2023 Ferrari Roma Spider debuts under Moroccan sun

Ferrari brings back its soft top design with the 2023 Roma Spider. The last model to use it was the 1969 365 GTS4, and despite the 54-year gap between both vehicles, each gives off that carefree and fun-loving Italian lifestyle of the 50s and 60s.

What makes this new soft-top design different is the extensive personalization options available, including bespoke fabrics and contrast stitching, and the fact that it can automatically deploy in just 13.5 seconds as long as the vehicle is traveling under 60 km/h.

The automaker’s latest Spider takes after the V8 2+ body of the Roma grand touring car that came out two years ago and still bears the looks of the ‘La Nuova Dolce Vita’ concept. The modified rear has a body-color band that acts as a tonneau when the soft top folds. Designers removed vents and other ‘superfluous decorative features’, including Scuderia Ferrari side shields to preserve the minimalist look of the vehicle.

Instead of a grille, the front fascia gets a perforated surface to allow airflow for engine cooling. In front are full LED headlamps, while the rear gets a minimized taillight assembly and a compact aerodynamic diffuser that incorporates the fence and exhaust tailpipes.

In the cabin is a 2+2 layout with two distinct spaces, driver and passenger, which is in line with Ferrari’s dual-cockpit concept. Both front passengers have a module each that wraps around them while extending and integrating with the two rear seats. In front of the driver is a digital instrument cluster with an anti-glare binnacle that extends out naturally from the dash.

In front of the passenger is an optional display that allows them to share their driving information. In the middle is an 8.4-inch central display for the infotainment and climate control functions. To maintain the Ferrari Roma’s low drag when the top is down, designers installed a 5mm nolder to the windscreen header rail and an automatically patented wind deflector that rotates into position behind the front occupants’ heads.

Under the hood, literally, is a 3.9-liter V8 turbo sending 620 PS and 760 Nm of torque to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Other features include Variable Boost Management and a new oil pump that reduces time-to-pressure in cold starts by 70%.

Ferrari blessed this model with an extended seven-year maintenance program that covers all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the car’s life. This scheduled maintenance program for Ferraris is an exclusive service that gives clients the certainty that their car is kept at peak performance and safety over the years.

If you're looking to get a Roma for yourself, would you like it as a hardtop or as the soft-top Spider?