Ferrari Roma Spider sees the return of the soft-top roof

Ferrari unveiled the Roma Spider as the latest convertible in its lineup on Thursday.

The car takes over from the Portofino M as the entry-level drop-top of the Cavallino Rampante and sees the return of a soft-top roof.

Such a solution has not been used on a front-engined Ferrari since the 365 GTS/4 Daytona, more than half a century old, a car that arguably inspired the design of the Roma Spider.

The five-layer fabric roof takes 13.5 seconds to unfold and can be activated at speeds of up to 60 km/h. By dispensing with the bulkier retractable hardtop used on the Portofino M, Ferrari said it was able to offer more boot space when the roof was folded. When it’s raised, there’s about nine cubic feet of storage. A hatch between the rear seats allows longer items to be stowed away.

To accommodate the new roof, the designers modified the design of the Roma coupe by adding a body-colored band along the base of the rear portion of the roof, leading back to the active carbon fiber spoiler. An extendable wind deflector was installed behind the rear seats. Without this, wind would normally be drawn into the cabin.

Some chassis modifications were also required to compensate for the lack of a fixed roof. The most notable change is the addition of reinforced sills, similar to those used on the Portofino M. Overall weight is up about 185 pounds on the Roma coupe, bringing the car’s dry weight to 3,430 pounds.

Ferrari Roma Spider

That weight isn’t exactly light for a convertible sports car, and the figure given reflects the car’s available lightweight options, but Ferrari makes up for this with a powerful 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 under the hood. The engine is the same as the Roma coupe, delivering a peak power of 612 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and Ferrari estimates that acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h can be achieved in 3.4 seconds. Top speed is said to be over 199 mph.

Standard features include 18-way heated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and digital screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system. A third screen in front of the passenger can be added. Ferrari’s driving mode selector, controlled by Manettino, is standard and has five settings, including a race mode.

Ferrari Roma Spider

Ferrari hasn’t mentioned pricing, but the Roma coupe starts at around $250,000, and the convertible will almost certainly sell at a premium.

The U.S. launch date has also not been announced.