Ferrari Amalfi review

The cheapest, least powerful new Ferrari – not that 631bhp or £202,459 are entry-level numbers. But this is what Ferrari considers its gateway drug: the car that beckons new buyers into the brand, conquesting sales from the Aston Martin Vantage, Mercedes-AMG GT63, and Porsche 911 Turbo S. And if you want to get on the list for the next F80, Icona special or a ‘SP’ custom one-off, best start off with a couple of these in your garage. 

More specifically, the Amalfi replaces the Roma, which was something new for Ferrari: its first front-engined V8 coupe. The Amalfi, named after the coastal region of Italy south-east of Rome, is essentially a heavy facelift of its six-year-old predecessor. 

Photography: Olgun Kordal

The basic structure and twin-turbo V8 are copy-pasted, but on top, every body panel is new, as are the gorgeous milled wheels. The brakes are no longer connected to the left pedal (more on that in Driving), the interior’s been renovated in the name of much-needed common sense (see Interior), you get a smidge more power and a wider spread of driving modes. And it now looks…

…like a Honda Prelude?

The ‘visor’ front of the Amalfi has certainly, um, provoked some comment. Top Gear YouTube viewers have likened it to Honda’s new hybrid coupe, the latest Toyota Prius, and various aquatic mammals. It’s fair to say that while the long bonnet, rakish roofline, pert tail and voluptuous haunches give it classically correct coupe proportions a 275 GTB would be proud of, the detailing hasn’t been universally well-received. 

Ferrari no longer wants its cars to have a ‘face’ and likes to hide inconveniences like lights and sensors in awkward places. Have a play on the configurator – it tends to suit bolder colours, though weirdly Rosso Corsa isn’t one of them. 

How fast is this new ‘baby’ Ferrari?

Quick enough that anyone complaining about the styling won’t be frowning at it for long. By spinning the twin turbos faster – now up to 171,000rpm, a climb of 7,000rpm from the Roma’s engine – power rises from 619bhp to 631bhp. Maximum torque is mapped for each gear to encourage the driver to cling on until the 7,500rpm redline, but stretches to a chunky 560lb ft. 

Despite sending all that to only the rear wheels and not being especially light at around 1,570kg, the Amalfi hits 62mph from launch in 3.3 seconds, passes 125mph in a mere 9.0 seconds and can just crack 200mph. In a straight line it demolishes Aston Martin’s more potent Vantage S and the pricier Aston Martin DB12, and is only seen off by cars in its class with electric assistance and all-wheel drive. 

Ferrari sees fit not to publish a Fiorano lap time for the Amalfi, because it argues this is a GT sports car, on the opposite side of the spectrum from its mid-engined 296 and SF90/849 Testarossa. Mind you, the engine nestles so far behind the front axle the Amalfi is arguably just as mid-engined as its stablemates.

This level of improvement between car generations is a shamefully rare treat these days – most cars seem to have either plateaued or become more annoying. More festooned with tech we don’t want and gimmicks we don’t need by the day. 

Then Ferrari pops up with a competitively priced sports coupe that makes a better noise than it used to while still avoiding an anti-social behaviour citation. It churns out more power but still ticks the emissions legislation boxes without any hybrid complication. Yes, the ADAS nannies persist but tactile switchgear makes ‘em painless to deactivate. The interior’s not just easier to operate, it’s also taken a leap in material quality. And on top of all that, it’s a more tolerant of beginners and still entertaining for ‘piloti’ with colour-coded Ferrari racing boots. 

So, forgive us if we forgive Ferrari for meddling with the Roma’s knuckle-biting prettiness. The Amalfi isn’t as beautiful, but everything else about it is much, much better – enough that this relatively simple non-hybrid V8 coupe might be the most satisfying, real-world rewarding car Ferrari currently makes.