Portofino to Roma Spider Opinions?

They should have a demo for you to drive. Aesthetics and soft vs hard top are your own judgements to make. I do think they tuned up the driving dynamics and sound nicely on RS vs Porto. Updated tranny helps a lot with that.

 

Depends if you like cloth roofs and no physical buttons on the steering wheel .
I like the hard top so if I was upgrading I’d be looking at 296 gts seems good value at the moment and not that much different in price to the Roma spider

 

Wait for an Amalfi Spyder and compare.

 

the Roma Spider is light years ahead of the Portofino. the tech alone is worth the swap. the updated performance is very noticeable. cold start is loud and impressive. when you drive a Roma Spider, the Portofino feels very old in comparison. the shifting from one gear to the next propels you forward, very cool effect. the soft top isn't like the old types. the material/execution is incredible and performs just like a hard top, but looks much better. I agree with @rmmcdaniel that you should drive the demo to see the difference.

 

Would this also apply to the non-spyder Roma also (minus the soft top comments), feel, power, shifting, sound?

 

I would assume so, but never drove one. that said, my understanding from the dealer is that the performance was upgraded in the Roma Spider (but probably not a ton).

 

They tuned the electronics, gear ratios and exhaust tune for the RS compared to Roma. It's talked about in some of the first drive videos on YouTube.

I can't speak to how meaningful the difference is in practical day to day terms as I only have seat time in my RS, but it is definitely "different" than just chopping off the roof of the coupe.

 

You’ve all missed one key point which is that the Roma is hideously ugly and collapsing in value. I find it objectively very hard to say the Roma is better looking than the Portofino and let’s be honest, you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re buying any of these for “performance.” They’re GT cars.

 

In your own mind!

My Roma is a beauty!

And it is a high performance GT!

No stickies! No transmission issues!

Good luck with your Porto!

 

Buying a RS now with the amalfi spyder coming soon would be financially unwise but then again it's a Ferrari.

 

What do you mean “potential issues with the transmission”? Is there a thread you can point me towards? I know 9 or 10 people with a portofino and no one has heard anything about this.

 

The Portofino has a much more aggressive look but based on you owning two other classic analog hardcore F-cars, how could you ever pass on the very noticeable difference in elegance and comfort the Roma gives compared to the Portofino. The Roma just oozes class and sophistication which reaches the roots of a well established and distinguished gentleman who enjoys performance car brands similar to Aston Martin.

 

Brett, you might want to consider a Portofino M if you like the looks and the user interface of the Porto, but want the new 8 speed gear box along with the enhanced driving dynamics. I also have a 2019 Portofino and after driving a friend's Portofino M I really noticed those improvements.

 

If you are happy with your Portofino - keep it unless you have the budget for the Roma & really like it. Hell - I can't use all the capability of my old California on the street. If I had the $$$s - I'd love to have an 812 GTS over a Roma any day.

 

im sure it’s old California models . But I suppose it’s how you drive it and look after it
The 7 speed in the Portofino is used in the 458 and 488 isn’t it ?
My dealer said they have had no issues in the Portofinos so far
If you keep a basic warranty on them which covers drive train and electrical components then we can all sleep at night

 

I drove a Roma spider a couple of weeks ago for an hour. Great driving car. Gearbox was lightning fast, ride was smooth and nimble and a lot fun. The electric/haptic controls were not to my liking, but if that was my only choice, I am sure I could live with it. The Amalfi spider will replace the buttons, but it's a long wait for a car that hasn't been announced. Of course, given the option, I would prefer the 8-speed.

I prefer the hardtop to the soft top and think the Porto looks better with the top up compared to the Roma with the top up. That said, I think the lines of the Roma harken back to the Daytona, and I happen to like the grille.