Ferrari has greatly expanded the breadth of its model line-up with the mainstream range now comprising no fewer than nine offerings – including the upcoming 12Cilindri in coupe and Spider formats.
While the ballistic SF90 rounds out the top end, the biggest chunk of sales volume comes from the entry-level Roma, which has recently been supplemented by a drop-top Spider variant.
Essentially replacing the Portofino M, the Roma Spider differs markedly from the former in that it eschews a folding hardtop for a traditional fabric roof.
Hardcore performance enthusiasts are sometimes dismissive of roofless cars – as the absence of a fixed roof means they sacrifice some degree of torsional stiffness – but it would be a mistake to pigeonhole the Roma Spider as a pretentious pose-mobile that ditches dynamism in favour of a wishy-washy lifestyle focus.
In most respects, the Roma Spider effortlessly fulfils the dual facets of being a relaxed grand tourer and hardcore corner carver. Slot the manettino knob (drive mode selector) in Comfort mode and the Roma Spider lopes along country roads and highways with a decent level of refinement.
Even with the top down it’s possible to have a non-shouty conversation with a passenger at speeds of up to 120kph. This is especially true when activating the wind deflector, which is a fold-out panel that deploys at the press of a button, covering the space over the rear seats to reduce turbulence in the cabin.
That said, the cosseting experience is marred somewhat by jiggly ride quality over rough surfaces and there’s also a noticeable driveline shunt (a slight clunking sensation) when using the accelerator in stop-start traffic.
Another gripe is that the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is overeager to shift up to high ratios in the chase for fuel economy. It even happens in Sport mode. Of course, I can easily take matters into my own hands by working the elongated carbon-fibre gearshift paddles, which I do and they have a pleasing tactility to them.
I don't have the opportunity to give the Roma Spider a sustained flogging across winding roads, but the few corners that present themselves showcase a level of tautness that’s hard to find in a front-engine roadster.
The drop-top Ferrari has a planted feel, although the light and highly sensitive steering and brake pedal take me a brief period of familiarisation to get completely in tune with the car.
The 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 – which thumps out 620hp and 760Nm – has vast reserves of low and mid-range oomph that I deploy to waft past slow-moving cars, yet it’s also happy to zing its way up to its 7,500rpm redline.
The V8’s soundtrack has a decently sporting edge to it, although lacking the sheer drama and melodious timbre of Ferrari’s epic V12 motors.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
With less than 1.7 tonnes to shift with all fluids on board, the Roma Spider nails down some eye-opening stats for a topless grand tourer. It sprints from 0 to 100kph in 3.4 seconds, flashes past 200kph in 9.7 seconds and can hit 320kph flat out.
There’s plenty of artistry on show in the Roma Spider’s cabin. The twin-cockpit layout not only looks good, but also creates a clear demarcation between the driver’s domain and the front passenger’s space.
That said, there’s a reason Ferrari refers to this car as a “2+” rather than a 2+2 as the rear seats are of the token variety. They’re OK for accommodating small children or tossing a backpack, briefcase or shopping bags into, but that’s about it.
Boot capacity is a modest but still usable 255 litres with the roof up – 17 litres less than what the Roma coupe can stash in the rear – but to lower the roof, a divider must be put down, which eats into boot space.
As with the coupe, the haptic buttons on the steering wheel don’t function very well and the menus for the infotainment system and instrument gauge cluster display are anything but intuitive. Hopefully, this is an area that Ferrari addresses in its next-gen models.
All in all, the Roma Spider serves up an enticing blend of pace, panache and day-to-day performance, with only Aston Martin’s DB12 Volante and Porsche’s 911 Turbo S Cabriolet offering comparable roofless thrills in the Dh1 million range.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
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Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
