Ferrari Roma Spider Unveiled
The Ferrari Roma Spider, the latest model from the Maranello marque, was presented to clients today at an exclusive event at the El Badi Palace in Marrakesh. This timelessly elegant, high-performance car is a contemporary take on the chic, pleasure-seeking Italian lifestyle of the 1950s and 60s. This spider carries over the proportions, volumes and specifications of the Ferrari Roma’s hugely successful V8 2+ concept, but what makes it so striking is the adoption of a soft top, a solution making a welcome return to the Prancing Horse range on a front-engined car 54 years after the 1969 365 GTS4.
The Ferrari Roma Spider is powered by an engine belonging to the V8 turbo family named “International Engine of the Year” for four consecutive years and also voted “Best Engine of the Last 20 Years” in 2018. The 3,855 cc power unit can punch out 620 cv at 7,500 rpm, the equivalent of 161 cv/l, which it combines with the flexibility of low-end pick-up, thanks to 80% of the torque being available at just 1900 rpm.
The Ferrari Roma Spider also sees the introduction of an important evolution of the oil pump which reduces time-to-pressure in cold starts by 70%, as well as increasing the flow rate at medium revs. The same modification has also been introduced on the Ferrari Roma, demonstrating the company’s commitment to continual research and development.
Like all Ferraris in the range, the Ferrari Roma Spider delivers instantaneous throttle response. This is the direct result of the adoption of specific solutions, such as a flat-plane crankshaft, which is more compact in size with lower rotating masses to improve fluid-dynamics; compact turbines which have a lower moment of inertia; twin-scroll technology that directs the exhaust gases from each cylinder through separate scrolls and increases the pressure of the exhaust pulses for maximum power; and a single-piece, cast exhaust manifold with equal length pipes to optimise pressure waves in the turbine and reduce losses.
The Ferrari Roma Spider boasts Variable Boost Management, a control software developed by Ferrari that adjusts torque delivery to suit the gear selected, delivering increasingly powerful pick-up as revs rise, whilst optimising fuel consumption. As the car goes up through the gears, the amount of torque delivered by the engine increases, continuing all the way up to 760 Nm in 7th and 8th gear. This allowed the use of longer gear ratios in the higher gears, which helps keep fuel consumption and emissions down, while adopting a steeper torque curve through the rev range in the lower gears for a feeling of smooth, consistent pick-up.
The gearbox is based on a dual-clutch oil bath architecture and is derived from the 8-speed gearbox first introduced on the SF90 Stradale. The main modifications made with respect to the latter are longer gear ratios and the introduction of a reverse gear. The new layout and component integration thus optimised the gearbox’s size and its installation in the car.
With eight gears and optimum transmission efficiency, fuel consumption in urban and motorway contexts has been reduced without compromising on performance. In fact, there is a noticeable improvement even in sporty driving. The main technical features that have guaranteed this result are the use of low-viscosity oil and a dry sump configuration to minimise fluid-dynamic efficiency losses (oil splashing) in addition to the use of a specially-designed differential (with the input pinion axis not offset to reduce slip speed.
The clutch module is 20% smaller than the previous 7-speed, but delivers 35% more torque, with up to a maximum 1,200 Nm of dynamic torque transmitted when gear shifting. The transmission software strategy has been evolved thanks to a more powerful ECU and better integration with the engine management software. Particular attention was also lavished on the strategies designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, particularly when the Start&Stop function is in use.
Every single Ferrari engine has its own particular soundtrack that makes it unique and, of course, the Ferrari Roma Spider is no exception to that rule. In addition to the flat-plane crankshaft, which synchronises engine firing, and equal-length exhaust headers, which equalise the sound, the spider adopted the Ferrari Roma’s entire exhaust line that eliminated the two rear silencers in favour of new geometry for the by-pass valves. The continuous and progressive by-pass valve control underscores the engine sound and performance depending on the driving situation.
AERODYNAMICS
The adoption of a fabric soft top and its indirect impact on the car’s bodywork geometries provided the starting point for the aero development. To retain the Ferrari Roma’s low drag, combined with the possibility of generating efficient downforce, the line of the roof and its curvature over the frontal section were subjected to in-depth numerical analysis and guided by the work of the Aerodynamic Department to ensure the project target was reached.
