There’s a certain elegance to the Ferrari Roma Spider that feels unmatched

“Ferrari shoot. Roma Spider. More details to follow.”

The assignment from the bosses went something like that. They had me at Ferrari. I lost it at Roma Spider. I had to be at that shoot. I just had to be.

The Roma, to me, is not just the most beautiful Ferrari ever—it’s the most beautiful car, full stop. Roof or no roof. I’ve always had a thing for sleek coupes and GTs, but the Roma…boy, it’s just downright mesmerizing.

But we’re automotive journalists here at Top Gear Philippines, and as hard as it is at times, we must always set our biases aside. It doesn’t matter if it’s our dream car in front of us or if it’s a supercar we’re being asked to drive. We must. Remain. Objective.

I kept a mental note about all that because it was set to be only my second time with a Ferrari. And it’ll be in a top-down Roma, no less.

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I drive to the shoot location: a serene and exclusive neighborhood down south. If there’s anyone who’ll be able to buy a Roma, it would probably be someone from these parts. As I make my way closer to the venue, images of the Roma begin flashing through my head. Alas, we arrive, and I try my hardest to keep the huge grin off my face as I get a glimpse of the Roma from afar.

I wave hi to my boss Carlo who had also just arrived. I continue my frail efforts to “keep it together,” as the other boss in the car with me—our content producer Charles—also starts to get giddy. We gather ourselves, then we make our way to the car.

I’ve seen my fair share of cars in this lifetime, but nothing comes close to the feeling I had the first time I laid eyes on the Roma Spider. It’s purely a visual experience, but the sight excited all other senses. My mind starts to drift away when I’m suddenly pulled back to reality with the sound of Charles chuckling on the side. “Ano, kaya pa?” he laughingly asks.

I can’t even respond. I nod back in laughter, but then my mental note pops right back out: Remember, you’re not here to fanboy. You’re here to do your job, which is to look at the car and see it for what it is.

And what is it, really, but an elegant piece of automotive engineering?

Regardless of your knowledge about cars, eye for good artistry, or attention to exquisite craftsmanship, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who denies the Roma is a thing of beauty.

It’s got a face that, if not for the hard-to-miss plastic radar on the bumper, many would probably call perfect. It’s a look you’ve never seen in a Ferrari before. Quite bold to use those quadrangular slats on the grille in an entirely new model, but hey, it fits the look well.

The rear might also be one of the sexiest ones I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’m a big fan of the F12 partly because of the simplicity of its behind, but I think the Roma tops that. Easily. Ferrari did its magic with the design.

The true piece de resistance, however, is that gorgeous soft top. I’m not good with colors, but that brown and almost maroon-ish fabric mixes perfectly with the silver exterior. Mind you, that roof folds down and deploys in a mere 13.5 seconds even when you’re driving, and it can be operated at speeds of up to 80kph (50mph). “Not that it matters,” I tell myself.

As we continue to take our sweet time having a gander at the Roma, Velocita Motors’ Satchi Ang-Bargas approaches and starts handing out waivers. “You can drive around,” she says, but we’re told to take note of the 40kph speed limit on the narrow roads and the 60kph limit on the open straight.

“Wait, you’re actually going to let us drive this thing?!” We’ve only a few hours with the car, and we’re not even allowed to drive far, but all three of us sign waivers anyway so we can all have a go behind the wheel. We’re all first-timers here, so why the heck not, right? But that speed limit for the the convertible roof still doesn’t matter, because there was no chance we’d be driving past 60 today. That’s fine, of course. We didn’t even expect to have seat time with the Roma coming into this shoot.

Seeing as I’m on presenter duties today, I’m the lucky chap who gets to sit in the Roma first. I’m shown the full interior, and I remember my thoughts when I first sat in the Purosangue’s cockpit: “Man, this s*** is confusing.” Is this how first-time Ferrari owners feel when they take delivery of their supercars?

