Ferrari Roma vs. Porsche 911

The brainchild of Flavio Manzoni and Ferrari Centro Stile, the highly-reviewed Roma is a Grand Tourer that expresses joy throughout its design in the form of aerodynamic curves and a lithe, alluring profile. At its core is a Dual Cockpit design that is designed symmetrically to maximize involvement for both the driver and the passenger on the road and track. Car and Driver concludes that “The exterior is exceptionally sleek, defined by clean lines, the most modern front end we’ve seen on a Ferrari, including sharp full-LED adaptive headlights with a horizontal light strip.”

The Porsche 911 Turbo has a strong design concept behind it, but the absence of the Dual Cockpit sensibility is on full display. Where the Roma nestles embraces driver and passenger in a cockpit to maximize the connection with the road, the 911 is comparatively open. While the Roma distributes functionality throughout the cabin — particularly with a passenger-side touchscreen that displays performance data — the 911 Turbo diverts all functionality to the driver.

They are fundamentally different driving experiences, but if you wish to celebrate performance — and to do so with a passenger at your side — the Roma is the clear winner.

Powertrain and Performance

The Roma offers stunning performance — and while the Porsche 911 Turbo isn’t far behind, it’s still behind Ferrari’s celebration of La Nuova Dolce Vita, or “The New Sweet Life.”

The Roma’s 3.9L twin-turbo V8 cranks out 611 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, while the 911 Turbo offers a competent-but-still-lesser 572 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. And while the Porsche’s top speed is impressive at 199 mph, it can’t quite match the Roma’s ability to reach 200 mph. But when it comes to the performance of supercars, the difference is often fine — and when you’re in a world-class vehicle, even a fine difference can feel enormous.

Aside from the Dual Cockpit design and a wide range of eye-catching interior colors, the Roma’s interior offers amenities that the 911 Turbo can’t match. Some of the features you’re find inside the Ferrari that are missing from the Porsche include:

• Passenger Display: This 8.4-inch full-color touchscreen displays performance data and allows control over some of the vehicle’s systems. The 911 Turbo doesn’t offer a passenger-side touchscreen.
• Digital Instrument Cluster: The Roma’s digital instrument cluster displays crucial driving data, and also responds to haptic controls on the car’s steering wheel. The 911 Turbo only offers an analog steering wheel.
• Front Seat Memory Functionality: Enjoy the perfect driving position with ease thanks to the Roma’s front-seat memory functionality. The 911 Turbo doesn’t offer memory functionality with it’s seats, leaving drivers to manually adjust each time.