La Dolce Vita is one of the most famous movies of all time. Meaning the sweet life, it's all about a time when things were less complicated, less interconnected, and by modern standards, possibly less justifiable. Could this be the future for the car, something that is difficult to justify? We certainly hope not because then we wouldn't have cars like the new Ferrari Roma, or as the Italian company likes to call it, La Nuova Dolce Vita, "the new sweet life".

And sweet it is, from its athletic and elegant design through to its throaty V8 engine and playful nature. It's something to love and isn't that was La Dolce Vita was all about?

It's easy to think of it as a Portofino coupe, but it's not, not entirely anyway. 30% of the chassis is carried over and there are other elements that come from the convertible tourer, but the Roma is a GT that sits very much on its own in terms of design and most of its engineering.

Exterior Design: Sharply Dressed

Inspired by the grand tourers of the 1960s, the Roma looks modern but still features some elements of classic automotive design. Even the traditional shields have been removed to evoke the Ferraris of the 1950s, although they are optional. The designers have tried to keep the side profile so simple in fact that the turn signals behind the front wheel arches look like a dirty smudge.

The shark nose at the front was a tricky piece of design, still needing to suck in enough air to keep the V8 cool and to also channel air beneath the car through the new vortex generators sculpted into the underbody, the first on a Ferrari GT car. The grille is flanked by narrow headlights and thin strip LED daytime running lights that are all about pulling the various design elements together in a theater of tension.

The rear with its truncated tail is clean and uncluttered with narrow lights that might remind you of those on the Chevrolet Camaro, but we'd never say that to Ferrari. Mind you, they'd never agree that there's a bit of an Aston Martin DB11 look about the Roma and we'd never say that either.

There's a discreet spoiler just below the rear window that automatically adjusts to one of three positions to generate up to 95 kg of downforce. It's important to stress the word automatically because there's no button to raise it yourself. The engineers wanted it to do what it is designed to do, not be raised because someone thinks it looks cool - it doesn't in case you are one of those.

Head of Design at Ferrari, Flavio Manzoni, describes it as "Formula 1 in evening attire." We get that, it's certainly elegant but beneath that smooth exterior it's a sporty number, maybe not quite an F1 car but there's definitely an athlete within.

Interior Design & Features: Tech Meets Craftsmanship

The interior is divided into two handcrafted sections for driver and passenger. It's dominated by beautiful leather and the latest digital screen technology. Plus there are two small rear seats that add to the GT character and which you might just get the kids into, provided they aren't tall teenagers. We got a photographer in there, but whether it was the driving or being cramped, he didn't stay there for long.

One thing that is obvious is the vast improvement in fit and finish over even relatively recent Ferraris. All the thin leather trim pieces feel top-notch and the components all fit snugly.

What is also very noticeable is the 16-inch instrument cluster that's part of the Human Machine Interface (HMI) and so it should be because it contains all your essential info. It's adjustable so you can have more map and less speed info, or vice versa and in-between. It's controlled via a touch-sensitive pad on the steering wheel where you'll find other essential controls to try to avoid you being distracted elsewhere in the cabin.

You do have to use the center console screen to adjust the climate control and some of the vehicle settings though. With no haptic feedback and a slight hesitancy to respond at times, it's probably best left to the passenger, who by the way have their own touchscreen in front of them to control audio, navigation or see just how fast you are driving before punching you on the shoulder and telling you to slow down.

Controls are all well laid out although, in typical Ferrari style, many of the buttons are a little different to the layout of rivals like Porsche and Maserati. It's all the first Ferrari to use the voice activation command, "Ciao Ferrari."

It's a GT car so you have between 9.6 and 12.18 cu ft of cargo space in the trunk. There's a useful ski flap, probably not so much for skis but for the golf bag or a slightly longer item. You'll get a couple of holdalls in the trunk but nothing large and no doubt a tailored luggage set will be available if you want it.

Engine & Performance: Delivers In All Situations

The athletic muscle is hidden beneath a classic power bulge and high arches. The now-familiar turbocharged V8 is updated for the Roma to produce 612 hp between 5,750-7,500 rpm and 560 lb-ft of torque at 3,000-5,750 rpm. Ferrari claims a 0-62 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph.

Thanks to a new exhaust where the engineers have removed the silencers to fit in Gas Particulate Filters, the engine meets the very latest emissions regulations. It also has new bypass flaps to give the V8 deeper vocal cords, but you need to push the rev needle quite high to get the most of the sounds on offer.

The Getrag 8-speed DCT gearbox has been developed from the one used in the SF90 Stradale and is lighter and faster than the old 7-speed. The ratios are not quite as harsh as on the SF90 though, even in Race mode. Talking of which, the Roma is the first Ferrari GT to get a Race mode and the first with five steps to the Manettino - Wet, Comfort, Sport, Race and ESC Off.

Driving Impressions: A Proper GT With An Edge

Making a proper GT car is not as straightforward as you might think. You can squeeze a couple of occasional use seats in the back, make sure the boot will store a leather-clad bag, and ensure it's all comfortable, but a GT has to have multiple personalities, more so than any sportscar.

Ferrari has done an impressive job of this with the Roma. It's civilized enough to drive through sleepy villages without disturbing the locals and apart from some of the dreaded low-speed gearbox judder from the DCT in traffic, it'll generally cope with congestion fine. If you want to drive across the country or even multiple countries then it'll gladly oblige.

Head to some good roads and you'll find that shark nose hides some sparkling teeth. Dial in Sports or Race mode, prep yourself properly in your seat and then drop a gear and go for it.

The rear wheels will flinch and then launch you forward, the car perfectly planted on the road. The design gives you excellent visibility to place the Roma exactly where you want it to be as you quickly jump through the gears before settling into the overdrive of eighth.

It's a twitchy mistress though, especially on slippery Italian roads where the rear end breaks traction with surprising regularity. The electronics snatch things back rather sharpish, and dial in Wet mode on the Manettino and the torque is reduced making things much more civilized.

It's all controllable in a way that a proper GT should be, able to reward when you get it right but not afraid to make you conscious of the limits available if you choose to explore them.

Price and Trims

The Roma jets into the US in the first quarter of 2021 and will be priced from $222,630. As with any Ferrari there are plenty of personalization items available to make it your own from colors to choice of leather and the option to add those shields on the flanks.

Verdict: A GT That Drives As Good As It Looks

For many drivers, the fact that the Roma has a definite playful side to it will appeal greatly and it's easy to enjoy the full complement of torque. But the main thing is that the Roma is happy doing whatever you ask of it. Want to cruise? No problem. Want to blast through a twisty mountain road? No problem. Want to take the kids to school? Well, you could I suppose.

It fulfills the criteria of a proper GT and it does so while looking achingly beautiful and delivering just the right amount of mostly useable tech. Ferrari would like you to think of it as slightly understated and perhaps that's true compared to other Maranello models, but it certainly received its fair share of second glances and if that's anything to go by then Ferrari has created something rather special.