Transcription
The biggest problem with the Ferrari Roma is that it's a Ferrari. Now, I know that sounds counterintuitive considering we're talking about one of the most famous car brands in history, but hear me out. You see, the human heart is very fickle. It doesn't really like substantial change, especially when that change happens in a short period of time.
So, when I look at the Ferrari Roma, I don't necessarily see a Ferrari. It doesn't look like any Ferrari that I knew growing up. It just looks completely different. More so, I almost think to myself, it looks like an Aston Martin and a Porsche had a baby. Now, is that really a bad thing considering Aston Martin makes some of the most beautiful cars on the planet? And can you think of a more iconic brand than Porsche?
But then when I think about it further and I actually do a modicum of history, it kind of begs the question, is the Ferrari Roma actually more Ferrari than any modern Ferrari that we have today? The Ferrari Roma is massively underrated, even by me. The first time I drove it, I thought, I mean, it's nice, but that's about it. I didn't drive it again for almost a full year, but in that year, I had this nagging desire to want to drive it again and for longer. So, when I got the chance to drive it again, I jumped on it.
30 minutes. That's how long it took me to realize I was totally wrong about the Roma. The only flaw this car has is the electronics. And I'm not even talking all of it. Visually, the all-digital dash is immeasurably satisfying to look at. The color palette, the resolution, the fonts. It's one of the best-looking digital dashes I've ever seen. However, functionally, I wanted to drive it off of a cliff. My Bluetooth connectivity was as reliable as dating a 22-year-old with BPD, ADHD, and anxiety. The same can be said of the USB connection to my phone. It worked whenever it wanted to, and it drove me mad.
Now, to be fair, this was an early model demo car that wasn't in its final form. But holy, when it was working and I was able to listen to my music and just become one with the car, the Roma is the best everyday driver Ferrari. And it makes the case for being one of the best everyday driver exotic sports car GTS's ever. And yes, exotic sports car GTS is a category I just made.
On the highway, the Roma glides like an arrow on the turn-by-turn navigation that works whenever it wants to. But when you decide to put your foot down a little more and the turbos spool up and the V8 says, "Ah, you want to see what I can really do?" It bolts like an arrow launched from a bow. God damn it. This thing. The sheer, the clinicalness of the way this car changes gears is probably more exciting than the way how fast this car drives. Like it just, just drops. It doesn't matter. You just click the switch, it's ready to go. It's in gear. You're done. It's just there. I love it.
The Roma is a Ferrari you want to drive every day. And every day you look forward to driving it because it's such a satisfying car to drive. Not in the, "Oh my goodness, that was amazing," but in that you'll pull up into the garage after a long commute and you'll just sit in it for another 20 minutes because you're not in a rush to get out of it.
The Roma's interior plays a huge part in my lack of urgency to get out of it once I'm in it. The interior isn't so much an interior as it is a personal luxury pod divided by what looks like a Ferrari tablet. I've heard other people bemoan the Ferrari tablet, but I like it because it makes interfacing with the car feel more organic, even though the Roma is littered with digital witchery. There are screens everywhere. The dash is completely digital. The tablet interface is obviously completely digital. And then there's even a little screen on the dashboard on the passenger side that you can add. All of these screens combined with the leather, suede, and bits of metal makes the interior of the Roma feel like a cigar lounge designed by Steve Jobs. Such a beautiful, satisfying place to be.
A first-world problem you get with driving a Ferrari is sometimes the attention from other people becomes kind of annoying when you don't want it. However, you don't really have that problem with the Roma. Don't get me wrong, you'll get attention in spades. It just won't be the kind that makes you dread the fact that you don't have limo tint. Because when you do have limo tint, dudes in Dodge Chargers are less inclined to drive up next to you and tell you to floor it and then flip you the bird when you don't, because there's literally a Volkswagen Jetta right in front of you. And vehicular manslaughter isn't part of your Sunday Funday plans.
The Roma is casually elegant rather than showy. It can slip under the radar, which means you get to enjoy driving it more. And the people that know what it is will respect it, and the people who don't will admire it, but won't engage you because they're too busy trying to figure out what it is. The Roma was a bold move for Ferrari because the Roma isn't a car that sells itself in videos and pictures. You have to live with it for about a weekend before you can begin to truly appreciate it. It just isn't brash enough to get most people's attention who are used to super or exotic cars visually screaming at them. If I'm going to be frank, the Roma is kind of an old-money Ferrari where you pay a ton of money for what looks normal to most people, but to those that know, they understand the value. And the fact that most people don't realize its value is what makes it all the more valuable to you. [Music]