Ferrari is always working on something new, and we often see it long before its official debut as a camouflaged test vehicle. However, sometimes the car is so early in its development cycle that Ferrari has to hide it underneath the body of a different model. The automaker did this with the Purosangue, concealing it with a Maserati Levante, and it appears to be doing the same in these new spy shots of a modified Roma.
The coupe, which could be the replacement for the 812, is wearing a camouflage wrap, which hides some of the styling details. However, it can’t cover the car’s elongated hood or physically wider body. It looks like there is some extra metal between the front wheels and the doors, a necessary change if the car is to accommodate a larger engine. Ferrari sells the Roma with a V8.
Gallery: Ferrari Front-Engined V12 Spy Photos
The wider body is visible around the wheels, sticking out further from the car’s centerline and hugging the larger wheels. Ferrari also tweaked the front-end design, carving out larger intakes into the outsides of the lower bumper. A bigger engine would need increased cooling capabilities.
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But what needs cooling? We don’t know. In 2021, Ferrari’s technical boss revealed that the company was already working on a beefier version of its naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine, which delivers 830 horsepower (618 kilowatts) and 510 pound-feet (692 Newton-meters) of torque in the 812 Competizione. We haven’t seen this new motor debut yet. It’s also likely that this powertrain will feature a mild-hybrid system, and it should pump out over 800 hp (596 kW).
Whatever Ferrari is working on, don’t expect it to look like the Roma. The model in development will likely get its own body in 2023, although we expect Ferrari to do its best to hide the design under camouflage and cladding. Or this could be something else entirely. If this is Ferrari’s 812 successor, then it likely won’t arrive until 2024. Automakers might be shifting to EVs, but Ferrari is working to keep its V12 as long as it can, and we’re hopeful for the next-gen version.