The modifications to the Ferrari Roma Spider’s bodywork also required new mobile spoiler geometry. In fact, the design of the latter has been meticulously honed to reflect the car’s styling and new roof line. Similar to the Ferrari Roma, this element is designed to extend and retract in a calibrated way specific to the spider as a function of the car’s speed, and the longitudinal and transverse acceleration acting on the body. This guarantees three different spoiler positions, specifically calibrated for top-down driving.
The result is that the Ferrari Roma Spider has downforce in handling situations and at high speeds comparable with the Ferrari Roma, ensuring the car is always aerodynamically balanced and able to deliver the same driving exhilaration. Huge attention was lavished on aerodynamic comfort on board with the top down, with particular focus on minimising both turbulence and wind noise in the cabin.
The solutions selected were driven by the need to simplify the transition from top-up to top-down driving, by introducing automatic movements for the surfaces tasked with creating an aerodynamic ‘bubble’ effect over the cockpit for comfort. The first was the addition of a 5mm nolder on the new windscreen header rail in the area of the flow separation. The second was the development of an automatic patented wind deflector that can be deployed by the driver without any need to stop the car. If the client wants to deploy the wind deflector, they simply press a button on the tunnel and the backrest of the rear seats (in the absence of rear passengers) will rotate into position behind the front occupants’ heads.
In this configuration, the air flow that would normally be drawn into the cabin from the rear of the car is deflected, creating an area of relatively still air around the occupants and reducing still further the turbulence around the heads of taller drivers by around 30% compared to previous 2+ spider applications. The deployable wind stop’s permeability was optimised by a transverse aperture at its centre which, thanks to its calibrated angle, acts as a real aerodynamic duct, while its shape in the plan view is tapered at the sides. These two geometric characteristics combine to deflect the most highly energised flow entering the cabin well away from the occupants.
The duct at the centre of the wind stop ensures that part of the flow entering the cabin is deflected downwards towards the rear seat, forcing it to mix with a slower flow. This means it loses most of its energy, effectively reducing turbulence in the cabin. The result is an extension of the bubble around the occupants and particularly their heads, guaranteeing unparalleled en plein air comfort. The shape, angle and permeability of the deployable wind stop are all crucial to achieving this objective, and were developed thanks to a combination of CFD simulation and many wind tunnel sessions.
FERRARI ROMA SPIDER – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
| Type | V8 – 90° – twin turbo |
| Total displacement | 3855 cc |
| Bore and stroke | 86.5 mm x 82 mm |
| Max. power output* | 456 kW (620 cv) at 5750–7500 rpm |
| Max. torque | 760 Nm at 3000-5750 rpm |
| Max. revs | 7500 rpm |
| Compression ratio | 9.45:1 |
| Specific power output | 161 cv/l |
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
| Length | 4656 mm |
| Width | 1974 mm |
| Height | 1306 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2670 mm |
| Front track | 1652 mm |
| Rear track | 1679 mm |
| Dry weight** | 1556 kg |
| Dry/power ratio | 2.5 kg/cv |
| Weight distribution | 48% ant. / 52% post. |
| Fuel tank capacity | 80 litres |
| Boot capacity | 255 l |
TYRES AND WHEELS
| Front | 245/35 ZR 20 J8.0 |
| Rear | 285/35 ZR 20 J10.0 |
BRAKES
| Front | 390 x 34 mm |
| Rear | 360 x 32 mm |
TRANSMISSION AND GEARBOX
8-speed F1 DCT
ELECTRONIC CONTROLS
EPS, VDC, ABS with EBD, F1-TCS, E-Diff3, SSC 6.0, FDE, SCM-E Frs
PERFORMANCE
| Max. speed | > 320 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.4 s |
| 0-200 km/h | 9.7 s |
| 100-0 km/h | 32 m |
| 200-0 km/h | 130 m |
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Under homologation
CO2 EMISSIONS
Under homologation
* With 98 RON fuel
** With optional lightweight content
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