Discussion
As alluded to in a couple of other threads, I have scratched the Ferrari itch with a year old Roma.
A year ago I would have dismissed the choice and plumped for a Lusso. But for some reason I've come round to the Roma as a prettier and more useable Ferrari. The rear seats are very small, but surprisingly perfectly ok for my 9 year old son. It is shorter, and I suspect will be easier to park and navigate tight c-roads in. No V12, and time will tell how the turbo V8 will excite or not. But for now I'm the proverbial kid in a candy shop.
The first cars I remember as a child are Ferraris and it's taken 50 years to end up owning my own. Big thanks to Edinburgh Graypaul who have been excellent. And to a very understanding wife.
How it began!
A year ago I would have dismissed the choice and plumped for a Lusso. But for some reason I've come round to the Roma as a prettier and more useable Ferrari. The rear seats are very small, but surprisingly perfectly ok for my 9 year old son. It is shorter, and I suspect will be easier to park and navigate tight c-roads in. No V12, and time will tell how the turbo V8 will excite or not. But for now I'm the proverbial kid in a candy shop.
The first cars I remember as a child are Ferraris and it's taken 50 years to end up owning my own. Big thanks to Edinburgh Graypaul who have been excellent. And to a very understanding wife.
How it began!
Congrats. I have thought from the first time I saw one of these that they look fantastic. Coincidentally I saw one in the flesh today, and yep, still fantastic looking. It’s all subjective, I know, but this and the AM Vanquish gen 2 are probably two of the best looking cars I can think of from the last 40 or so years.
Enjoy it!
Enjoy it!
Big congrats. As a fellow 50-something who got his first Ferrari a couple of years ago, I know the feeling you currently have 
I think the Roma looks great - especially in a darker non-red colour. Very stylish. I took my 458 Spider on a long euro trip this summer that ended up in Monza. One of the best things I have ever done.
Enjoy!
I think the Roma looks great - especially in a darker non-red colour. Very stylish. I took my 458 Spider on a long euro trip this summer that ended up in Monza. One of the best things I have ever done.
Enjoy!
Leithen said:
Thank you all for the kind words. Must stop going out to look at it. 
I think build slots for the spider are open or about to open. The last of the coupes are being built now.
Congratulations! Absolutely gorgeous car. Without being intrusive, do you mind me asking how you financed the car (if at all)? Similarly I am test driving a a 1 yr old Roma next Saturday with HR Owen and am debating the best finance route currently. ThanksI think build slots for the spider are open or about to open. The last of the coupes are being built now.
I was in the lucky position to not have to finance it. Most money I’ve ever paid for a car though!
I’m smitten, so I obviously think you will love the drive. I do need to figure out where the bonnet ends and how I am going to negotiate some car park entrances. Reverse parking is much simpler!
I’m smitten, so I obviously think you will love the drive. I do need to figure out where the bonnet ends and how I am going to negotiate some car park entrances. Reverse parking is much simpler!
Lucky man, congrats. Do you mind elaborating on the kids and rear seat room? Mine are 6 and 8 and growing fast but they're quite compact. I've tested a few Lussos but the car is so big, a smaller overall footprint w a serviceable back seat (for under-10s specifically, not adults) is attractive. Thanks for your impressions so far.
The rear seat appears surprisingly OK for little ones. My 9 year old son is about 140cm tall and he had plenty of room with the passenger seat slightly forward. Admittedly it was occupied by my 11 year old son who is 155cm, but unless you need to someone very tall in the passenger seat it is fine.
I'm 178cm, but with longer legs than torso, so I end up with steering wheels at their full extension. With my normal driving position the rear seat behind the driver would be tight. But for a short journey, I don't think it would be too difficult to move the drivers seat forward along with the wheel and make the room behind.
We drove for about an hour and my 9 year old was perfectly happy, spending a lot of time looking out of the rear window at other cars. I hope he wasn't making faces! I'm not sure that any longer than that would be advisable however as it is a very upright rear seat?
I recommend a trip to the nearest dealer with the kids to try it out for yourself - what better excuse!
I'm 178cm, but with longer legs than torso, so I end up with steering wheels at their full extension. With my normal driving position the rear seat behind the driver would be tight. But for a short journey, I don't think it would be too difficult to move the drivers seat forward along with the wheel and make the room behind.
We drove for about an hour and my 9 year old was perfectly happy, spending a lot of time looking out of the rear window at other cars. I hope he wasn't making faces!
