The Ferrari Amalfi offers a new look inside and out, with a return to physical buttons on the steering wheel, as opposed to touchpads. A sign that drivers still prefer a more manual approach to their sports cars.
Ferrari has revealed a replacement for its Roma sports car, called the Amalfi, and there’s been a major change to how its drivers will interact with the controls.
The front-engined 2+2 borrows its redesigned nose from the 12 Cilindri, while the rear end has been simplified and there’s a lovely new set of wheels. But arguably the biggest change is what’s happened in the cabin – and that Ferrari has reverted away from haptic touchpads, back to physical buttons.
This move had been whispered about for some time – and remember, former Apple design boss Jony Ive is working on interior items of Ferrari’s upcoming EV – but now we finally have our first look at what’s changed.
The Roma’s cabin, which was designed to split the driver and front-seat passenger into two distinct zones, has had a major overhaul for the new Amalfa. There’s more cohesion between the two sides, and the Roma’s awkward portrait-orientated touchscreen has been replaced by a horizontal one like those found in Ferrari’s Purosangue SUV.
The screen measures 10.25 inches and runs both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto within Ferrari’s own operating system. No CarPlay Ultra just yet, though. A final flourish is how the central tunnel is topped by a beautiful piece of aluminium housing the key fob and gear selectors.
But the biggest change is with the steering wheel. The awkward, touch-sensitive haptic pads of the Roma, SF90, 296, 12 Cilindri and Purosangue are gone, replaced by a set of conventional buttons. What’s more, Ferrari’s iconic red starter button makes a return. Recent models were started by a mere tap of a touch panel, whereas now the Amalfi (and future models, I’m sure) are awakened with the press of a proper button.
It may sound like a small change but when you’re spending over £220,000 on a new Ferrari, you want some drama. You want to feel connected with the V8 engine and, just as importantly, you want to navigate the driver display, or simply answer the phone, without swiping your way into a sub menu by mistake.
Even more interesting is that, according to TopGear’s conversation with Ferrari’s Gianmaria Fulgenzi, the new steering wheel is available as an upgrade to owners of Ferraris with the haptic controls, like the 296 GTB and SF90. It’s apparently a simple job that can be done at your local Ferrari dealer, but no word yet on what it’ll cost. One can assume “plenty” describes it well.
Back to the new Amalfi and, refreshingly, Ferrari hasn’t got too distracted by giving its entry-level car lots more power. The Amalfi’s 3.9-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 produces an extra 20 horsepower over the Roma, taking the total to 640, slightly less than the Aston Martin Vantage. The Amalfi can sprint to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds, 125 mph in 9.0s and has a top speed of a nice, round 200 mph. It keeps the same eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox as the Roma, and there’s no hybrid system.
Optional extras include three seat sizes for the driver and front passenger, each with a massage function provided by 10 air chambers and equipped with five programmes and three levels of intensity. Seat heating and ventilation are also available, and the optional stereo upgrade is a Burmester sound system with 14 speakers and 1,200 watts of peak power.
The order books are now open, with prices starting at €260,000 (£223,000), and the first deliveries are expected to arrive in early 2026.
