2021 Ferrari Roma Review // $300,000 Roller Coaster...Of Emotions

Summary

In this review of the Ferrari Roma, the hosts discuss the car's stunning looks, performance, and unique features. While it exudes style and elegance, they highlight some technical issues, such as laggy screens and a finicky dual-clutch transmission. Despite these flaws, the Roma’s driving experience, playfulness, and emotional appeal stand out. The hosts explore how the car balances luxury and practicality, ultimately concluding that while not perfect, the Ferrari Roma captivates with its beauty and provides a dream-like driving experience. It's a car that delivers on emotional connection, despite its imperfections.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Ferrari Roma is an exceptionally good-looking car, drawing parallels to how appearance can influence perception and success.
• 😀 The script questions whether being attractive makes life easier or limits personal growth, using Chris Pratt as an example of someone who didn't rely solely on looks.
• 😀 The review highlights some frustrations with the Ferrari Roma's interior design, such as the absence of physical buttons, delayed responses, and the lack of confidence in capacitive touch controls.
• 😀 The capacitive touch buttons, including for the mirrors and engine start/stop, lack physical feedback, making it difficult to operate intuitively and safely.
• 😀 The Ferrari Roma's digital interface is visually impressive, but it suffers from usability issues, especially the navigation system, which is slow and hard to use while driving.
• 😀 The car's physical design is striking, but it’s controversial because it lacks some classic Ferrari elements, like vertical headlights and circular tail lights.
• 😀 Despite the criticisms, the Roma delivers an exciting driving experience, with a powerful engine that comes alive past 7000 rpm, reminding you that it's a Ferrari.
• 😀 The Ferrari Roma's ride is balanced, offering a refined, comfortable experience at highway speeds but can also be playful, with a rear end that can lose control easily.
• 😀 The interior of the Roma feels luxurious, and the car feels smaller and more nimble than its weight suggests, offering quick steering and a fun driving experience.
• 😀 Although the Roma has its flaws, it offers an emotional connection with the driver through its looks and driving experience, which many find worth the price despite the imperfections.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the review of the Ferrari Roma?

The review explores whether the Ferrari Roma is more than just a good-looking car, questioning if its beauty and design are enough to make up for its technological and usability flaws.

What are the main criticisms of the Ferrari Roma's interior?

The Ferrari Roma's interior has capacitive touch buttons with no physical feedback, making it difficult to know if a selection has been made. The controls are also slow to respond, and there is a delay with certain inputs like the engine start/stop button and the volume wheel.

How does the car's design divide opinion?

While the design is largely admired for its stunning proportions, some aspects, such as the horizontal headlights and unusual rear taillights, have been criticized as departures from traditional Ferrari design elements.

How does the Ferrari Roma's driving experience compare to its rivals?

The Ferrari Roma is praised for its nimble handling and addictive redline, but its engine sound is less impressive compared to rivals like the Maserati Gran Turismo, Porsche 911, or Lexus LC 500, which offer more theater in their engine notes.

What technology issues are present in the Ferrari Roma?

The car's technology is marred by a slow, clunky touchpad, a poorly integrated Apple CarPlay system that obstructs important displays, and laggy navigation systems that are not intuitive to use.

How does the Ferrari Roma's performance stand out?

Despite being turbocharged, the Roma's 3.9-liter V8 engine is engineered to feel naturally aspirated, providing a thrilling driving experience with 612 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque. It also feels lighter and more agile than expected.

Why does the reviewer still love the Ferrari Roma despite its flaws?

Despite the Roma's flaws, the reviewer enjoys the emotional connection it creates. The car's beauty, handling, and the way it makes the driver feel while driving or even just being admired are key to its charm.

What role does the Ferrari Roma's appearance play in its success?

The Ferrari Roma's appearance is integral to its success, as its design draws admiration and makes a strong emotional impact. It's a key part of the car's appeal, even though it has performance and usability issues.

How does the Ferrari Roma compare to the Porsche Turbo S in terms of emotional appeal?

The Ferrari Roma is considered to have a stronger emotional appeal than the Porsche Turbo S. While the Turbo S is an excellent performance car, the Roma's combination of looks, sound, and driving experience make it feel more special and memorable to the reviewer.

What does the reviewer mean when they say the Ferrari Roma 'lives rent-free' in their mind?

The reviewer is referring to the idea that Ferrari, as a brand, embodies a dream or aspiration for many people. The Ferrari Roma captures that fantasy, representing more than just a car but a lifestyle or experience that stays with you even if you don't own one.