2026 Ferrari Amalfi First Look: Ferrari Aims to Redeem the Roma
Roma, Your Time Was Short, but You Left an Impression.
The Ferrari Roma is officially retired. What many brands might treat as a mid-cycle refresh becomes, for Ferrari, an entirely new model — complete with a new name.
This isn’t new territory for Modena. The striking Ferrari FF — a V-12, AWD shooting brake with two transmissions — evolved into the Lusso after five years. Similarly, the 488 transformed into the nearly identical F8 after just four years. Following that tradition, Ferrari now introduces the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi, the latest model and the rightful successor to the elegant (if sometimes misunderstood) Roma.
Why Revamp the Roma?
To grasp the arrival of the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi, you first need to understand Ferrari’s intentions with the Roma. Launched in 2020, the Roma embodied la nuovo dolce vita, or “the new sweet life,” a nod to the vibrant, glamorous era Italy experienced from the late 1950s through the 1960s.
That period saw a flourishing of film, art, architecture, sports cars, and Italian culture at large. The Roma was meant to capture that elegance and joie de vivre, while also serving as a more approachable entry point into Ferrari ownership — an alternative to the razor-sharp mid-engine 488/F8 or the jaw-dropping, high-priced F12 and 812 Superfast. Essentially, Ferrari aimed to compete in the grand touring space dominated by the Porsche 911 Turbo and Aston Martin Vantage.
We adored the Roma, calling it “stunning” and “immensely fun to drive.” But it wasn’t perfect. Critics took aim at the perforated shark-nose grille, and nearly everyone complained about the overreliance on haptic controls in place of physical buttons — especially the fiddly mirror adjustments.
The 2026 Ferrari Amalfi aims to fix those missteps while introducing cutting-edge technology beneath its refreshed bodywork, including brake-by-wire and the engine control system borrowed from the remarkable 296.
What the Amalfi Brings to the Table
The controversial grille is gone, replaced by a sleek black strip across the front — a design cue that’s quickly becoming a Ferrari family signature. Unlike the bold bar on the 12 Cilindri or the aggressive “mask” of the F80, the Amalfi’s thin black line stretches neatly between the headlights, simplifying the front end while giving it a refined, modern look.
Smaller headlights complement the streamlined nose, and Ferrari’s chief design officer, Flavio Manzoni, describes the intent as de-anthropomorphizing the face, calling the final result “a groove with lamps.” The design balances elegance with subtle aggression, signaling a new chapter for Ferrari’s grand touring style.
The 2026 Ferrari Amalfi carries this design philosophy to the rear, where the taillights shine. The updated back end arguably surpasses the front in visual impact, evoking a mix of Porsche 928, TVR T350, and even a spaceship in its sleek, futuristic lines.
Up front, the lower portion remains a simple black grille. Ferrari’s Centro Stile continues to wrestle with integrating radar and parking sensors seamlessly. While the Amalfi’s sensor layout is an improvement over the Roma’s, it’s still only marginally better — a minor blemish on an otherwise refined design.
Ferrari has clearly listened to feedback: the haptic steering wheel controls are gone, replaced with actual physical buttons — including the iconic red start button. A small victory for traditionalists. Unfortunately, the awkward mirror controls persist, still tiny and fiddly, roughly half the size of an Apple Watch screen — a reminder that not every gripe has been solved.
The cabin itself has been reworked for comfort and spaciousness, highlighted by a striking, centrally mounted piece of milled and anodized aluminum that elegantly separates driver and passenger. The central touchscreen has rotated from portrait to landscape orientation, giving it a much more integrated, cohesive appearance within the cockpit.
The Heart of the Amalfi
Under the hood, the 2026 Ferrari Amalfi retains the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 from the Roma, but with notable improvements. Horsepower climbs from 611 to 631, while torque remains steady at 561 lb-ft. The redline has been nudged up 100 rpm to 7,600 rpm, with peak power still arriving at 7,500 rpm and peak torque available from 3,000 to 5,750 rpm. These tweaks give the Amalfi a slightly sharper, more exhilarating edge without compromising the engine’s smooth character.
Ferrari reports that the updated V-8 revs more quickly than before. This comes thanks to a series of upgrades: new camshafts weighing roughly a third of the Roma’s, improved intake and exhaust breathing, a more powerful ECU borrowed from the 296, a reworked crankshaft, and faster turbos now spinning at 175,000 rpm. Together, these changes sharpen throttle response and give the Amalfi’s engine an even livelier character.
The 2026 Ferrari Amalfi aerodynamics have also been refined compared with the Roma. Openings above the headlights shrink the grille area, reducing drag while helping cool the V-8. At the rear, the adjustable spoiler offers three positions — down, mid, and fully deployed — generating 242 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. Top speed remains around 200 mph, with 0–62 mph achieved in a claimed 3.3 seconds and 0–124 mph in 9.0 seconds. Following Ferrari tradition, a convertible version is expected to join the lineup soon.
Named after the breathtaking 2026 Ferrari Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, the coupe will hit showrooms next year with a starting price of roughly $275,000. Start saving — Ferrari isn’t making it easy to resist.
