‘Entry-level' means different things to different brands. To Toyota or Mitsubishi, it might be a Wigo or a Mirage. But to a brand like Ferrari, entry level means a 631hp, twin-turbocharged V8 powered GT called the Amalfi.
This 2+2 is heralded as the replacement to the Ferrari Roma, one of our favorite Ferraris of recent memory. It’s the same, but oh so different, and it is this evolution that truly brings out the very best of what Ferrari has to offer. There’s no hybridization or all-wheel drive systems here. The Amalfi is a rear-wheel drive, internal combustion engine coupe that embodies what it means to be the gateway to Maranello.
Last week, Ferrari flew Top Gear Philippines out to Portugal to drive the Amalfi on some epic winding roads around the coastal city of Albufeira, and we have thoughts. Does it live up to the lofty elevator pitch? Read on to find out.
Styling
Upon setting eyes on the Amalfi, we were immediately smitten by the perfect proportions of this Ferrari. It had a long hood that was purposeful and aggressive. This was complimented by stout haunches flanking its sides that accentuated the rear. This combination just further highlighted the front-engined, rear-wheel drive nature of the Amalfi. Like a master sculptor, Ferrari knows how to highlight its best features.
While it looks very distinct from its predecessor, there are still some remnants of Roma design language left in the Amalfi, but really not much. In fact, we were told that all the body panels were new. Top Gear Philippines executive editor Sheng Banzon finds that the color-matched front splitter somewhat looks like an ice scraper, and while we kind of see it in photos, in the metal it is a much more cohesive design and works perfectly with the carbon fiber bits in and around the bottom edge of the car.
Circling back to the rear, it looks so distinctly wide from the back, with a sloping roof and a rear spoiler that hides flush with the trunk until you hit speed; the spoiler can add an impressive 110kg of downforce at 250kph (not that we tried, promise). It also has quad tailpipes, which, because of their asymmetric layout, look so awesome when you see it in the metal.
The Amalfi is the ultimate combination of sporty looks with elegant luxury that is a hard balance to pull off. That Ferrari chose to lend us the car in this shade of green called Verde Costiera, a hue reminiscent of Top Gear’s official colors, is a bonus.
Interior
Settle into the seat and you are greeted by an ideal combination of teal-colored leather, bare carbon fiber, and high quality metal. Everything feels absolutely top-notch, which is expected of a steed from Maranello. The seats are infinitely customizable through the center display, including how tight the bolsters hug your love handles while you drive.
We want to say the seats can hug you tight, but the cabin of the Amalfi is anything but. There is a lot of hip room, decent headroom, and great legroom—a good use of space for what is supposed to be a grand tourer. Yes, you won’t fit anyone bigger than a three-year-old in the rear seats, but the fact that there are rear seats still helps with storage and practicality.
As for the displays, there is a trio of them in the Amalfi. There is the main 15.6-inch display for the gauges, a 10.25-inch one for the infotainment and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a small 8.8-inch touchscreen on the passenger side that can either show your passenger a rev counter and speed indicator, lateral and longitudinal g-force, or, in case your passenger isn’t as fun, info on the music that’s playing on the amazing Burmester sound system.
This might seem like a small thing, but the fact that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has moved to the central 10.5-inch screen is huge. In previous Ferraris, the map would take up part of the driver’s display, so now the driver can focus on, er, driving, rather than worrying that the next turn-by-turn direction would override the speedometer at a moment’s notice.
One thing stands when you hold the wheel in your hands, and that is that after the mistake of using touch-sensitive capacitive pads on the wheel for the Roma and other models, Ferrari has returned, thankfully, to physical buttons. This means that no more grazing buttons with your palm and accidentally increasing the volume or changing songs while turning the wheel; Ferrari owners can now physically push a start/stop button to fire up the V8.
There was just something about starting a Ferrari with a touchpad that seemed so wrong, so we are so very happy to see the return to tactility and physical presses. These buttons are accentuated by the traditional manettino switch that allows drivers to switch between drive modes and leave these modes engaged even when the car is switched off. We can pretend we are Lewis Hamilton switching engine maps on the fly while barreling down a straightaway.
Engine performance
This ‘entry level’ Ferrari GT is anything but tame, with a 631hp 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with 760Nm of torque under the hood. What can be tame is its execution, and if you switch the manettino to wet, yes, it can be turned down. But it’s about as subtle as a thoroughbred just waking up from a nap; so if one gives the throttle any amount of pressure, the Amalfi is more than happy to accelerate in ways that would easily put a smile on your face. At full tilt, 0-100kmh arrives in a brisk 3.3sec, with a sprint from 0-200kmh coming in at about 9 seconds. It is still a product of Maranello, after all.
