2023 Ferrari Roma Spider to be marque’s entry-level convertible

Roma Spider is not expected to be significantly changed from the coupé under the skin

Roma Spider will not replace Ferrari Portofino M but instead sit below it in line-up

A Ferrari Roma Spider will be launched in 2023 as the marque’s entry-level convertible.

Spotted on the road for the first time in new images, the heavily camouflaged Roma Spider appears to be largely unchanged from the coupé, save for the new roofline and more pronounced rear deck.

Little is expected to change under the skin, meaning the Roma Spider will get the same 612bhp 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 driving through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

However, the Spider’s performance and dynamics are likely to suffer compared with the coupé because of the weight introduced by the folding roof mechanism and additional chassis bracing. This is required to offset the loss of rigidity inherent in convertibles.

The weight penalty may be especially pronounced if Maranello opts for a tin-top (rather than relatively lightweight cloth), as with the Portofino and the California before it. Indeed, the Portofino was one of the less dynamically sophisticated Ferraris in recent memory, although the revised Portofino M was a significant improvement.

The Roma is one of the best grand tourers currently on sale thanks to its well-roundedness. But at more than £170,000, the presumably more expensive drop-top version may cannibalise sales of the more costly Portofino M.

The appearance of the Roma Spider prototype comes just days before Ferrari is set to reveal its long-awaited SUV, the Purosangue.