Ferrari hopes to recapture the grand tourer crown with the striking new Ferrari Amalfi

Ferrari’s design renaissance continues apace with the reveal of the new Ferrari Amalfi, a replacement for the magnificent Ferrari Roma. The Roma, which we last drove in Spider form, was one of the better-looking Ferraris of the modern era.

On the bodywork, the surfaces are purer, with less complexity and more subtle gradation of curves. In the special teal green launch colour, Verde Costiera (inspired by the sea off the Amalfi Coast), the Ferrari Amalfi looks nothing short of fantastic. The new era of simplification also extends to the interior. Given that the forthcoming electric Ferrari is said to involve the close collaboration of LoveFrom, particularly key players Jony Ive and Marc Newson, one could interpret the Amalfi as a step towards a more minimal, even high-tech approach.

Nowhere is this new minimalism more in evidence than at the Amalfi’s front end, which does away with a conventional grille, even though it shares a similar profile to the Roma. Ferrari’s head of design, Flavio Manzoni, has brought over some of the visual purity of the 12 Cilindri, while also retaining the Roma’s voluptuous profile and fluid front wings. Ferrari describes the Amalfi as a 2+, as opposed to a 2+2. This is an acknowledgement that the rear seats are suitably only for small children or large suitcases.

For now, Ferrari is keeping its very first EV under wraps. In contrast, the Amalfi stays resolutely ICE-powered, with a front mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 just like its predecessor. Power is up, but only slightly, hinting that the battle over output and stats is coming to a natural end. Performance and sound will doubtless not disappoint, even if the Amalfi is no longer playing horsepower one-upmanship with its rivals.

This is a grand tourer, not an out and out sports car, but the suggested figures (0–100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, 0–200 km/h in 9.0 seconds) are still EV-baitingly quick. There’s a faster steering box, a brake-by-wire system, and active aerodynamics, systems that all build on the benchmarks set by the Roma.

Some of the biggest evolutions are on the inside, where there’s a dual cockpit style layout with a passenger screen and an optional Burmester audio system, as well as an improved HMI plus – a crucial one, this – the return of physical buttons to the steering wheel instead of the ‘haptic control system’ of the Roma, which everyone hated. Another useful option to tick is the ability to raise the nose automatically for town driving.

While the Purosangue is still the ‘everyday’ Ferrari, the Amalfi comes a close second. First impressions are of a strikingly beautiful machine that has become even more liveable thanks to better tech and a fresh aesthetic inside and out.

Ferrari Amalfi, more information at Ferrari.com, @Ferrari