine sounds superb; it’s the most effective forced-induction V-8s I’ve ever heard. Fast reflexes match properly with the Roma’s playful rear finish, and whereas the coupe has a slight tendency to oversteer round tighter hairpins, it’s at all times on the motive force’s phrases. Like every nice Ferrari, the Roma works with the motive force, encouraging you to drive it quicker. This factor merely doesn’t disappoint.

That’s true throughout extra docile bits of driving as nicely. The Roma may be fitted with an non-compulsory dual-mode magnetorheological suspension—a expensive $5,568, natch—that strikes an ideal steadiness between taut and plush. Flip the Manettino drive mode selector from Consolation to Sport and the suspension stiffens up appreciably with out crunching your backbone when by chance hitting a pothole too onerous. Moist and Race modes spherical out the obtainable settings, although I by no means discovered a cause to make use of both. An additional flip to the best will absolutely disable the soundness management, too, however that ought to solely be reserved for observe days—one thing a Roma will seemingly by no means do.

Mixed with the aforementioned comfortable cabin and good visibility, the Roma actually may very well be pushed on daily basis. The trunk’s massive sufficient to accommodate a pair of rollaboard suitcases or one big checked bag, and Ferrari even presents trendy driver-assistance facilities like adaptive cruise management and lane-departure warnings, although the latter beeps incessantly. All that’s lacking is an digital front-end elevate. Cautious on these steep driveways.

The Roma’s high-end aggressive set consists of vehicles just like the Aston Martin DB11 and Bentley Continental GT, each of that are formidable grand tourers in their very own proper however not almost as thrilling to drive. Ferrari’s extra apt foe is the Porsche 911 Turbo S, which is inexpensive at $217,550 to begin (together with vacation spot). Crucially, the Turbo S is faster and extra highly effective, however are these actually crucial attributes to a possible Ferrari buyer?

No, what issues most right here is exclusivity. In comparison with a Roma—or any Ferrari for that matter—911s are comparatively thick on the bottom. Sure, the Porsche is faster and simpler to reside with and the infotainment controls received’t frustrate you to your wits’ finish, however the Roma is a Ferrari. And an excellent one at that.

—By Steven Ewing

Ferrari supplied a test-car mortgage for Motor Authority to carry you this firsthand report.