From McLaren 720 to Ferrari Roma

From McLaren 720 to Ferrari Roma

Author
Discussion

plasticbombastic

Original Poster:

16 posts

101 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
quotequote all
I'm thinking of buying a Ferrari Roma. I have a McLaren 720s right now. I like the technology in the Roma, the style and the fact that's it's a bit understated in the way it looks. The McLaren isn't exactly subtle or subdued in any way and I know the driving experience will be completely different when I compare the two cars. What does everyone else think of the Roma? I've seen a few YouTube videos including Harry's Garage and the concerns he has with the tech is something I'm sure I can overcome. I think I'm quite good with tech and touch screens. I really dislike the Portofino and California though and I know it's effectively a replacement for them

Akajak

887 posts

238 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
quotequote all
The one thing I would say is that it is definitely not a Cali/Porto replacement.

petjam

486 posts

145 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
quotequote all
Very different cars.

Roma has the nicest interior on any car which I have driven. Have you driven one yet?

RudeBoy

405 posts

31 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
quotequote all
I think the Roma is very colour sensitive, I saw a silver one and it looked like a Jag F Type.

willy wombat

906 posts

147 months

Thursday 26th August 2021
quotequote all
I’ve had a go in a Roma and while the touchscreen approach is very flash, I would find it impossible to live with on a daily basis cf the slagging off of the new Golf’s touchscreen approach in the motoring press.

Kyodo

727 posts

123 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
RudeBoy said:
I think the Roma is very colour sensitive, I saw a silver one and it looked like a Jag F Type.
I felt the same when I first saw one, in silver, a little bit underwhelmed. Then I saw a metallic red one, then a metallic blue one, now I'm converted. Lovely!

Soleith

457 posts

88 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
I'm obviously biased as I have a Roma on order (build slot next month!)

Had a decent test drive in January before placing the order and had one for 6 days as a loaner courtesy of HR Owen for driving around the Cotswolds a couple of weeks ago so although I'm not yet in a position to comment on living with one as a daily feel I know the car reasonably well now. Points to note:

The good:

1. (subjective of course) It's the most stunning looking (standard production) car Ferrari have put out in the last 20+ years.
2. Spending 3 days in a row driving it for 5+ hours/day, it's surprisingly comfortable for a 6'3 tall person, although calling it a comfortable GT is a push, I drove the 570s a while back and would say the Roma is unsurprisingly more comfortable but it's obviously no conti gt.
3. Luggage space is not as bad as I was expecting, the Mrs and I got bags in for a few days away without issue and the back seats are useful for extra storage.
4. Plenty powerful and the exhaust note is wonderful despite turbo.
5. Handles well although in all honesty I'm coming at this from more of a GT ownership history than an out and out sports car like a 720.
6. Was wondering how bad it would be to have a Ferrari given jealousy etc. Never had so many smiles, nods, thumbs ups, friendly waves etc as I have in the Roma regardless of whether driving in central london on my own or the cotswolds in a convoy of 12 of us.
7. Tech is surprisingly easy to live with although I do personally hate the industry rush away from buttons and towards touchscreens for everything.
8. Bumpy road mode is fantastic.
9. Was nervous going over speedbumps the first few times but ground clearance is surprisingly good which I guess is why there's no front lift option.
10. Space age podlike interior for driver/passenger separation is surprisingly not cramped even with two people not small people in.
11. Size 12 feet in trainers not a problem, unlike with the F8 which has a small pedal area where I found my foot catching the roof of the pedal box and also having to jam my foot to the right as far as possible to avoid clipping the brake pedal when using the accelerator.
12. Satnav surprisingly decent given what I'd read about Ferrari navs in the past.
13. That key.

