So you thought the Ferrari Roma was the prettiest Prancing Horse in the stable? A glorious return to elegant, front-engined GT form? Well, Ferrari basically said, “Hold my grappa,” and promptly replaced it. Say ciao to the Ferrari Amalfi, a car that takes the drop-dead gorgeous Roma concept and sharpens it, both literally and figuratively.
Unveiled on the stunning Amalfi coast (where else?), Maranello’s new 2+ coupé is being pitched as the perfect blend of high performance and everyday usability. We’ve heard that before, but this time, they might actually be onto something.
They Found The ‘More Power’ Button
At the heart of the Amalfi is the same award-gobbling 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 from the F154 family that powered the Roma, but the engineers in Maranello have been feeding it raw espresso. They’ve fiddled with the turbo calibrations, let them spin faster, and bumped the redline to a screaming 7,600 rpm. The result is a very healthy 640 cv, which translates to about 631 horsepower for those of us not using the Italian standard. All that grunt is shovelled through the acclaimed eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, launching the Amalfi to 100 km/h in a scant 3.3 seconds and 200 km/h in just 9.0 seconds. That’s what Ferrari calls “great everyday versatility,” and who are we to argue?
A Sharper Suit, With Active Aero Tricks
Flavio Manzoni’s styling team has clearly used the Roma as a foundation but sent it to a Savile Row tailor who specializes in aggressive business attire. The design is more “sculpted,” with sharper lines and a distinct wedge shape running down the side. Up front, the traditional grille is gone, replaced by a floating body-coloured wing that looks clean and futuristic. But the real party is out back. An active mobile wing is cleverly integrated into the tail, flush with the bodywork until it’s needed. It has three settings: Low Drag for cruising, and Medium and High Downforce for when you’re “making progress.” In its most aggressive setting, it generates an extra 110 kg of downforce at 250 km/h, because your run to the local café absolutely requires it. It’s all terribly clever, all managed automatically, and ensures the car’s clean lines aren’t spoiled while you’re just pottering about.And to show it off, the launch colour is ‘Verde Costiera’—a brilliant teal green that looks like it was scooped directly from the sea.
The Revolution Will Be Button-ised
Step inside, and the biggest news isn’t the lashings of carbon fibre or the “dual-cockpit” layout that cocoons the driver and passenger. No, the headline is this: Ferrari has rediscovered physical buttons.
The new steering wheel marks a glorious return to tactile controls, putting an end to the fumbling-with-touch-capacitive-surfaces nightmare. On the left spoke, you’ll find ADAS and phone controls; on the right, wipers and display selectors. And, praise be, the iconic red start button is back, made of glorious, pressable aluminium. It’s a stunning admission that maybe, just maybe, some things shouldn’t be on a screen. Of course, it’s not entirely analogue. The HMI is dominated by a triple-display setup: a 15.6” digital cluster for the driver, a 10.25” central touchscreen for infotainment, and an 8.8” display for the passenger, so they can see just how many Gs you’re pulling. It’s all fully connected with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and you can even get optional massaging seats and a 1,200-watt Burmester sound system.
A Smarter Stallion
It’s not just the aero that’s been sharpened. The Amalfi gets a brake-by-wire system and the “ABS Evo” controller first seen on the 296 GTB, which is designed to give you consistent, powerful braking on all surfaces and in all drive modes. This is Ferrari taking the tech from its more hardcore models and civilizing it, giving the driver more confidence to exploit that V8.So, the Amalfi is more than just a facelift. It’s a thoughtful evolution of the Roma formula: more power, sharper looks, smarter tech, and a welcome return to an interior that you can operate without taking your eyes off the road. It’s a Ferrari that wants to be driven every day, but one that will still remind you—with 631 horsepower and active aerodynamics—that it’s a very, very special prancing horse indeed.
