by Wallace Wyss –
When you first see the Ferrari Amalfi (named after a delectable stretch along the West Coast of Italy) you say to yourself “That’s just the Roma all over again.”
But it isn’t. It is, as I see it, like the Roma, yet another Ferrari built in the direction of “smooth gentleman’s touring car” and a step away from cars with over-obvious racing car features like a permanently erected rear wing on stilts, and lots of scoops and vents. It doesn’t look like a four seater but they claim 2-plus-2 though assuredly for adult rear seat passengers it would have to be a short trip indeed.
And it’s a V8, twin turbocharged, connected to an 8-speed automatic (no mention in the press release of a manual being available).
I do feel it’s a little bit more like a re-do of the Roma, but then again in Detroit, where I grew up, they re-did some cars every couple years so why can’t Ferrari?
It’s all about finding the right audience. The car was designed in-house by a team led by their leader, Flavio Manzoni.
Here’s my Design Critique for what it’s worth:
FRONT The front, ironically, looks a lot like the 365GTB/4 Ferrari Daytona of the ‘60s and early ‘70’s, at least like the US version which had flip-up headlamps (Euro ones had lights fixed in place behind plexiglass covers). Note the hood bulge is less than in the Roma, everything is tame.
SIDE It is also a tame design from the side. No hot air exhaust vents on the side. and the door handles are mysteriously hidden. The front spoiler is your only clue from the side this is a high speed car because the spoiler extends more than in some commuter car. It is needed at speeds above as “low” as 165 mph.
REAR The rear taillights look exceedingly thin but rest assured, with improved light generation in recent years, the light output is sufficient for all countries. Yes, there is a rear spoiler laying at rest in that rear deck but in their press photos Ferrari doesn’t even show it deployed. They need it because of the car’s over-185 mph top speed but don’t want to have it up when it doesn’t need to be deployed. It deploys automatically when sensors sense it is needed.
When driving around town—I mean nothing looks sillier than to be on Rodeo Drive at 15 mph and have a rear spoiler deployed two feet off the rear deck. When fully deployed Ferrari says the rear wing adds 110 kg of downforce at 250 km/h.
The 3.9 liter V8 is rated at 640 CV in European measurement. The 0-60 mph time is around 3.3 seconds.
The price is roughly $283,000 , whole lot cheaper than the $470,000 12Cilindri or the nearly $600,000 SF90. I know $283,000 seems like a steep “entry level” but there it is.
I don’t doubt there will be an open version eventually. So I think with this car Ferrari has again provided a more discreet model with some “tameness” (albeit controlled) compared to some rivals in which every model looks like it’s being driven by a boy racer who is all too eager to show you the car’s capabilities. This would be a car a Doctor can park at his office and not have you scared to be his or her patient.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Our frequently contributing fine artist Wallace Wyss will be painting a canvas portrait of the Amalfi, in size 20” x 30”. Those interested in a canvas giclee print can reach him at mendoart7@gmail.com
Photos compliments of Ferrari.
I agree that the current fighter jet genre of high end sports cars is ridiculous, but I think the Amalfi (and its predecessor, the Roma) skews too far in the other direction. At the same time, if the car becomes known to be a car that a doctor would drive, they aren’t going to sell many of them. Doctors who are have enough money to buy these cars grew up in the 1970s & 1980s when cars did show some muscle. This car, while elegant, seems devoid of personality, There are cars that bridge that gap nicely. These include the iconic Porsche 911 (even in its current bloated state), the Mercedes AMG GT, the Aston Martin DB11, even the Toyota Supra and the Mustang Cobra (although it doesn’t have the prestige of the other cars)..
I didn’t point out the hood has the shape in general (and hood hump in particular)of the Nissan 240Z of fifty years ago. The last thing a Ferrari owner needs is a car that looks Datsun 240Z-ish.
Does Aston Martin get a royalty check from Ferrari for every Amalfi sold?
Glenn in Brooklyn, NY.
Better drive an Iso Rivolta GTZ !
This appears to be the “NEW” Maserati of a few years ago, that never materialized. A shame.