There are all sorts of buttons and touch panels on the steering wheel. I recognize the manettino. I’m not going to use this toggle, so to avoid getting overwhelmed, I focus on the helpful stuff. Turn signal stalks are nowhere to be seen, as they’re placed like paddle shifters on the tiller. You can press them like normal buttons or flick them from behind. I’m not sure if the design was intentional, but it works.

I turn my attention to the other controls. “How do you move the roof?” There’s a lever for it. Press and hold. Easy. “How do you flip up the wind diffuser?” I’m shown another lever and as I press it, I can’t help but notice the rear ‘seats.’ It’s a real head-scratcher. Even a child wouldn’t fit in this ‘second row.’ It’s more like a huge, padded cubby.

Gripes aside, I move on to the most important questions. “How do I turn the car on?” There’s a touch panel—no physical button—at the bottom of the tiller. Weird how you need to double-press it, but even weirder not getting tactile feedback upon startup.

“How do I start driving?” Now that’s a bit tricky. There’s no one gearshift lever, but like many modern Ferraris, there are lever-like buttons across multiple columns front and center. The parking brake is positioned under the lefthand side of the driver, making things even more complicated than they already are. I eventually get the hang of things, and finally, we hit the road.

We get the rolling shots and driving spiels out of the way first, and by some miracle—also perhaps with a bit more inspiration than usual—I breeze through this part of the shoot as if I had a pre-written script (which I didn’t). Maybe I’m just eager to get it over and done with so we could play around?

We secure a spot somewhere down the road, and as quickly as we can, we shoot everything we need: A- and B-rolls and the occasional photo of me in complete awe of the Roma. As Charles and Carlo continue shooting, I take the time to appreciate the interior a bit more.

It’s absolutely exquisite. Just touching all the leather and soft-touch trim inside the cabin is exciting in and of itself. It’s as classy as the exterior, and it smells different from every other car I’ve driven before. In a good way, of course.

At this point, though, we were running out of time with the Roma, so I cut my quality time short and we quickly proceeded to finish up with the shoot. Charles tells me we need more rollers, so I hand the keys to Carlo to let him have a go at it.

The 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood puts out a healthy 612hp and 760Nm of torque and is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. I was stuck doing 0-60kph sprints, but it gave me a taste of the supercar’s sheer power. It’s intoxicating, and I couldn’t help but imagine myself driving the Roma through scenic highways. Just by those short stretches alone, I could tell how the front-mid engine layout helps the ride feel planted but also extremely supple and comfortable.

As I drive out with our support car, I hear the Roma revving from a distance, sending shivers down my spine. It sounded spectacular from the driver’s seat with the top down—but from the outside, on the road? Just glorious. The V8 with that quad exhaust roars beautifully with each press of the pedal, and it garbles delightfully upon deceleration. That’s something you won’t get with a screaming V12.

Two quick ‘laps’ and Carlo’s done. He hands the keys to Charles who’ll be the last guy to drive the Roma today. Like an overly excited kid, I hop into the passenger seat, recording phone in hand. Charles wastes no time and heads out immediately, even quicker than how the smile on his face formed.

We reach an open portion of the road and he gives the car beans, and I’m instantly sent back to my seat. More smiles come out. He doesn’t let off at the bends, perhaps to get a proper ‘lap’ in. We sway in the car but only by a little—a testament to how comfortable this grand tourer is.

Unfortunately, the clock strikes noon and we’ve no choice but to return to our starting position. Thankfully, there’s no time limit to staring at the car post-shoot, so I take my sweet time soaking it all in before we call it a day. Job well done in not letting my biases get the best of me, if I do say so myself.

The Roma Spider is a gorgeous car, but the design isn’t just where its beauty lies. It’s in the balance, class, and elegance that’s unlike any other. It’s been a while since Ferrari last built something like this, and it might take another while before another one comes along to take its place—Ferrari-made or otherwise.

For the select few who can afford the Roma with its P29.5 million starting price, it’s worth it. I may not have driven a lot of Ferraris myself, but I know what pure bliss behind the wheel feels like. That’s exactly what you get in the Roma, and that’s not something you can easily put a price on.