The could be better:

All that said, the tech is not the greatest. The main gripe is the touchscreen responsiveness is a bit slow. Touch controls on the wheel are actually fine, I found it a bigger adjustment to get used to indicator buttons than the wheel touchpads. After a few seconds, the wheel touchpads disable and you have to intentionally double tap the main pad to get everything to enable again. I don't think I accidentally activated the touchpads once over the entire weekend.
Footrest for the left foot could also be further back to allow tall people to stretch leg a bit more on long drives but even with a bad left knee (3 surgeries after breaking it skiing) it wasn't uncomfortable but of course space is at a premium in these things.
Satnav takes 5-30 seconds of driving to get its bearings depending on how built up an area you're in.
Couldn't see a way to get traffic on the satnav.
Range prediction algorithm clearly needs some work.
Rear seats pointless except as additional storage. I suppose if you had a REALLY short person in front with their seat moved all the way forwards you might be able to squeeze something small and humanish in there but realistically you should expect a call from the NSPCC. I wish they'd given the front seats another couple of inches to move back and made the extra space available to the boot.
Phone holders too small for anything with a case on.

Overall, I'm really happy with my choice. I was toying with the idea of a Portofino but am not really a convertible person and while it doesn't look bad, it also doesn't look particularly great to me. Glad I waited and then the Roma was announced. The California I think looks bad. Don't really think the Roma is a replacement for either, Portofino M has just launched. In general it just feels like a seriously well sorted car and I intend to use it as a somewhat daily driver.

Edited by Soleith on Friday 27th August 11:36

Fast Eddie

412 posts

244 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
Soleith said:
I'm obviously biased as I have a Roma on order (build slot next month!)

Had a decent test drive in January before placing the order and had one for 6 days as a loaner courtesy of HR Owen for driving around the Cotswolds a couple of weeks ago so although I'm not yet in a position to comment on living with one as a daily feel I know the car reasonably well now. Points to note:

The good:

1. (subjective of course) It's the most stunning looking (standard production) car Ferrari have put out in the last 20+ years.
2. Spending 3 days in a row driving it for 5+ hours/day, it's surprisingly comfortable for a 6'3 tall person, although calling it a comfortable GT is a push, I drove the 570s a while back and would say the Roma is unsurprisingly more comfortable but it's obviously no conti gt.
3. Luggage space is not as bad as I was expecting, the Mrs and I got bags in for a few days away without issue and the back seats are useful for extra storage.
4. Plenty powerful and the exhaust note is wonderful despite turbo.
5. Handles well although in all honesty I'm coming at this from more of a GT ownership history than an out and out sports car like a 720.
6. Was wondering how bad it would be to have a Ferrari given jealousy etc. Never had so many smiles, nods, thumbs ups, friendly waves etc as I have in the Roma regardless of whether driving in central london on my own or the cotswolds in a convoy of 12 of us.
7. Tech is surprisingly easy to live with although I do personally hate the industry rush away from buttons and towards touchscreens for everything.
8. Bumpy road mode is fantastic.
9. Was nervous going over speedbumps the first few times but ground clearance is surprisingly good which I guess is why there's no front lift option.
10. Space age podlike interior for driver/passenger separation is surprisingly not cramped even with two people not small people in.
11. Size 12 feet in trainers not a problem, unlike with the F8 which has a small pedal area where I found my foot catching the roof of the pedal box and also having to jam my foot to the right as far as possible to avoid clipping the brake pedal when using the accelerator.
12. Satnav surprisingly decent given what I'd read about Ferrari navs in the past.
13. That key.

The could be better:

All that said, the tech is not the greatest. The main gripe is the touchscreen responsiveness is a bit slow. Touch controls on the wheel are actually fine, I found it a bigger adjustment to get used to indicator buttons than the wheel touchpads. After a few seconds, the wheel touchpads disable and you have to intentionally double tap the main pad to get everything to enable again. I don't think I accidentally activated the touchpads once over the entire weekend.
Footrest for the left foot could also be further back to allow tall people to stretch leg a bit more on long drives but even with a bad left knee (3 surgeries after breaking it skiing) it wasn't uncomfortable but of course space is at a premium in these things.
Satnav takes 5-30 seconds of driving to get its bearings depending on how built up an area you're in.
Couldn't see a way to get traffic on the satnav.
Range prediction algorithm clearly needs some work.
Rear seats pointless except as additional storage. I suppose if you had a REALLY short person in front with their seat moved all the way forwards you might be able to squeeze something small and humanish in there but realistically you should expect a call from the NSPCC. I wish they'd given the front seats another couple of inches to move back and made the extra space available to the boot.

