Once you’re off and rolling at almost any speed, the Roma, like all modern Ferraris, has a direct steering ratio that picks up pace only just off-centre, and here, as in any of the firm’s models, that takes some getting used to.
But when cornering quickly, the Roma rolls appreciably less than the Portofino and is quite a lot more naturally agile. It has a chassis response much better-matched to its quick steering, in other words, and its handling feels so much more natural, harmonious and keen as a result. You can judge and process the influence you’re having on the front wheels really intuitively and place the car with lots of confidence.
The Roma also rides more gently than the Portofino, but with much better close body control. Ferrari’s engineers will tell you that it actually uses the same coil suspension springs as the Portofino at the front axle and 10% softer springs at the rear. Allowing for the Roma’s extra track width, however, that makes for drops in effective spring rate at both ends.
And yet, because it’s also lower and lighter than its convertible cousin, the Roma’s roll rate (the speed at which it rotates into roll when cornering, not the angle it reaches) is actually 10% lower than the Portofino’s, so it’s more supple-riding and better-handling. That, in a nutshell, is the difference that better ‘vehicle fundamentals’ make.
And the Roma feels very much that way on a tight, occasionally bumpy, serpentine mountain pass like the one we sought out for our testing and photos. It tucks into hairpins with an alacrity the Portofino always seemed to be feigning.
