Portofino to Roma to Amalfi. No, this is not an Italian road trip, but instead the recent lineage of the baby Ferrari. The Roma won plaudits from many and was even considered by some to be the best and most handsome car currently offered by the Prancing Horse.
Think of the new Ferrari Amalfi, then, as an upgraded Roma, rather than an all-new junior GT, with more power and a greater focus on usability and fixing some of the Roma’s bugbears. There’s no word on pricing just yet, but expect the changes to bump up the price to around £200k.
More Power, Less Weight
The Amalfi follows the age-old formula for increasing driving thrills, with the dry weight ever-so slightly reduced to 1470kg when specified with optional lightweight components. Lighter camshafts and a redesigned engine block shave around 2.3 kilos off the total weight.
The 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 now has 631bhp, 19 more than in the Roma, and 760Nm of torque. This has been achieved thanks to an advanced turbocharging management system, allowing for the turbos to spin faster, generating more power and a faster throttle response. The V8 is paired with an 8-speed DCT, first used in the SF90, which has both smoother and faster shifts.
This translates to a 0-62 time of 3.3 seconds, an imperceptible tenth of a second faster than the outgoing Roma. The Amalfi tops out at 199mph, the same top speed as the Roma’s.
Grand Tour or Grand Prix? It’s Got You Covered
While many Amalfi buyers are unlikely to take it on track, Ferrari has made some improvements that suit spirited driving, no matter where you are. Brake-by-wire improves braking efficiency and brake modulation, while the ABS Evo system evaluates the traction of each tyre and distributes the brake force accordingly to best compromise between stability and deceleration.
The grip estimation system is also 10% faster and more accurate in the hopes of stopping you from binning your brand-new Ferrari Amalfi on greasy surfaces.
Finally, there’s an active spoiler at the rear. There are three positions, with the high downforce setting activated in high-speed corners or sharp braking, generating an additional 110kg of downforce at 155mph, while only adding 4% more drag.
Of Course, It’s Lovely to Look At
In the words of a sweary Scottish chef, visually, it’s stunning. This is no surprise, given the fantastic proportions of the car it replaces. It clearly follows the long line of front-engined 2+2 Ferraris, with a long, muscular bonnet and a sleek, stylish design.
There’s a lack of a traditional grille again, but it looks meaner due to the new thin headlights, in keeping with Ferrari’s current design language. The side is wonderfully sculpted, flowing beautifully to the rear, where the thin Purosangue-esque lights and dark diffuser show off an aggressive side.
The launch colour, Verde Costiera, pupportedly inspired by the sea along the Amalfi coast, might be the colour to have. Sacriligeous, I know, but you can’t deny its stunning nature.
There’s a More Intuitive Interior
The interior is similar to the other new Ferraris, but quite different to the Roma’s. Adopting a dual-cockpit layout, both people in the front have their own screens and are cocooned in, with the central touchscreen and centre console the meeting point for them. Both displays are surrounded by air vents, further enhancing the feeling that everything is kept separate.
In terms of tech, the driver gets a 15.6-inch display, and there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen for all the infotainment features. The passenger isn’t deprived of a screen, though, with an 8.8-inch display presenting dynamic information like revs and speed. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad in the central tunnel.
The Ferrari Amalfi ditches the Roma’s multi-touch controls in favour of physical buttons, like in the good old days. Laid out ergonomically on the steering wheel, they control most of the car’s functions, while the iconic start button returns to add some more visual drama.