Overall, I'm really happy with my choice. I was toying with the idea of a Portofino but am not really a convertible person and while it doesn't look bad, it also doesn't look particularly great to me. Glad I waited and then the Roma was announced. The California I think looks bad. Don't really think the Roma is a replacement for either, Portofino M has just launched. In general it just feels like a seriously well sorted car and I intend to use it as a somewhat daily driver.
Phone holders too small for anything with a case on.
Great review and I think you have deffo bought a beautiful car. I have done the Millbrook experience in one (which is nothing like you have done) and certainly agree with the touchscreen nonsense from all mfrs.

plasticbombastic

Original Poster:

16 posts

101 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to take one for a test drive on a few days. I do like the looks both on the outside and how it looks and feels on the inside. I suspect the tech issues are ones that I can get used to but given that many Ferrari owners feel the interior tech is not something that attracts them, I wonder if that will have an impact on future model designs and it'll turn out to be something similar to the 1970s Aston Martin Lagonda which has amazing tech for its time. The interior tech combined with the looks of the interior and the design options actually is the main attraction of the car to me. The rear seats are going to be for luggage, the speed is probably not track orientated enough that I use it regularly on the race track, and the image of the California is not something that I think is reflected on the Roma. I'm seriously tempted and I'm very much looking forward to my test drive

SG167

86 posts

114 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
Not to add anything constructive here, but saw a Yellow Roma 6/7 weeks ago and I've still got a semi. Looked so "right". Can't stand the Portofino / California at all, the Roma just seems on a different level of special to those.

Nice problem to have, 720s or Roma, good luck!

isda

30 posts

225 months

Friday 27th August 2021
quotequote all
If you have a 720 then my view is the Roma will disappoint. If your funds/garage can wear it then keep the 720 and buy a DB11 or GTC4 and save £100k.

plasticbombastic

Original Poster:

16 posts

101 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
quotequote all
Why do you think it'll disappoint? I know it's a very different car in terms of its character.

isda

30 posts

225 months

Saturday 28th August 2021
quotequote all
Apologies if it was too sweeping a statement but I find the 720 makes everything else I’ve driven feel slow/heavy/soggy. It has ruined me for other cars!

plasticbombastic

Original Poster:

16 posts

101 months

Sunday 29th August 2021
quotequote all
I have now taken the Roma for a test drive and I agree with what you say about the potential disappointment comparing a 720 to any other car. The McLaren is so engaging and connected, it is incredibly stable and easy to control with slight drifts and slides. The Roma did feel softer and less raw, with more body roll and less road connection. The driving position in the McLaren is perfect whereas my feet were at a slight angle in the Roma. However, it's a lovely car, I really liked it and I can see myself getting one. When comparing sports car Ferraris to McLarens, I prefer a McLaren (and that's always going to be a personal choice at this level of driving and cars) but I think the Roma is more of a GT and for that niche I think it's a great car and I really like it. The tech is going to be hard to learn and get used to, but we don't do things in life because they're easy (to paraphrase JFK). The appearance of the car reminds me of a starship from Star Wars so I wonder if a gloss metal colour will show off the car best

Soleith

457 posts

88 months

Monday 30th August 2021
quotequote all
plasticbombastic said:
I have now taken the Roma for a test drive and I agree with what you say about the potential disappointment comparing a 720 to any other car. The McLaren is so engaging and connected, it is incredibly stable and easy to control with slight drifts and slides. The Roma did feel softer and less raw, with more body roll and less road connection. The driving position in the McLaren is perfect whereas my feet were at a slight angle in the Roma. However, it's a lovely car, I really liked it and I can see myself getting one. When comparing sports car Ferraris to McLarens, I prefer a McLaren (and that's always going to be a personal choice at this level of driving and cars) but I think the Roma is more of a GT and for that niche I think it's a great car and I really like it. The tech is going to be hard to learn and get used to, but we don't do things in life because they're easy (to paraphrase JFK). The appearance of the car reminds me of a starship from Star Wars so I wonder if a gloss metal colour will show off the car best
Yeah, for me it was about dailyish usability and for that I think it's about as hard a car as I'd live with for that. Colour will be important but as it's my first Ferrari I went with the boring and traditional rosso corsa with crema leather interior, just to be extra-original! What d'you think you'll do? Sounds to me like you're of two minds about the switch.

