Ferrari has been surprisingly busy on our shores since the Movement Control Order (MCO) began, and it has followed up on the simultaneous introduction of the F8 Tributo Spider and 812 GTS with its third brand new offering since the nation first embraced the new normal. TopGear regulars would have caught many articles and videos about this new Prancing Horse by now. And here’s yet another entry to populate that list and confirm that you can finally place a deposit for the 2020 Ferrari Roma in Malaysia. 

Official distributor Naza Italia lists the Roma’s pre-tax starting price at RM968,000. In case you’re wondering, how much you’ll end up saving from the 50 percent sales tax exemption would depend a lot on where you’re registering it. We still reckon it’s a safe bet to put aside double the base figure to put a decently-kitted unit onto Peninsula roads, though we’re not sure if you should be shopping for a Ferrari if its affordability is tied to rebates.

You’ll be getting a lot of car for that money in any case, more so than the Ferrari Portofino on which the Roma is loosely based at least. While they do share a platform, the Roma isn’t simply a Portofino with a fixed roof. 70 percent of its chassis components are new, as is its eight-speed dual-clutch transmission which first surfaced in the hybrid SF90 Stradale. The 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 up front is a Ferrari staple, but the 612hp and 760Nm it puts out supersedes the Portofino’s output. The Roma is also 94kg lighter than its convertible counterpart, such is the heft of a fully-automated hard top. 

The sum of these parts is a V8 grand tourer which will do 0-100kph in 3.4 seconds before hitting 200kph in 9.3 seconds, with top speed rated above 320kph. At 250kph, the vortex generators at the Roma’s front underbody and active aero in the rear gives it 95kg more downforce than the Portofino, which is quite a feat for what is arguably the most classically elegant exterior in Maranello’s catalogue at the moment – the break from hyper-aggressive F1-derived design cues is certainly quite refreshing.  

Ferrari has done well to keep the geeky go-fast bits hidden within the Roma’s fluid frame. These include Slide Slip Control 6.0 which integrates E-Diff, F1-Trac, SCM-E Frs and Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer. You also get fancy electronics that will come in handy in the real world such as adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alert, and a surround view camera. 

Speaking of views, you only have until 29 June 2020 to get up close and personal with this very unit in person, in Ferrari Malaysia’s swanky showroom in the heart of Kuala Lumpur before deciding on whether to sign on the dotted line. There’s a seven-year warranty in the mix too if it helps seal the deal; this is probably an Italian romance you’d want to be in for the long haul after all.