I'm not sure that any longer than that would be advisable however as it is a very upright rear seat?I recommend a trip to the nearest dealer with the kids to try it out for yourself - what better excuse!
That's a lovely Roma, congratulations!
I'm also Ferrari shopping, wavering between a Roma or Portofino M if my kids will fit, otherwise saying "sod it" and buying a 488 if they won't! With that in mind, I dragged my family down to Maranello Sales.
My kids are 9 and 12. In a Roma, only my 9 year old daughter will fit behind me in the driving seat, even with the seat pulled a little closer to the pedals than I'd normally drive. My son will *just* fit in the rear passenger seat, but the limiting factor was headroom - he is relatively short for his age but his head still brushed the roof. That pretty much rules out a Roma for me, as we'd want to use it for days out as a family, not just emergency trips home from the pub!
Surprisingly a Portofino was a much better fit. Contrary to expectations, there was slightly more rear legroom, and the rear headroom was better (and obviously infinite with the roof down!). Now I'm just trying to decide whether a Porto M is worth £50k more than an original Portofino, as that £50k would go a long way toward changing to a 296 in a few years when the kids are too big.
I'm also Ferrari shopping, wavering between a Roma or Portofino M if my kids will fit, otherwise saying "sod it" and buying a 488 if they won't! With that in mind, I dragged my family down to Maranello Sales.
My kids are 9 and 12. In a Roma, only my 9 year old daughter will fit behind me in the driving seat, even with the seat pulled a little closer to the pedals than I'd normally drive. My son will *just* fit in the rear passenger seat, but the limiting factor was headroom - he is relatively short for his age but his head still brushed the roof. That pretty much rules out a Roma for me, as we'd want to use it for days out as a family, not just emergency trips home from the pub!
Surprisingly a Portofino was a much better fit. Contrary to expectations, there was slightly more rear legroom, and the rear headroom was better (and obviously infinite with the roof down!). Now I'm just trying to decide whether a Porto M is worth £50k more than an original Portofino, as that £50k would go a long way toward changing to a 296 in a few years when the kids are too big.
Not much of an update, but have managed to put some miles on the car, including a good run today over some of my favourite Perthshire roads.
I'm very impressed with the bumpy road setting. I didn't quite know what to expect, but on highland roads that haven't got any smoother over the last 10-20 years, it manages to remain very composed. That combined with quick steering, neutral, but tight handling and a very responsive accelerator made for easy, precise and fluent driving. Great fun. Third and fourth gear are ideal for the twisties and short straights before the need for license retention looms into view.
Having come from a 992, the noise is a joy. I have no doubt that other Ferrari's are both better sounding and even sharper handling, but for me it is something of a revelation. And it is so much more of an event to drive too. The price might have something to do with that I suppose, but it brings a big grin to my face.
Managed to find a standard Ferrari part front number plate bracket on eBay for a sensible price, so I'm going to try and fix that to the carbon fibre spoiler using some extra strong pads rather than drilling. One of the rear seats has refused to release (electronic) which has made my attempts to cram my golf clubs and trolley in slightly more difficult. But I got them all in (after having removed all golf clubs and put them in separately)
It feels wide, leading to some extra caution passing parked cars with oncoming traffic etc. Not sure if it will shrink once I get used to it, or if it is actually quite wide!
I'm very impressed with the bumpy road setting. I didn't quite know what to expect, but on highland roads that haven't got any smoother over the last 10-20 years, it manages to remain very composed. That combined with quick steering, neutral, but tight handling and a very responsive accelerator made for easy, precise and fluent driving. Great fun. Third and fourth gear are ideal for the twisties and short straights before the need for license retention looms into view.
Having come from a 992, the noise is a joy. I have no doubt that other Ferrari's are both better sounding and even sharper handling, but for me it is something of a revelation. And it is so much more of an event to drive too. The price might have something to do with that I suppose, but it brings a big grin to my face.
Managed to find a standard Ferrari part front number plate bracket on eBay for a sensible price, so I'm going to try and fix that to the carbon fibre spoiler using some extra strong pads rather than drilling. One of the rear seats has refused to release (electronic) which has made my attempts to cram my golf clubs and trolley in slightly more difficult. But I got them all in (after having removed all golf clubs and put them in separately
)It feels wide, leading to some extra caution passing parked cars with oncoming traffic etc. Not sure if it will shrink once I get used to it, or if it is actually quite wide!
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