Having not made a series production, front-engined soft top for so long - the limited run Barchettas and SuperAmericas can’t really count, the Californias were hardtops - Ferrari really had the pressure on it for the Roma Spider. But boy did it deliver. ‘An utter joy’ was the PH verdict last year, praising the Roma roadster for the sharpness of its powertrain and chassis plus its structural integrity.
No doubt the favourable reception to the Spider will have been helped by how it looks, too, the glamour of a classic Ferrari open top brought right up to date. Now Novitec thinks it can improve further on Maranello’s handiwork with its latest range of parts. It says the modifications ‘make the sporty and elegant looks of the two-seater even more thrilling’. Which, actually, it seems pretty hard to argue with - this is a properly arresting Ferrari Spider.
Painting the wheels gold will have been a good start, of course, but check out how big they are as well - 21s at the front and 22s at the rear. With a 35mm suspension drop courtesy of some new springs as well, the attitude is really ramped up, the Roma much more of a hot rod than mere summer sports car now.
There’s plentiful carbon too, because it’s a Novitec build, though you’ll have to look closely for it on another black car. The front splitter, rear diffuser and bootlid spoiler are the important bits for aero, though pretty much anything can get the carbon treatment, from mirror caps to the grill.
There’s the performance to match the aesthetic, undoubtedly. As with recent mid-engined V8 Ferraris, the turbos make tuning much simpler, so with revisions to the injection, boost pressure and ignition parts of the ECU this is now a 700hp Roma. 704hp to be precise, with a chunky 650lb ft alongside. Novitec reckons on 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds, taking a couple of tenths off the standard time, with more than 201mph possible. It also says the additional performance has been achieved ‘without impairing the durability’.
Despite the giant gold wheels, this is probably about as modest as a Novitec Roma will be. The press release says that the company will ‘even fulfill the most unusual wishes when it comes to the interior design’ - the mind boggles. Anything goes with the leather and Alcantara, basically. You could probably leave the look of this Rosso Imola over Cuoio car well alone - it’s pretty stunning as is - but the power and the wheels might be just a little tempting…
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