Edited by Soleith on Monday 30th August 08:06

Lexparsimoniae

11 posts

31 months

Monday 30th August 2021
quotequote all
I took delivery of my Roma in July; I bought it as a GT car for long journeys and which my wife would be happy to accompany me in.
Of course, the performance is superb but it’s outstanding feature is the quality of the suspension and the ride over the worst of poorly maintained roads.
The luggage space is certainly up to true GT standards and was able to swallow a picnic table and chairs etc for 6 at a lovely recent event.
The biggest challenge for me was the tech, it is rather like a Starship inside - mostly I drive manual classics with switches as well as a recent Aston Martin - in fact it was not too difficult to manage after just a little time in the car. If you can use an iPad you can find it easy.
So far it scores 10/10 as a GT Car; I’m off to the continent shortly so then it’ll have a good test.

DMC2

1,827 posts

210 months

Monday 30th August 2021
quotequote all
I had a test drive of a Roma last weekend. Nice looking car, discreet though, almost to the point it can blend in like a jag. Pointless back seats. Interior okay, the dash screen looked tacky, and the one I drove had a yellow highlight swirl on the dash which really badly reflected on the windscreen. Didn’t feel quick, I know it’s a GT car but really seemed to lack torque. And the steering was terrible. Stupidly light, not much feel. I wouldn’t like to try and correct a slide with steering that twitchy. Definitely not for me. I felt positively delighted to get back in my 911.

Taffy66

5,964 posts

101 months

Monday 30th August 2021
quotequote all
DMC2 said:
I had a test drive of a Roma last weekend. Nice looking car, discreet though, almost to the point it can blend in like a jag. Pointless back seats. Interior okay, the dash screen looked tacky, and the one I drove had a yellow highlight swirl on the dash which really badly reflected on the windscreen. Didn’t feel quick, I know it’s a GT car but really seemed to lack torque. And the steering was terrible. Stupidly light, not much feel. I wouldn’t like to try and correct a slide with steering that twitchy. Definitely not for me. I felt positively delighted to get back in my 911.
I test drove a LHD pre-production Roma a year ago and also found the steering pretty awful in the same way as you describe. At the time i put it down to my test car was still work in progress and would be much improved before cars were delivered to customers. It was so bad i couldn't wait to get out of it and it never gave me confidence to push it even in a straight line. I felt similar steering when i test drove an early 981 Boxster S which i also thought had poor steering.

Edited by Taffy66 on Tuesday 31st August 00:00

DeejRC

5,708 posts

81 months

Monday 30th August 2021
quotequote all
I have a Roma for 48hrs or so when I’m back from holiday and the F12 goes in for service. I’ve been wanting to try one out (I think they look superb) so will see how she works.

RudeBoy

405 posts

31 months

Tuesday 31st August 2021
quotequote all
Taffy66 said:
DMC2 said:
I had a test drive of a Roma last weekend. Nice looking car, discreet though, almost to the point it can blend in like a jag. Pointless back seats. Interior okay, the dash screen looked tacky, and the one I drove had a yellow highlight swirl on the dash which really badly reflected on the windscreen. Didn’t feel quick, I know it’s a GT car but really seemed to lack torque. And the steering was terrible. Stupidly light, not much feel. I wouldn’t like to try and correct a slide with steering that twitchy. Definitely not for me. I felt positively delighted to get back in my 911.
I test drove a LHD pre-production Roma a year ago and also found the steering pretty awful in the same way as you describe. At the time i put it down to my test car was still work in progress and would be much improved before cars were delivered to customers. It was so bad i couldn't wait to get out of it and it never gave me confidence to push it even in a straight line. I felt similar steering when i test drove an early 981 Boxster S which i also thought had poor steering.

Edited by Taffy66 on Tuesday 31st August 00:00
In Harry’s Garage vid I thought it looked extremely twitchy when he was driving it.