Skip advert
Advertisement

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

The drop-top Ferrari Roma Spider is a big leap forward from its predecessors

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your Ferrari Roma
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Verdict

The Ferrari Roma offers far greater all-round appeal than its predecessors, and on UK roads feels as sorted, comfortable and usable as any of its rivals – all while offering the performance and emotion you expect from something wearing the prancing horse on its elongated nose. Removing the roof only heightens the experience, without any tangible detriment to the driving experience.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Ferrari's recent run of four-seat, front-mid-engined V8 convertibles could be considered (by some) to be the runts of the Italian supercar maker’s range. The California, California T and Portofino never held much of a candle to their contemporary siblings – or rivals – despite having plenty of the right ingredients.

But our first drive of the new Roma Spider on foreign roads proved that Ferrari was no longer resting on its laurels. Designed first as a coupe before having its roof lopped off, the Spider benefitted from a new rear sub-frame and reinforced sills – helping to give it a broader spread of abilities than its predecessors.

Yet as we’ve said a hundred times before, a car’s true test comes when we get it on UK streets, motorways and rural roads. So can the Roma perform here, as it did in Italy? We’ve got the keys to a fully loaded, near-£300,000 example to find out.

First things first; the switch to a fabric roof – the Roma Spider’s forebears all had folding tin tops – gives the car, to our eyes at least, a more elegant profile. Customers can specify an almost endless list of colours for both the body and roof, and can edit everything from the wheels and brake calipers, to the grille and exhaust – even the brand of tyres.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Auris

2013 Toyota

Auris

95,826 milesAutomaticPetrol1.8L

Cash £8,250
View Auris
Ioniq 5

2022 Hyundai

Ioniq 5

33,930 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £20,485
View Ioniq 5
Taycan

2024 Porsche

Taycan

16,310 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £44,495
View Taycan
Discovery Sport

2023 Land Rover

Discovery Sport

35,910 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £25,995
View Discovery Sport

Taking a seat inside the Roma’s carefully crafted cabin, you’ve got all the main controls front and centre; the slightly busy steering wheel features the recognisable Ferrari manettino switch, plus the indicators and two sets of touch-sensitive buttons for the digital dashboard.

Hold the start-stop button, which also sits on the steering wheel, and the V8 roars into life with a crescendo of revs. Instantly, the engine feels like the centrepiece in a way it perhaps doesn’t in a Porsche 911 Turbo – a sense that’s only elevated with the roof down.

That roof lowers in 13.5 seconds at speeds of up to 37mph, tucking away out of sight within the luggage compartment. It takes up quite a bit of space, but there’s still room for a couple of soft bags in the boot – easily enough for a weekend away.

Speaking of practicality, while the Roma does have a pair of rear seats – something the latest Aston Martin Vantage Roadster does without – they’re all but useless, even for kids. We managed to get a child seat in behind the front passenger, but it meant neither was gifted much in the way of legroom. Removing the chair from its tightly packaged Isofix mounts isn’t the work of a minute, either.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

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.

Model:Ferrari Roma Spider
Price:£210,838
Engine:3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Power/torque:612bhp/760Nm
Transmission:Eight-speed auto, rear-wheel-drive
0-62mph:3.4 seconds
Top speed:199mph
Economy/CO2:24.8mpg/258g/km
Size (L/W/H):4,656/1,974/1,306mm
On sale:Now
Skip advert
Advertisement

More reviews

Deputy editor

Richard has been part of the team for over a decade. During this time he has covered a huge amount of news and reviews for Auto Express, as well as being the face of Carbuyer and DrivingElectric on Youtube. In his current role as deputy editor, he is now responsible for keeping our content flowing and managing our team of talented writers.

New & used car deals

Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,825 off RRP*Used from £8,688
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,672 off RRP*Used from £12,200
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £4,364 off RRP*Used from £9,500
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £11,895
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer
Volvo EM90 - front

New Volvo EM90 2025 review: the ultimate SUV killer

Volvo has made an ultra-luxurious van. Intrigued? You should be, but sadly it’s for China only
Road tests
16 Jun 2025
Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival
Smart Roadster exclusive image

Smart Roadster could return as an electric Mazda MX-5 rival

The Smart Roadster could be set for a comeback and our exclusive image previews how it could look
News
16 Jun 2025
New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there’s a whole lot more too
Audi Q3 - front

New Audi Q3 reinvents the indicator stalk, but there’s a whole lot more too

Audi’s not taking any risks with its all-new Q3; watch it sell like crazy
News
16 Jun 2025