A Dubai weekend in “affordable” Ferraris – Part I | The Roma
In the battle of the “affordable” Ferraris, which wins – Roma or Portofino M? Gulf Insider seeks to find out.
By Charlie Cooksey
Which is the best “affordable” Ferrari, the Roma or the Portofino M? I had the opportunity last month to drive and spend time with both.
Okay, let’s be honest, neither of these entry-level Ferraris can really be called affordable, with starting prices of around BHD 95,000. But, in the world of luxury supercars, they qualify. Both are stunning, immensely powerful, and in the very top echelon of sports cars.
I contacted an influencer friend in Dubai, Nadia Sultan, and asked if she’d like to collaborate with us to create some glamorous Ferrari content – turns out she’s always loved the Ferrari brand and jumped at the chance. I mean, who doesn’t love Ferraris? Nadia (@nadiasultanx) is a growing influencer and TikToker based in Dubai who I’d been following for a while and creates fun, authentic yet glamorous content. A great fit for the job.
We decided to create content with Nadia for the Portofino M – she suited the Portofino M since it was a convertible so we could get some wind-swept shots with the roof retracted. The day prior to the Portofino M, I was given the Roma.
I checked into the Caesars Palace Hotel, and bright and early next morning the Ferrari Roma was delivered to me, loaded onto a flatbed truck. After it was unloaded and I had signed the relevant paperwork accepting responsibility for it, the car was mine for the day to take wherever I wanted to go with a full tank of gas.
The car was in a striking gray color which Ferrari call “Grigio Ferro”. On checking the milage with one of Ferrari’s PR team I realized it was virtually brand new, having less than 100km on the clock.
The Roma could be described as being Ferrari’s “compact GT”. It’s powered by a 3.9-litre twin turbo V8 that knocks out 612bhp enabling zero to 100 kph in 3.4 seconds – so lots of power!
Ferrari describe it as one of the world’s cleverest engines that has zero turbo lag and Variable Boost Management software which adjusts torque delivery to suit whichever gear you’re in. Seventy percent of the components are totally new, and include the latest weight reduction and production techniques.
I found it a highly enjoyable car to drive with pinpoint steering, a solid feel, and superb brakes. The sound of the engine was better than playing music!
Any criticism? I found the instrumentation a little confusing. Ferrari have replaced traditional switchgear with latest technology multi-touch controls. Maybe I’m a traditionalist, but I prefer proper buttons and switches, but that’s just my personal opinion so to each their own.
Ferrari Roma starting price: BHD 94,779
For more information, and to arrange a test drive of the Roma in Bahrain, contact EuroMotors on +973 17 734 734.
