Before I talk about the Amalfi, here’s a flashback to its now-ancestor, the Roma. The Roma is like the first-wife in a movie who has tragically died but exists only in memories. She was beautiful, dripping with Italian beauty. She was kind-hearted (with a throbbing twin-turbo V8), and even drove like a Ferrari. But, there was one BIG problem. I’m sorry for the plot, but she had cancer. A cancer of digital, touch-sensitive buttons.
The touch-sensitive buttons on the Roma were so unusable that Ferrari had to bring out a new model. They could have just updated the Roma, the Roma LCI maybe. But no, to banish the ghosts, Ferrari have given it a whole new name.
Gone are those pesky touch-sensitive buttons. The Amalfi has real physical buttons. Even the start-stop button is physical. But, the rest of the functions are still on the digital screens. And finally, you can use Apple CarPlay on the center screen and have the rev-counter where it is supposed to be.
The design of the Roma has been carried forward but with subtle changes. The Ferrari Amalfi has sleeker and cleaner body-lines. The active rear-spoiler generates more downforce yet it is seamlessly integrated into the tail of the car.
The same 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 has been carried forward albeit with a new ECU and 20 more prancing horses. The total output? 631 hp and reaching 100 km/ph in 3.3 seconds. The braking system has been enhanced. The driving-modes are more pronounced. So, the sport mode is sportier and the comfort mode is more comfortable.
The entry-level Ferrari now comes with physical buttons and a new interface. It’s essentially an updated Roma. Good news for the collectors waiting for their Ferrari SF90XX Stradale.