More than just the speed is how this flat-plane V8 delivers its oomph, and the way it does would make any old school fan blush. Yes, the exhaust is a bit muted, as all turbocharged cars are, but the immense amount of torque available anywhere in the rev range makes the Amalfi such a dream to drive in any situation.
It’s happy enough to putter through towns and in traffic at lower speeds. But floor the accelerator and the steering wheel F1-style redline indicator lights up, and the engine revs to an amazing 7,600rpm with a howl that can still give any jaded car enthusiast goosebumps.
This glorious engine is mated to an F1 8-speed dual clutch transmission first seen in the SF90 Stradale, and we find this a perfect match as shifts come not only faster, but also more seamlessly and smoother than in previous Ferraris. It also is a pleasure to manually shift the car, as the carbon fiber column mounted paddles have such a satisfying tactility about it that it is quite hard to put it into words how fun it is to row through the gears yourself.
We won’t get into the argument about what is or isn’t a sports car by strict definitions, but this is definitely a performance car worthy of the brand.
Ride and handling
Whether or not a car is a good grand tourer often comes down to the way it handles regular roads, which is especially relevant given the state of EDSA and other national roads in the Philippines. I feel this is exactly where the Amalfi really shows why it can be considered a daily driven Ferrari. The MagneRide suspension is just absolutely sublime.
In fact, while we were leaving the hotel to begin the drive, there were some humps and potholes leading out of the venue. At first, I took them at a very tepid speed, but after the first one or two, it dawned on me that the suspension, in comfort mode, absorbs bumps so well, it easily became an afterthought while driving. This isn’t even taking into account that the suspension has a dedicated ‘bumpy road’ mode, where with one click, the suspension raises itself 40mm and defaults to the softest setting to help with ramps, humps, and anything the road can throw at it.
It is good on any road surface, and that is just the comfort aspect. Speeding up and taking corners, the thing that shocked me was just how planted the car felt at speed. While most would dread taking on a mountain road with 600+ horsepower going to just the rear wheels, the Amalfi has a way of inspiring confidence and egging you on to push that little bit harder. After a few hours behind the wheel, it almost became second nature that its limits far surpassed my driving skills, and this just made the car so much fun to drive on a twisty road.
Yes, sometimes, the rear would be upset by some gravel or dirt left by passing construction vehicles, but even then traction was so good that the break was gradual, predictable, and manageable. In short, as a mountain carver, the Amalfi is simply amazing during spirited driving, but drop the speed, turn on the cruise control on the highway, and it rides smoothly and comfortably. This is a car we wouldn’t mind being taking on an all-day road trip, whatever the road condition.
Finally, we have to talk about the new brake-by-wire system. Brake-by-wire means that the brake pedal is not physically connected to the brakes. This was news to me, as the tuning and implementation was so good, that if we weren’t told during the briefing that this was an electronic brake, we honestly would not have known. Braking confidence is great especially on uneven pavement. It is easy to modulate the pedal and it gives you a sense of confidence that immediately leads you to trusting the system wholeheartedly.
Extra features
A good everyday car needs good everyday features, and while it doesn’t look it, the Amalfi has these in spades. It basically has everything you would look for in a modern car. The sport seats have massagers and ventilation, which are words that should not go together, but are great in execution. The Amalfi has a full suite of ADAS systems, from lane keeping, to radar guided cruise control, to driver monitoring—the Amalfi has it all.
Infotainment is great with the aforementioned Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the central screen, and a 14-speaker Burmester surround sound system is there for when you want to drown out the engine sounds (which really shouldn’t be the case, but to each their own).
Finally, the trunk is actually usable. No, you probably shouldn’t be doing airport runs with the Amalfi, but in a pinch, you could probably fit two carry-ons or one check-in bag in the relatively spacious trunk. Should you need to carry golf bags, as most of the buyers of this car would need, a button in the rear lets you fold down the rear seats. We weren’t able to try it ourselves, but Ferrari assured us that you could fit two slim golf bags in the trunk, which is more than we can say for most other performance cars at this price point.
Overall, the Amalfi has all the features one would expect in a luxury car at this price point, but paired with a wondrous engine and amazing handling, and you have probably one of the most practical performance cars you can buy today.
Verdict
The Amalfi is a Ferrari that you can comfortably daily, and given its asking price, isn’t that something that makes it a good investment? Call it age, or call it an aching back from years of existence, but there is something unique about a car that can easily gobble up high mileage days, yet still retains the performance and handling that easily earns it the prancing horse adorning its hood. We love it, and we can’t stop thinking about it.
SPECS: 2026 Ferrari Amalfi
Price: Starts at P33,000,000
Powertrain: 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 8-speed DCT
Power: 631hp
Torque: 760Nm
Seating: Four-ish
Score: 10/10
