Ferrari Amalfi: A Contemporary Classic

The Ferrari Amalfi has many good numbers. 3.9 Litre 90-degree V8 twin-turbo with 470Kw and 760 NM from 3,000 to 5,700 rpm and it will spin to 7,600 driving through a 8-spd DCT for a 3.3 seconds 0 to 100 sprint, and a 320kph vmax. It’s 4.6 m long with a 2.7 m wheelbase, a 1.652m front track, and 1.679 rear track boasting a magical 50-50 weight distribution on 245/35R20 at the nose and 285/35R20 at the business end. 
The carbon ceramic brakes are 390mm monsters up front and 360 mm out back…. I could go on all day.

But no one is thinking numbers when they get to see the car; the Amalfi is at once simple and beautiful. 
Everything has a purpose – it’s form and function. Ferrari design head Flavio Manzoni has of late designed cars that cause strong opinions and a divide – yet when you really see them in person they make sense. F80, Luce, 849 Testarossa, they are all on the challenging end of things. Not Amalfi however; this is pure classic yet contemporary Ferrari.

This is the front mid-engine ‘entry-level’ Ferrari, but calling it that does no justice – for it’s a stunner in itself. 
It shares some design language with the 12Cilindri bigger brother, it’s also unique in character, a pleasure in its own right. It’s a 2+2 configuration, so while it’s quite tight in the back, the kids (5 and 10) that I tried for size were happy. The Amalfi evolves and iterates from its predecessor the Roma that was produced from 2020 to 2025. There’s an increase of power up to 640 CV (470 kW) from 620 (456 kW), with more peak torque available over a wider band.
Designed yet understated, Amalfi’s exterior is muscular yet elegant. This launch colour, Verde Costiera means Coastal Green – it’s certainly evocative of the sea.
Step inside and there’s more going on. The light-tan leather seats are sporty yet comfortable. Italian hide throughout the cabin somehow manages a different feel, a sumptuous depth making it supple, grippy and sensuous. The driver has a virtual cockpit while the passenger is not left behind and gets one of their own all with integrated air controls and a screen should you specify it.

New Zealand and Australia love their Ferraris, and the specification in this region is substantial, yet this release version has virtually every possible option. Choosing can be very involved, yet it’s great to know carbon stoppers have been standard since 2009’s 458.

The well proportioned steering wheel has a delicate accuracy; tactile with leather hand grips and LED change lights set into the carbon top. Indicators are positioned as paddles on each side of the wheel, it’s unusual at first yet soon I’m not only comfortable but I’ve grown to love it. 
Gone are the haptic controls, real buttons are back as requested by customers. And what buttons! Start/stop and the Manitino, are milled anodized aluminium – extremely stylish.

AC settings are on screen yet permanently visible, vents are thankfully manual. Media controls are located behind the steering wheel – a beloved volume roller and tactile track selectors continue the parade of real controls. Tyre temperatures are reported on screen to tell you when the Bridgestone Potenzas are warmed up. For high speed stability, Amalfi features a downforce wing at the rear that pops up as required. For flexibility Amalfi has a Bumpy Road mode in addition to Wet, Comfort, Sport, Race, and an OFF setting which turns off all the aids and delivers full everything.
So let’s take it for a drive. I jump in, pushing the start/stop button. The muted howl of the flat-plane V8 is pure sonic urgency. Push the gear selector, nudge the throttle, and in front of everyone in the showroom it seems I haven’t got a gear. I need to click a paddle before I can smoothly take off.

You pilot such a vehicle with initial caution, yet it soon becomes an extension of your driving ambitions. 
Pinpoint accurate steering goes where you want to go, the massive brakes stop you if you need it. They are not mechanically actuated now – ‘brake by wire’ – yet they are accurate with feel. 
You are reminded that while this car is beautiful, it has a purpose, and that purpose is performance.

The front lifter is very sensible for a low car. I had no problem on Auckland’s plentiful speed bumps but it was very handy to have lift on the occasional driveway. The rear visibility is excellent with a camera, mirrors, and a generous window. 
A certain confidence is required at low speed maneuvering because you don’t have the best visibility over the front haunches and long bonnet.

I took the car on a spirited drive on a weekend morning; while a cyclone threatened, there was actually little in the way of rain or wind or traffic. Select a more sporty mode and give it throttle and it transforms from runway model to track athlete. It has all of the attributes of a driver’s car: a big engine, gobs of power, rear wheel drive, wild traction, great steering and fabulous brakes. It’s not often you get to use full power or high revs in today’s performance cars but in one or two places I do get to let it rip and it is a sensational performance delivery that puts a smile on your face. It does seem like the engine could rev higher, I think there is plenty of reserve there. But seriously 760 Nm is enormous torque to deploy, and considering it can spin up warm tyres on a dry straight road I think this car is well endowed with grunt. The eight speed DCT does a fine job of picking a gear, whatever my driving style. Handling is good and adaptive to NZ conditions – steering is the highlight – pivoting the car so easily. We love a reverse camber road and in a potent rear-wheel drive car you need to be aware of that, I definitely was cautious on certain bends. Cabin noise from the engine and the road is present but it’s not excessive – it’s driving feedback. Driving in a range of conditions highlighted that this is an all-purpose car rather than a race car. What’s remarkable is how you can go from wild animal to compliant luxury so easily. It’s invigorating and relaxing at the same time. That’s kind of the theme of this car, doing several roles well. Elegance and comfort but sporty and exhilarating; luxury and presence, plus might and muscle.

Invited by Ferrari, I saw the Melbourne Grand Prix release of the Amalfi. While the F1 cars were performing on the track, the Amalfi is the kind of car you arrive in. Gorgeous and a smidge wild without being overbearing. It’s a piece of functional sculpture inside and out.