What's the next place name?! The media gets excited with speculation

In July of this year, Ferrari announced a new car. Its name is "Amalfi." It goes without saying that the name comes from the Amalfi Coast, a scenic spot that represents Italy, part of which is a World Heritage Site.

Before talking about this car, we must mention the existence of the Ferrari "Roma". As you can tell from its styling, the Amalfi was released as the successor to the Roma. The front-mid mounted V8 engine, +2 layout cabin, and its seductive form tell the tale. It is a model for sports car drivers with so-called GT car elements.

Rome was created with the concept of "La Nuova Dolce Vita". It is a new interpretation of "Dolce Vita" (sweet life) by director Federico Fellini. In a sense, it can be said to be a good time in Italy. Personally, it reminds me of the movie "Nine". It is a work that expresses "1 2/XNUMX" by changing the location to the big screen.

The styling of the Roma is so seductive that it makes anyone say "beautiful" without even thinking. And it's similar to Ferraris of the 1950s and 60s. The 250GT series was one example, and many people were fascinated by its curves.

The result is a style that pursues the minimum lines necessary for functionality.

Amalfi is an extension of that. The Roman design has been further refined and individuality has been added. The designers must have had a hard time because they had to make changes without destroying the highly complete design. It was a bold decision. And they completed it brilliantly. Flavio Manzoni, head of the design department, commented on this. "We wanted to make Amalfi as pure and simple as possible." He also said, "We eliminated unnecessary design elements and pursued the minimum lines necessary for functionality."

The actual Amalfi was finished like that. There are no prominent character lines on the body sides, and it is shaped with soft surfaces. The long hood and bulging rear fenders also complete the flowing form.

Of course, at the same time, the shape of the front bumper was redesigned to improve aerodynamics. In fact, according to the presentation, everything except the front window and the left and right glass is newly designed. Ferrari has always been a small-volume manufacturer, so it takes time and money to express originality in each car, and the Amalfi is no exception, and its identity has been injected while following the flow of Rome.

The overwhelming driving performance makes you feel the evolution from the "Roma"

Speaking of aerodynamics, the variable rear spoiler is also worth noting. It was also installed on the Roma, but on the Amalfi it has been made even larger to improve efficiency. It automatically changes its angle in three stages depending on the speed, streamlining the airflow and generating downforce as needed. By the way, Mr. Manzoni, mentioned above, spoke enthusiastically about this variable spoiler. He said he was pleased to have been able to create a design that blends in with the body so that it doesn't look like it's moving under normal circumstances.

The engine is a 3.9-liter V8 twin turbo. The maximum output is 640cv, 20cv more than the Roma. The increase in output is due to computer settings, but it is also worth noting that the engine itself has been made lighter this time. They refine the details and always evolve with the latest technology. At the same time, Ferrari is particular about the driving feeling and the sound the engine makes. Their engines are often described as "sensual," but this is not just about efficiency, but also about careful research into how the driver feels.

That's the outline of the new Amalfi. It would take a lot of space to talk about the whole story, so I'll refrain from doing so. In fact, I went to the Maranello headquarters to unveil the car, and the presentation lasted more than an hour. The heads of marketing and sales, the technical department, and the designers took to the stage one after another, and spoke passionately about each field in front of the media gathered from all over the world. However, these were also at the topic level, and I think they were not enough. The more you get to know this car, the deeper it seems to be.

We will have to wait until the first quarter of 2026 for the Amalfi to begin deliveries. It was announced that deliveries will start in Europe at that time. Given that, we will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel in Italy in early 2026. It's exciting to think about it. Where will the media test drive take place? Of course, it must be the Amalfi Coast...

Tatsuya Kushima

Motor journalist and columnist. Currently, he is the media site editor-in-chief and media business producer for the surfing magazine "NALU." She has previously served as editor-in-chief of many men's magazines, golf magazines, car magazines, airline in-flight magazines, etc. In addition to media activities, he is a member of the Japan Car of the Year selection committee, a member of the Japan Cigar Association, a Japan Boat of the Year selection committee, and the creative director of men's golf wear ``The Duke's Golf.''